Into this plait are stuck every few feet or so cross sticks, and to these sticks a rope is fastened as a sort of hand rail.

Across such a bridge as this the hill children walk as easily as an English child does over a great brick span; but Head-nurse resolutely refused to set foot over it herself, much less to allow the Heir-to-Empire to risk his neck on such an appallingly dangerous structure.

In vain Foster-father, in order to set a good example, allowed himself to be led over by the shepherd with his eyes carefully bandaged lest he should get giddy in the middle by looking down.

As a matter of fact, this only made Head-nurse more frightened, for, of course, the bridge swung and swayed with the weight of the men on it.

She would sooner, she declared, try to climb Heaven on a rainbow! That was at least steady.