But the look changed; one could see that he was trying to rise, but that no movement of the limbs accompanied that effort of will, and his old patient, resigned look returned.

Key shuddered.

There was some injury to the spine.

The man was paralyzed.
"I can't get up, Mr.Key," he said in a faint but untroubled voice, "nor seem to move my arms, but you'll just allow that I've shook hands with ye--all the same." "How did this happen ?" said Key anxiously.
"Thet's wot gets me! Sometimes I reckon I know, and sometimes I don't.
Lyin' thar on thet ledge all last night, and only jest able to look down into the old valley, sometimes it seemed to me ez if I fell over and got caught in the rocks trying to save my wife; but then when I kem to think sensible, and know my wife wasn't there at all, I get mystified.

Sometimes I think I got ter thinkin' of my wife only when this yer young gal thet's bin like an angel to me kem here and dragged me off the ledge, for you see she don't belong here, and hez dropped on to me like a sperrit." "Then you were not in the house when the shock came ?" said Key.
"No.