“Ay; but I have got you fast this time,” said Pierre, with a laugh.  “Let us see how nicely you will fool me now.  One at a time here, men,” he added, in a louder tone, “and keep close watch of those prisoners.”

As Pierre spoke, the cavalcade emerged from the woods, and Frank found himself on the brink of a rocky chasm, which stretched away to the right as far as his eye could reach, and seemed to extend down into the very bowels of the earth.  It was so deep that his head grew dizzy, as he looked into it.  On his left, and directly in front of him, was a precipitous mountain, the top of which hung threateningly over the gorge below.  It seemed to Frank that they could go no farther in this direction, until Pierre urged his horse upon a narrow ledge that ran around the base of the cliff.  Antoine followed after the pack-horse, and Frank came next.  Roderick pricked up his ears, looked over into the gorge, and snorted loudly.  He moved very slowly and carefully, and well he might:  for a single misstep on his part would have sent both him and his rider to destruction.  The path was so narrow that, although Roderick walked on the extreme outer edge, Frank’s feet now and then brushed against the rock on the opposite side.  Our hero felt his sombrero rise on his head, whenever he looked into the chasm, or allowed himself to reflect how slight an accident might launch him into eternity.  But there was no backing out.  Once on that ledge, a person must go forward; for there was no room to turn around.

After Frank came another of the band, and Johnny followed at his heels.  Archie and his keeper came next, and Arthur and his keeper brought up the rear.  They all rode fearlessly upon the ledge, until it came Arthur’s turn, and then was heard a cry of remonstrance.  The young gentleman, who had been brave enough to fill the perilous office of scout among the Indians of the plains, did not possess the courage necessary to carry him through this ordeal.  He turned as pale as death, and stopped his horse.

“Go on,” sternly commanded his keeper.

“Oh, it’s dangerous,” returned Arthur, in pitiful tones.  “What if my horse should slip off?  That gully must be a thousand feet deep!”

“More than that,” said Archie, who, although very far from being pleased at his own situation, could not resist the inclination to torment Arthur.  “It reaches clear through to India, where you used to hunt polar bears.”

“That’s so,” said Johnny; “for just now, as I looked over into the gorge, I saw a lot of half naked Hindoos tumbling about among the icebergs.”

“And I heard them yelling,” chimed in Frank; “and saw one of those big white bears after them.”

“Go on!” repeated the Ranchero, impatiently.

“O, now, see here!” exclaimed Arthur, in a trembling voice, trying to turn his horse’s head away from the pass, “I believe, I’ll”—­