“Thave me!” howled the little, lisping girl.

Janus, caught off his balance, did exactly what Harriet Burrell had foreseen he would do.  The guide was jerked from his feet, and, throwing out both hands before him to protect himself, went shooting down the incline headfirst.

“Grab the rope!” he shouted, as he pitched over.

In the meantime something was happening to Grace Thompson.  No one having grabbed the line, she, too, shot backward head first.

Harriet, fearing that the girl’s head would be crushed when she reached the bottom of the slope, sprang forward, and, bracing herself, stooped over with her hands close to the ground.  It all happened in a few seconds.  Jane had barely time to collect her thoughts when Tommy was caught in Harriet’s net.  Harriet had caught her by the shoulders and stopped the force of the slide, but in doing so she herself toppled over backward.

Jane uttered a war whoop.  Her joyous shout died a sudden death when the oncoming Janus collided with her, bowling Crazy Jane over.  She quickly rolled out of the way while the guide continued on over the edge, tumbling down a second incline to the surface of a flat rock about eight feet below.

Tommy got up, gazing about her in mild amazement.

“Did thomebody fall down, Harriet?” she asked.

“No, somebody fell up,” jeered Jane.

“Look after Mr. Grubb,” cried the guardian; “I fear he is hurt.”

Janus pulled himself slowly to a sitting position, and took an inventory to make sure that he was all there and still fastened together.  For the moment he was not quite clear as to what really had occurred.  When he saw the blue eyes of Tommy Thompson peering over at him, he remembered.

“Oh, that ith too bad, Mr. Januth,” she said with a voice full of sympathy.  “You thouldn’t have let go.  I might have broken my prethiouth neck.”

“Let go?” roared the guide.  “Consarn it, I didn’t let go!  The rope pulled me over.”

“Ithn’t that too bad?  Did you hurt yourself?”

“No.”

Jane was sitting on the rocks, rocking her body back and forth, laughing, trying to keep her voice within reasonable limits.

“Are you all right, Tommy?” called Miss Elting anxiously.

“No, I’m all pulled to pietheth.  Tho ith Januth, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, girls, what am I going to do with you?  Please hurry.  It is getting dark, and we must reach the shelf,” implored Miss Elting.

The guide scrambled to his feet and began clambering up to Miss Elting and Margery.  This time Tommy was directed to sit down, as had Margery.  She did so, chuckling to herself, and was quickly hauled to the top.  Hazel followed, sitting.  Harriet and Jane ran up with the support of the rope, and in a few moments the entire party was together.

“You must follow me in single file,” directed the guide.  “It’s a narrow trail to the shelf, so no nonsense.  Here, pass the rope along and keep a tight hold on it, every one of you.”