They were merely lighting cigarettes, and, with a few more words to each other, they walked on.
Ned slid slowly down, but when he came to the last knot his strength gave way and he fell.

It seemed to him that he was plunging an immeasurable distance through depths of space.

Then he struck and with the force of the blow consciousness left him.
When he revived he found himself lying upon a rough stone pavement and it was still dark.

He saw above a narrow cleft of somber sky, and something cold and trailing lay across his face.

He shivered with repulsion, snatched at it to throw it off, and found that it was his rope.