The path grew narrow here, and the Captain passed outside.

The eyes of all but one were on the black blotch, the hollow in the cliff-side, expecting we knew not what--a sudden shot or the rush or a desperate man; and no one saw exactly what happened.

But somehow, as the Captain passed abreast of him, the prisoner thrust back his guards, and leaping sideways, flung his unbound arms round Larolle's body, and in an instant swept him, shouting, to the verge of the precipice.
It was done in a moment.

By the time our startled wits and eyes were back with them, the two were already tottering on the edge, looking in the gloom like one dark form.

The sergeant, who was the first to find his head, levelled his carbine, but, as the wrestlers twirled and twisted, the Captain, shrieking out oaths and threats, the mute silent as death, it was impossible to see which was which, and the sergeant lowered his gun again, while the men held back nervously.