"What was that, Mr. Jones?" she called. Her voice trembled.
"I can"t tell now," said I. "Try to sleep, and as soon as it is light I will come to you."
"Very well," called back Cynthia, with as confident a tone as if she had been speaking down the stairs of her own house at home. Whether she felt concerned or not she did not show it, and I felt that, whatever happened to us, she would put forth a brave front to the world, whatever world it might be with which she should come in contact.
I did not sleep again. I lay listening to the Bo"s"n"s snores and the Smith"s groans, and wondered when day would break.
I had been lying wide awake for perhaps an hour when I again heard Cynthia"s voice. These were the words that she said:
"Mr. Jones! Mr. Jones!" she called; "I don"t know where to put my foot.
I can"t find any place to put my foot."
I arose hastily at her first word. There was now a very faint streak of light in the east, a dull light which betokened a gloomy day. I could, however, see enough to walk safely, though it was like the dusk of a summer evening at home. I groped my way toward where I heard her voice.
As I approached her retreat, I heard her call again:
"I don"t know where to put my foot!"
I had my suspicion of what the matter might be. I struck my flint, and just in time for myself, for I found that I had come to a halt upon the edge of an open abyss of perhaps ten or twelve feet in width. The small crack which we had crossed with such unconcern had been the weak spot of our structure. The earthquake had torn out a ma.s.s of rock and had left Cynthia and Lacelle upon the other side, entirely isolated from the rest of us. The light increased now with every moment, and I saw to my horror that Cynthia was standing on the very edge of the chasm. She had one arm round a young tree and one foot close to its base. With the other foot she was feeling down the side of the chasm, endeavouring to find a foothold. Her fine hair was hanging down over her shoulders, her eyes were wide and staring, and as she felt--felt--felt--with the toe of her poor worn shoe, my heart stopped beating, I am sure, for a few seconds.
I knew not what to do. The chasm was too great for me to leap, for she stood some feet above me. I did not dare to speak. My G.o.d! if there was ever a worse moment in any man"s life, I should like to hear of it.
Again she called:
"Mr. Jones! Mr. Jones! do come and help me. I can"t find any place to put my foot."
[Ill.u.s.tration: Cynthia was standing on the very edge of the chasm.]
G.o.d in heaven! What should I do? Can you imagine how my feelings overcame me when I saw Lacelle issue from the sleeping chamber? Her face was white and terrified. She came cautiously, and when she saw the great rift between the plateau and the place where she and Cynthia stood, her lips became bloodless. Her senses did not desert her, however. She laid her finger upon her lip and shook her head at me. Then she reached out one hand and grasped the tree behind Cynthia"s standing place. She laid the other hand very, very gently on Cynthia"s arm. She slipped her fingers up toward the elbow, and gradually drew the girl toward her. For a moment I thought that Cynthia was gone. She swayed slightly, and I feared to see her open her eyes and, perceiving the great chasm beneath her feet, dash headlong into it. But Lacelle was equal to her task. I have sometimes wondered if she had magnetic power. For in a moment more Cynthia had withdrawn her foot, had placed it on firm ground, and with Lacelle was slowly ascending the gentle slope which led to her retreat.
I fell backward upon the rock floor. My strength seemed gone. I lay there limp as a piece of seaweed, my face covered with my hands. The Bo"s"n turned over, took a long breath, and opened his eyes. The first thing that he saw was my rec.u.mbent figure, and that I was shaking in every limb. He knelt by me and took my hands from my face.
"Why, Mr. Jones, sir," said he, "ef you ain"t cryin"!"
Perhaps I was, G.o.d knows! The great dread and the sudden relief had shaken me physically and mentally. The Bo"s"n brought me some water.
When I could speak, "Bo"s"n," said I, "how are we going to get to her?"
"Who, sir?" asked the Bo"s"n.
I lifted myself up on my feet like an aged man. The Bo"s"n arose with me.
"Look there!" said I, pointing to the abyss; "and she is on the other side."
"Does Mrs. Jones know it, sir?" asked the Bo"s"n.
I started. It was some time since I heard the Bo"s"n speak of Cynthia in that way.
"No," said I, "I think not. Lacelle does."
"Could you leap it, sir?" asked the Bo"s"n wistfully.
"I don"t see how I could," said I. "It isn"t even like jumping down across a place that is as wide as that. It is not like jumping downward at all. I hardly think I could do it then. It must be anywhere from eight to ten feet wide. And, as you see, it is a little above us. No, I certainly could not do it."
The Bo"s"n stepped back and looked critically up over the roof of our shelter. It was growing light--the light of a dull early morning.
"I thought there might be some way of getting to them with the vines on the roof, but I see that it is straight up, up, up, sir. Looks like there was no stop to it."
"Even if we could get up there, what good would it do them?"
"Suppose we go out into the pa.s.sage and look for help."
"Who would help us? We should perhaps fall into the hands of some of these roaming savages. They might treat us well, and they might not.
That is not to be thought of. Suppose we met with some of those--Oh, I forgot you were not with us! Let us consult with the Smith."
The Smith had slept through the entire storm. I now awoke him and told him what had befallen us. He seemed much concerned, and said that it looked serious.
"But don"t you be worried, Mr. Jones," said he. "I"ve been in tighter places than this." This reminded me forcibly of the Skipper.
"You may have been," said I, "but I don"t think I have, much."
And now I heard Cynthia"s voice calling to me again.
I went to the edge of the chasm. There I found her standing on the other side, holding tight to the sapling.
"Don"t come so near, for G.o.d"s sake!" said I.
She was looking blankly at the great abyss, as if she were dreaming.
"How did it happen?" she said.
"How does anything happen?" asked I. "As if we didn"t have enough to worry us without having that piece of rock fall."
"Do you think that we can ever get back to you?" asked Cynthia.
"If you don"t, I"ll jump off the cliff," said I.
"Don"t talk so foolishly, Mr. Jones," said Cynthia, smiling at me.
"While there"s life, there"s hope. Perhaps there is another entrance to the terrace from where we are. If Zalee were only here, he could tell us. He seems to know these mountains as if they were his own home, but I have asked Lacelle if there is any other way out. She says that Zalee said nothing about it."
"Don"t you think she might prospect a little?" said I.
"How do you mean?" asked Cynthia.
"Why, walk up your little shelf as far back as it goes, and see if there is no way out for you. I feel so helpless." I wrung my hands nervously.
"I can do nothing."
"Don"t worry," said Cynthia, looking brightly at me. "I am sure we shall find some way out of it. The only trouble is that I am dreadfully hungry."
"We can throw you some food," said I.
"And water?"