Alec was helping Laura across one of those narrow beds of stones, the others being some little way in advance, when they were startled by a deep rumbling noise, and a tremulous motion under their feet. The whole layer of stones, loosened by the rain and frost, was sliding down towards the precipice! With a cry Alec hurried his companion on; but her trembling feet could hardly support her. The movement of the stones, slow at first, was becoming faster every moment; and Alec’s only hope lay in crossing them before they were carried down to the edge of the cliff. For a minute it seemed doubtful whether they would be able to cross in time; but Alec succeeded in struggling, along with his half-fainting companion, to the edge of the sliding stones, and placed her, just in time, upon a sloping but solid bank of earth. In a few minutes more the stones had swept past them, and had disappeared over the cliff. But the position which Alec had reached was hardly less dangerous than the one they had escaped from. Behind them was a deep chasm which the treacherous stones had left. In front the mountain rose at a terrible slope. Alec scanned it closely, and it seemed to him that though he might have scaled it at a considerable risk, it was quite impracticable for Laura without help from above. If he were to make the attempt, and fall, he knew he would infallibly dash her as well as himself over the precipice. Some feet above their heads there was a ledge of rock from which it might be possible to assist them; but where were Blake and the others? They were out of sight, and the sound of Alec’s shouts, cut off by the rocks above, could not reach them. Worst of all, the mist seemed to be closing upon them more thickly than ever. The question was, Could they maintain their position till help could reach them? Soon it became evident that they could not. The ledge of grass-covered rock on which they stood was so narrow that they could not even sit down; and it was plain that Laura could not stand much longer. There was only one way of escape. Eight or ten feet below was a shelf of rock, frightfully narrow, and, what was worse, sloping downwards and covered with slippery dry grass. But Alec saw that if he could reach it, he could make his way round to the top of the rock, and then he could stretch down his hand so as to help Laura up the steep. ‘Oh, Mr. Lindsay, what _shall_ we do?’ cried Laura, turning to Alec her white, despairing face. ‘Oh, look down there! What a dreadful death!’ ‘Death! Nonsense! There is no danger--not much, at least. See, now, I am going to drop down on that bit of grassy rock, and climb round to the top. Then I’ll be able to help you up.’ ‘But I could never climb up there! I should fall, and be killed in a moment!’ ‘Not a bit, if you have hold of my hand.’ ‘But you won’t leave me?’ cried Laura, clutching Alec by the arm as she spoke; ‘you won’t leave me all alone in this dreadful place?’ ‘Only for a minute.’