Whether Constance pulled the wrong rein, or whether, as she affirmed, it was merely his natural badness, in any case, he suddenly veered from the path and took a cross cut down the rocky slope below them.

Donkeys are fortunately sure-footed beasts; otherwise the two would have plunged together down the sheer face of the mountain.
As it was it looked ghastly enough to the four men below; they shouted to Constance to stick on, and commenced scrambling up the slope with absolutely no hope of reaching her.
It was Tony's chance a second time to show his agility--and this time to some purpose.

He was a dozen yards behind and much lower down, which gave him a start.

Leaping forward, he dropped over the precipice, a fall of ten feet, to a narrow ledge below.

Running toward them at an angle, he succeeded in cutting off their flight.