All that was required
was a stout heart, a steady hand, and a good pair of arms. All of
these were bestowed upon him by magic of darkness. It was what the
light revealed that made a coward of him. Why, he could shut his
eyes tight and go up that cliff by night as easily as--but where
were the slots?
At last his hand encountered one of the sharp edges. He reached up
and found the next one above,--and then for the first time realized
that his eyes had been closed all the time he was feeling along
the cold surface of the rock. He opened them in a start of actual
bewilderment. The blackish mass rose almost sheer above him, like
a vast wall upon which the moon cast a dull, murky light. He closed
his eyes again and leaned heavily against the rock. His heart began
to beat horribly. He felt his courage slipping; he wondered if he
had the strength, the nerve to go on; he saw himself halfway up that
endless wall, clutching wildly to save himself when a treacherous
hand-hold broke loose and--
He opened his eyes and tried to pierce the shadows below the rocky
path. Was it best to hide in that hole up there, after all? Would
it not be wiser, now that he had a fair start, to keep on up the
river, trusting to--
A chorus of automobile horns in the distance came to his ears
suddenly,--a confused jumble of raucous blasts produced by many
cars.
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