But now they had above them the ten feet of sheer perpendicularity down which Dan had indiscreetly jumped, following Penn's lead. A single hand above them would now be worth several hands below.
"What a fool I war! durned if I warn't!" said Dan, endeavoring unsuccessfully to find a place by which he could reascend.
"Get on my shoulders!" And Penn braced himself against the ledge.
Dan made the attempt, but fell, and rolled down the bank.
Just then a grinning black face appeared above.
"Gib me de gal! gib me de gal!" and a prodigiously long arm reached down.
"O Cudjo! you are an angel!" cried Penn, "Daniel! Here!"
Pepperill was up the bank again in a minute, at Penn's side. They lifted Virginia above their heads. Holding on by a sapling with one hand, the negro extended the other far down over the ledge. Those miraculous arms of his seemed to have been made expressly for this service. He grasped a wrist of the girl; with the other hand she clung to his arm until he had drawn her up to the sapling; this she seized, and helped herself out. Then once more Penn gave Daniel his shoulder, while Cudjo gave him a hand from above; and Daniel was safe. Last of all, Penn remained.
"Cotch holt hyar!" said Cudjo, extending towards him the end of a branch he had broken from a tree.
To this Penn held fast, assisting himself with his feet against the ledge, while Cudjo and Dan hauled him up.