The ledge, therefore, arched over, and was in the nature of a partial bridge, whose thickness would have sustained a great many tons.
They peered downward in quest of Hank, but the gorge had taken an abrupt turn since they saw him and he was not in sight.
The task before them seemed so simple that the two gave it scarcely a thought, but it brought them an experience which, in some respects, was the most terrifying of their lives.
While the banks were substantially on the same level, the opposite one was fringed with a species of stunted bush, two or three feet high, quite dense, and bearing a species of red berry such as is found on the fragrant wintergreen.

Hazletine had cautioned the lads against eating any vegetable whatever in this section, since many are violently poisonous and have caused the death of more than one thoughtless tenderfoot.
Fred Greenwood made ready for the first jump.

As in the former instance, the distance was so slight that it was not necessary to toss any of their impedimenta in advance of their own passage.

It was easy to jump with the Winchester in one hand and the goodly piece of meat in the other.

Since Fred had beaten his friend some time before, Jack quietly resolved to turn the tables by doing his best, and he was confident of far surpassing him, especially as Fred had no suspicion of his intention.
"Go ahead," said Jack; "night isn't far off, and it will be dark by the time we reach camp." Fred took only a couple of paces for a start, when he bounded across the chasm with the ease of a chamois.