The fellows got beside a tree so that the rope went part way around the trunk. That way they could pass it out easily. We were sure of the rope, that was one thing. Hemp--you've got to go some to break that. That was no clothesline. Backyard ropes are all right, but not for scouts. "Don't take any chances," Westy said. "Just look and see if it's chafing on the edge." "If it is, tell me," Pee-wee puffed out. "Let it down slowly," Warde called. "What are you waiting for? It's all right down here." There were only two places where that rope could rub; those were on the top of the wall right near us and down on the edge of the shelf. We knew it was all right below that on account of what Warde had said. In both of those places the rope went over clumps of bushes and moss. No rope will stand rubbing all the time, but all we had to do was to let it down to the bottom and we knew it would stand that much rubbing. So we just passed it out little by little and pretty soon it was slack. Then we could hear Warde calling from away down below. "All right," I shouted; "We'll be down pretty soon. Take a rest." We tied the rope good and fast to the tree and then I said to Will and Dorry, "How far did you go when you started from here?" "Not more than ten or twenty feet," Dorry said. "Then the bee-line hike is saved!" I said. Dora said, "Oh, I'm so glad. I wondered how you'd _ever_ get down the cliff. When the men came back from Riverview Park they had that horrid bandit with them--just think!" "What did I tell you?" Pee-wee said. She said, "Oh, I think it was just wonderful how you fastened him there----" "Without the loss of a single life," the kid shouted. She said, "And when I saw that villainous creature and thought how you had _really caught_ him, and when I saw the men had your rope, I was just _stricken with remorse_ for the way we girls fooled you. I said, 'I'm just going to run after them and take their rope so their hike won't be spoiled.' Because I thought you'd need it. So you'll forgive me, won't you, for pretending to be so brave when all the time it was my own house? You will, won't you?" I said, "I don't know much about the girl scouts except that they giggle a lot but I'll say this much, they know how to run and when it comes to good turns----" "Will you let me _prove_ I'm a scout? A real one?" I said, "You're as real as real estate. All you have to do is say what you want." She said, "Will you let me climb down that rope and go with you, and finish the bee-line hike with you?" "_G-o-o-d night!_" I said. CHAPTER XXXII BEE-LINES AND THINGS Gee whiz, I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to tell her that I was afraid she couldn't do it. But we had just seen one narrow escape and I didn't want her to take any chances.