His body began to slide very
slowly down the incline.
In a moment the acute danger was past. Sheba had found a hold with her
feet and relieved somewhat the dead pull upon Elliot.
She had not voiced a cry, but the face that looked up into his was very
white.
"Take your time," he said in a quiet, matter-of-fact way.
With his help she came close enough for him to reach her hand. After
that it was only a moment before she knelt on the plateau beside him.
"Touch and go, wasn't it?" Sheba tried to smile, but the colorless lips
told the young man she was still faint from the shock.
He knew he was going to reproach himself bitterly for having led her
into such a risk, but he could not just now afford to waste his energies
on regrets. Nor could he let her mind dwell on past dangers so long as
there were future ones to be faced.
"You might have sprained your wrist," he said lightly as he rose to
examine the cliff still to be negotiated.
Her dark eyes looked at him with quick surprise. "So I might," she
answered dryly.
But his indifferent tone had the effect upon her of a plunge into cold
water. It braced and stiffened her will. If he wanted to ignore the
terrible danger through which she had passed, certainly she was not
going to remind him of it.
Pages:
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60