"What is it?" she questioned, with quick catching of breath, reading
that which she could not clearly interpret in his shocked expression.
"Nothing of consequence," and he faintly endeavored to smile. "I
suppose I must have been dreaming also, and most unpleasantly. No;
please do not look down; it would only cause your head to reel, and our
upward climb is not yet completed. Do you feel strong enough now to
make another attempt to reach the top?"
His quiet spirit of assured dominance seemed to command her obedience.
With a slight shudder she glanced doubtfully up the seemingly
inaccessible height.
"Can we?" she questioned helplessly.
"We can, simply because we must," and his white teeth shut together
firmly. "There is no possibility of retracing our steps downward, but
with the help of this daylight we surely ought to be able to discover
some path leading up."
He rose cautiously to his feet, pressing her more closely against the
face of the cliff, thus holding her in comparative safety while
preventing her from glancing back into the dizzy chasm. The most
difficult portion of their journey was apparently just before them,
consisting of a series of narrow ledges, so widely separated and
irregular as to require each to assist the other while passing from
point to point. Beyond these a slender cleft, bordered by gnarled
roots of low bushes, promised a somewhat easier and securer passage
toward the summit. Hampton's face became deathly white as they began
the perilous climb, but his hand remained steady, his foot sure, while
the girl moved forward as if remaining unconscious of the presence of
danger, apparently swayed by his dominant will to do whatsoever he bade
her. More than once they tottered on the very brink, held to safety
merely by desperate clutchings at rock or shrub, yet never once did the
man loosen his guarding grasp of his companion. Pressed tightly
against the smooth rock, feeling for every crevice, every slightest
irregularity of surface, making use of creeping tendril or dead branch,
daring death along every inch of the way, these two creepers at last
attained the opening to the little gulley, and sank down, faint and
trembling, their hands bleeding, their clothing sadly torn by the sharp
ledges across which they had pulled their bodies by the sheer strength
of extended arms. Hampton panted heavily from exertion, yet the old
light of cool, resourceful daring had crept back into the gray eyes,
while the stern lines about his lips assumed pleasanter curves. The
girl glanced furtively at him, the long lashes shadowing the expression
of her lowered eyes. In spite of deep prejudice she felt impelled to
like this man; he accomplished things, and he didn't talk.