The rope chafed his fingers but he remained absolutely steady.

Once he trusted for a moment to a yew tree, growing out of a fissure in the rock, which came out by the roots and went hurtling down into space.

From overhead he heard Robert's terrified cry.

The rope stood the strain of his sudden clutch, however, and all was well.

A little lower down, holding on with one hand, he took his torch from his pocket and examined the surface of the cliff.