“I’m sure we can make it,” she said evenly.
“That puts us over half-way up right now,” he smiled as he tied their boots to the back of his belt. “There’s just one thing to remember; don’t look up nor down. Keep yore eyes on the wall in front of yuh, and remember that I’m right under yuh. I won’t let yuh fall.”
“All right.”
Cultus smiled grimly at her faith in his ability to save her in case of a slip. Those shallow niches in the walls of the fissure merely afforded a toe-hold and in case she fell, the odds were sadly against him being able to sustain her weight and his balance at the same time. It was sort of as though they were climbing up a chimney, less than three feet across; they could easily touch the wall in front of them, but there was nothing but empty space in back of them.
But they went up and up, staring at the blank sandstone wall before their eyes, feeling for the niches, testing each one carefully. At time the sand broke away at the edges, and they could hear it trickling to the bottom far below them. Sweat poured down their faces, but as they climbed higher a draught seemed to whirl past them from below.
They didn’t dare look down, and to look up would throw them off their balance.
“Rest,” ordered Cultus. “We’re half-way to the top, Jane.”
“Only half-way?” she whispered weakly.
“I think that’s pretty danged good, if yuh ask me.”
He could see her knees trembling under the strain.