Page:St. Nicholas - Volume 41, Part 1.djvu/55

1913.] “I suppose,” said one of the others, “you think you can’t be scared!”

“I know I can” Harriet answered. “But I hope never to be.” She looked again at the landscape. “Here least of all. Why, it ’s beautiful here!”

One of her companions clutched her arm. “There ’s some one on the cliff!” They all turned and looked.

The cliff was, perhaps, a hundred feet away, its brown and streaked rocks topped with low bushes. "I see no one,” said Harriet,

“He was climbing down.” explained the other, “He ’s got behind the trees. Listen!”

They listened, and from behind the trees came the sound of scrambling. "It was a man?" asked Harriet, lowering her voice in spite of herself.

“Or a boy,” was the answer. The other pulled nervously at her hand. “Let ’s run!”

“Run?” demanded Harriet. It may be some one we know. It ought to be.”

“Let ’s hide, then, till we make sure.” urged the other, her voice trembling.

Harriet looked around upon the low bushes. “There ’s no place to hide. We must wait.”

The others, pressing close on either hand, clutched her gown. Impatient that, in spite of herself, their fears infected her, she stood, with head erect, trying to pierce the screen of trees that concealed the face of the cliff. And now showed clearly which was the princess here, and which the handmaidens; for, while the others drew partly behind her, she pressed a little forward.

“Don’t!” they begged, clutching her the tighter. Suddenly there came a crash, the clatter of rocks striking and breaking, and a long, splintering fall. Then came a great cry of pain and horror. The two girls squealed and cowered, putting up their hands as against a blow. Even Harriet, though she held herself still more erect, responded to the cry with a gasp that was like a sob. Then there was silence.

"Oh,” cried one of the girls, “what is it?”

“Wait,” answered Harriet.

Behind the trees, at first, was stillness, but then, as they listened, there came a groan. The two girls sprang backward. “Run!”

“Stand still!? commanded Harriet. She did not know that she was brave, nor think that she was sensible; but the others felt her power, and crept back to their positions behind her.

There was another groan, and then a scuffing began among the trees. The bushes creaked and snapped. The girls, with straining eyes, saw first a glimpse of white, then a blond head, and then, blindly staggering into the open, the figure of a boy. And such a figure! One temple was streaming blood; the face writhed with pain; Vol. XLI.—6.