THE STRAWBERRY PARTY. 213 



" I mean to travel back the same way I came," said the boy 

 with a merry laugh, and ere the words had left his lips we saw 

 him leap lightly forward. His foot touched the rock on which 

 we stood, but he missed the broad flat surface, and striking the 

 sloping edge of the cliff", he was instantly precipitated into the 

 abyss. A wild cry burst from his lips and then all was silent. 



The excitement of the moment was terrific. Pressing to 

 the verge of the cliff", with little regard to our own safety, we 

 looked down, dreading to behold his mangled body lying among 

 the rocks at the bottom. But he had been caught by a pro- 

 jecting ledge of rock about half way down the ravine, and 

 there, apparently lifeless, he lay with his limbs hanging over 

 the chasm below. The slightest movement would be sufficient 

 to hurl him from his perilous resting-place, and, even if life 

 were not yet extinct, we knew he must perish the very instant 

 that his paralysed faculties began to revive. 



Cousin Tom's practical wisdom at once decided that 

 Charlie's only chance was in his continued unconsciousness 

 until aid could be procured, and he immediately hurried off" to the 

 nearest farm-house for men and ropes, though how the poor 

 boy was to be reached seemed impossible to imagine. Lionel 

 Morton only waited until Cousin Tom had given his opinion 

 and hastened away to obtain asssistance, then turning to us 

 ladies, he asked for a scarf. In an instant Alice had thine off" 

 her rich shawl and placed it in his hands. Carefully winding it 

 about his body so as not to impede his movements, he bent 

 over the face of the cliff", and deliberately began to descend. 



