OH, SHOOT! 



us. The cage had come to rest a short dis- 

 tance out and the horse was threatening to 

 demolish it in his dying struggles. 



"He's done for," said Bert. "He'll choke 

 before we can shin out there and windlass the 

 cage back." 



" Shall I cut him down? " inquired one of the 

 boys. 



Plainly that was the quickest way of ending 

 the creature's agony, so the suggestion was 

 acted upon. 



As the first rope was cut, the horse, in a final 

 spasm, kicked himself free of the bars, slid 

 head first out of the tip-tilted cage, and hanged 

 himself high in midair over the torrent. 



We were all very much relieved when he 

 had been cut down, when the cage failed to 

 follow him, and when the entire transaction 

 was closed. These events had not taken 

 long, and we had quite forgotten Miller and 

 his machine, which he had been industriously 

 turning. Now he called down to us: 



"Good work! But the censors won't pass 

 it. I got everything except the leap for 

 life. If you'll start the cage again and let 

 Bert make another jump, I'll get him in the 

 air." 



160 



