198 FALLS FROM A CLIFF. CHAP. x. 



equally impracticable. In that case he^would have 

 had to drop his gun, and smash it to bits on the rocks 

 below. This he could not afford to do. Still, he 

 could not stay there. With bated breath and steady 

 eye, he clutched a little projection of rock standing 

 out far above him. He caught it, clambered a little 

 way up, then secured a firmer footing, and at last 

 reached the summit in safety. 



His troubles were not over. They were only be- 

 ginning. He looked about for the bird. It lay only 

 a few yards from him. It was on the edge of the cliff, 

 and seemed apparently dead. On stooping to pick it 

 up, it fluttered, raised one of its wings, and went over 

 the precipice. In his eagerness to catch it, or per- 

 haps from the excited state in which he was from 

 mounting the cliff, Edward grasped at the bird, missed 

 it, lost his footing on the smooth rock, and fell over 

 the precipice. His gun fell out of his hand and lodged 

 across two rocks jutting out from the beach below. 

 Edward fell upon his gun, and smashed it to pieces ; 

 but it broke the force of the blow, and probably saved 

 his life. A fall of at least forty feet on rocks and 

 stones would certainly have killed most men, or at 

 least broken many of their bones. When afterwards 

 endeavouring to recall his feelings on the occasion, 

 Edward said, " I remember that, on losing my 

 balance, my gun slipped from my hand, and I uttered 

 the exclamation, * God !' Then my breath seemed 

 to be cut by a strong wind, which made me compress 



