Half stunned by the force of his fall, Little Snap found himself clinging to the edge of the shelf, with the mail bag underneath him. Finding he had received no serious injury, he crawled to a safe position on the rock, nearly overjoyed to find that he had really come out of the ordeal alive. It was several minutes before he could realize he was safe and unhurt, but as he finally knew, the force of his fall had been broken by the mail pouch, and, saved from going down the rugged declivity, his life had been spared. Anxious to know what had become of Robin Burrnock, he looked down the descent to see his body near the bottom, lying as motionless as if he were dead. In the road near where he had left him, he saw the faithful Jack still awaiting his coming. "Noble fellow!" he exclaimed; "I will be with you in a minute," beginning his descent into the valley. Though he found this no easy task, he soon succeeded in reaching the highway, the mail pouch safely in his hands. Finding the outlaw had not yet moved, he went to his side, and turning him over, saw that his neck had been broken. "I am sorry," said the postboy, "but I cannot see that I am to blame. I was in duty bound to protect——" "Have no misgivings over what you have done, my boy," said a voice near at hand, and, turning quickly, Little Snap saw with amazement Old Solitaire at his elbow. "I witnessed the whole affair," declared the hermit, "but I was powerless to help you, though in another moment I should have fired a shot at whatever risk. You should thank Heaven that your life was spared." "It was a narrow escape, Uncle Solitaire, and at one time I felt that it was all over with me." "So thought I. But now that you are safe, I advise you to ride on to Greenbrier and tell Mr. Renders what has happened. The authorities will look after the body of the wretch." Little Snap would fain have said more to the strange man, but the old man started back toward the Narrows as fast as he could walk. "Well, Jack, nothing is left for us but to go on," which he did, without meeting any further adventure until Greenbrier was reached. Delivering the mail pouch over to the postmistress, he then sought Mr. Renders, who listened with unfeigned wonder to his account of his meeting with Robin Burrnock in the Wash Bowl. "Egad, Dix! that was a tough one, but I don't doubt your story. I will speak to Squire Moran, and we will go up at once to look after the body. You may be wanted later to give your evidence at the inquest, but I don't apprehend you will have any further trouble. Better keep a sharp lookout, though, for those hounds of Blazed Acre will be likely to pay you off for getting rid of one of their number." Thanking him, the postboy returned to the post office for the mail. "Any trouble to-day, Dix?" asked Budd Grass, who seemed to divine that something unusual had been happening.