Page:The Cave Girl - Edgar Rice Burroughs.pdf/239

 a ladder. They breathed sighs of relief, for it seemed that she was now quite safe—the man was still one ledge below her.

But in another moment the watchers were filled with horror. The brute pursuing her had reached forth a giant hand and seized the base of the sapling. He was dragging it over the edge of the cliff. In another moment the girl would be precipitated either into his arms or to a horrible death upon the jagged rocks beneath her.

Burlinghame and Stark halted simultaneously. At once two rifles leaped to their shoulders. There were two reports, so close together that they seemed as one.