“Where are you?” he went on, still unable to see anything of Washington.
“Here I am—down the rocks!” was the low answer, and now, looking down, Dave saw Washington far below, at the very edge of the ravine. He was clinging fast to a small cedar, and the tree was so bent it looked as if it might break at any instant and let him down into the abyss below.
“Oh! How did you get there?” burst out the boy. “What can I do for you?”
“Get a rope—or one of the chains,” answered Washington. “Be quick, this tree won’t hold much longer,” and now he clutched at the rocks with one hand while holding to the tree with the other.
No rope was at hand, and the nearest chain was several rods off, but fear lent speed to Dave’s flying feet and soon he had the chain in his hand, and then he ran back to the rocks as fast as he had come. By this time the cedar tree was gradually loosening from the edge of the abyss below and while Washington had his feet around it, he now clung to two tiny crevices in the rocks above his head.
“Here is the chain, catch hold!” cried Dave, and paid it out to its full length, while bracing himself to hold fast should Washington do as suggested. Alas! the chain was several feet too short and the surveyor could not reach it. Then with a crash the cedar tree snapped from its rooting and landed with another crash at the bottom of the abyss, and Washington was left at the edge of the rocks without other support than the crevices to which he clung with might and main.
CHAPTER XIII
A BEAR HUNT
If Dave had been dismayed before, he was doubly so now, for he expected each instant to see his employer lose his hold and follow the cedar tree to the jagged rocks far below.
But even in that moment of peril Washington did not lose his presence of mind. Still clinging to the rocks with all the strength of his fingers he called to the youth to tie the end of the chain to one of the poles which were not far away.
“Take the pole with the cross-piece,” he said. “And tie the chain well.”