The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 3 — page 133: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE RIVER OF DARKNESS. 517 we have done such a foolish thing? From that narrow width of the ledge one could not throw a rope twenty feet in air. We are hopelessly cut off from our companions. ’’ ‘* Hullo, down there !’’ It was Carrington hailing them from the top of the cliff, and they could make out his figure dimly in the torchlight. ‘‘ What is the matter?’’ shouted Guy lustily, making a trumpet of his hands. In a moment the reply came distinctly to their ears. ‘‘ Canaris hears a strange cry from the lake. You had better come up.”’ ‘‘ We are cut off,’? Guy shouted back. ‘‘ We cannot get the rope back to the top of the cliff. Go tell Canaris ’’—his voice sank to a whisper, and he dropped on the sand beside Melton. The colonel did not answer. The torch moved off along the cliff and ‘then stopped, no doubt, directly above the raft. ‘‘ He has gone to aid Canaris,’’ said Guy. ‘‘I would like to know what is taking place on the lake.’’ ‘“Ah !’’ said Forbes, ‘‘ here he comes back now.’’ The torch moved along until it was directly over their heads, and then the colonel called down: . ‘“Come up to the ledge. I have a way to save you.’’ Guy and Melton sprang to their feet in amazement. They could hardly believe they had heard aright. ‘“ What can he mean ?”’ cried Guy. He seized the rope and started up hand over hand, placing his feet on the rough places in the wall. Melton joined him on the ledge a moment later. ‘The torch he had left there was still burning, and its light showed the colonel where they were. ‘“Watch sharp below there,’’ he cried, and almost instantly Guy felt something dangling before his face. He put out his hand and clutched a thin cord. ‘“By Jove, Melton, it’s the fishing lines !’’ he exclaimed. ‘‘ The colonel has tied them together.’’ No directions were needed to tell them what todo next. Guy loosened the hook and fastened the line to it securely. ‘‘ Go ahead,’’ he shonted to the colonel, and the rope instantly began the asceit. Iu less than five minutes, though it really seemed an hour, the colonel signaled down that all was ready. It was a perilous undertaking to go up the face of the cliff with nothing but a smooth rope to hold to, but at Guy’s bidding Forbes comimenced the ascent, A great ae seemed lifted from Guy’s mind when he heard his friend’s voice at the fep, and without a moment’s hesitation he started up himself. Had the face of the rock been perfectly smooth he could never have reached the summit, and even by the aid of the rough places he found it a (S@) Ccomicboolk