Captain Clifton backed his horse, dismounted, and following the index of Fairfax, approached the brink of the awful abyss, and looked down a perpendicular precipice of more than a thousand feet, with the remaining distance lost in shadows and dim vapors, while faintly to the ear came a low and hollow murmur, as of the roaring of many waters at a vast depth! “This is the head of the Devil’s Staircase! We have lost our way!” said Captain Clifton. “Devil’s Staircase! I should think it was! Ugh! Oooo-oo-ooh! I shall never survive it! Where does it lead to? Tell me that! To the infernal regions, I suppose, of course. Ur-r-r-r-r!” exclaimed Fairfax, with his teeth chattering. “We have indeed made a very narrow escape,” said Captain Clifton, gazing thoughtfully down the horrible pit. “Narrow escape! Ur-r-r-r-r!” exclaimed Frank, shaking, shuddering, and streaming with cold perspiration. “I tell you, when I was providentially led to look down, and saw the fog roll away from beneath my horse’s feet, and reveal that ghastly—Ur-r-r-r-r! Ur-r-r-r-r! I believe I shall chatter my teeth to powder!” “Come, come, Fairfax! this is really unmanly. Thank an ever-watchful Providence, that has preserved you from a sudden and horrible death, and calm yourself. Be a man!” “Be a man! You might as well say to my shuddering horse, there—be a horse! This is unhorsely! Ur-r-r-r-r. I tell you it has given me the tertian ague!” “Why, Frank! Really!” “Look at my horse—look even at that dumb beast! Yes, look at that gallant steed, who would charge upon a phalanx of fixed bayonets, and impale himself upon their points, if spurred to it—look at him! Positively frozen with terror!” “Fairfax, you astonish me—certainly you are not really so much overcome.” “Overcome! My nerves are shattered to atoms, I tell you! Ur-r-r-r-r! It has given me the tertian ague, and the St. Vitus’ dance! both together! Ur-r-r-r-r!” “Now who would have supposed you to be a—of such a nervous temperament! Come, let me assist you to mount, and then away.”