The moon that night seemed to be indulging in strange vagaries, now dimly visible behind a mist of thin grey vapour, now wholly obscured behind jagged masses of black cloud, and occasionally shining brilliantly from a little patch of clear sky.

Tallente waited for one of the latter moments before he finally tested the rope which was wound around the strongest of the young pine trees and stepped over the rustic wooden paling at the edge of the lookout He stood there balanced between earth and sky, until Robert, who watched him, shivered.

"There is nothing to fear," his master said coolly.

"Remember, I am an old hand at mountain climbing, Robert.

All the same, if anything should happen, you'd better say that we fancied we heard a cry from down below and I went to see what it was.