, 1916-08-31

lightest rope. which was $50 feet In
length. with climbing irons, clamps
and other devices. Lord John was an
experienced mountaineer, and Summer.
lee had done some rough climbing at
various times, So that | was really the
novice Mt rock work Of the party. But
my strength and activity may have
made up for my want of experience.
II was not IN reality n very stiff
task, though there were moments
which made my hair bristle upon my
head. The first half was perfectly
easy. Blu from there upward 1t became
continually sleeper until for the last
fifty feet we were literally clinging
with n fingers and toes to tiny
lodges and crevices in the rock. !
could not have accomplished 1t nor
could Summarize If Challenger had
not gained the summit at was extraor
binary to see such activity IN so IN
wtehdy a creaturel and there liked the
rope round the trunk of the consider.
able tree which grew there. With this
as our support we were soon able to
scramble up the Jagged wall until we
found ourselves upon the small grassy
platform some twenty-five feet each
way, which formed the summit
The first Impression which | received
when / had recovered my breath was
OF the extraordinary view over the
country which we had trnversed. The
whole Brazilian plain seemed to lie be
meath US, extending away and away
until It ended in dim blue mists upon
tho forthnET EIr 1HNa la tha fora
ground was the long slope, strewn with
rocks n dotted with tree ferns. Far
ther Off In the middle distance. looking
over the saddleback hill, | could just
see the yellow and green mass Of ban
bOos through which we had passed.
and then gradually the vegetation In.
creased until 1t formed the huge for.
est which extended as far as the eyes
could reach and for a good 1000 miles
beyond.
wns still drinking III this wonderful
panorama when the heavy hand of the
professor fell upon my shoulder.
This way, my young friend" said
he. "Vestigin nulla retrorsum. Never
o rearward, but always to our glO-
rious goal"
The level OF the plateau when | turn
ed was exactly that on which we stood.
and the green bank of bushes, with oc.
casional trees, was so neal that 1t was
difficult to IvnliZe how inaccessible 1t
remained. At IA rough guess the gulf
was forty feet across; Int, SO far as |
could see, # might as wei have been
forty miles. / placed one arm round
the trunk of the tree and leaned over
the abyss. Far down Were the small
dark figures If our servants looking up
at us. The wall was absolutely pre-.
cipitous, a. was that which faced me.
This is indeed curious" said the
creaking voice Of Professor Summerlee
| turned and found that he was ex
aiming with great interest the tree to
which | chung, That smooth bark and
those small, ribbed lenves seemed ia.
miliar 10 my eyes. "Why," | cried.
Its n becchr'
"Exactly," said Summerlee-"a fel.
low countryman In n far land
Not only Il fellow countryman, my
good sir, said challenger, but also,
If l may be allowed to enlarge your
simile, an ally of the first value. This
"By George" cried lord Jobp .a
BRIDGE
Exactly. my friends. a brIdgel If
is not for nothing Ii a expended an
hour last night in focusing my mind
upon the situation. | have some recol.
lection Of once remarkIng TO our voung
friend here that G. Il. c. is nt his best
when his back Is to the wall Last
night you viii admit that MI our hacks.
Were to the wall. But where will BOW
er and intellect 20 together there ia nj