“Lift a little more.  That’s enough.”  Janus was working the ankle up a little at a time.  “Can you hold her?”

“Yes.  Tell us when you have freed the foot, please.  You will have to steady her.  Hold her feet together, if possible.  That will make it easier for us.  We mustn’t drop her.”

“One more lift and—­whoa!  It’s free!”

Harriet knew that without his saying so.  A sudden weight was thrown on her arms, nearly tipping her over.  Harriet’s face grew red under the strain.  Glancing up, she saw that the injured foot was indeed free.

“Let go, Jane, but watch her head to see that it doesn’t get bumped.”

“You can’t handle her alone, darlin’.  Better let me help you,” counseled Jane.

“Yes I can.  But be ready to catch her in case anything goes wrong.  Please don’t try to help her down to me, Mr. Grubb, you’ll surely throw me over if you do,” warned Harriet.  “Miss Elting, you and the girls hold a blanket to catch her if we should let her fall.”

Space was so limited in the tree that everyone up there was laboring under great difficulties.

“Better let me get down there,” suggested Janus.

Harriet shook her head.  She was slowly righting the now half unconscious girl, every muscle trembling under the strain she was putting upon it.

“Hooray!” cried Crazy Jane.

“I swum, but she is strong,” muttered Janus admiringly.  “I reckon——­” He did not complete what he had started to say.  A warning snap told him that something was giving way.

Harriet had heard and understood.  She shifted her weight to one foot, but the combined weight of the two was too much for the limb.  It broke from under her with amazing suddenness.

“Catch us!” screamed Harriet.

Jane grabbed frantically for Harriet and her burden as they came crashing down.  But, instead of lending assistance, Jane pulled Harriet toward her just as the latter was reaching out one hand for a limb by which to break the fall.  She missed the limb of the tree by an inch or so.  Jane’s effort threw her off her balance also.  The three girls went crashing down.

“Hold the blanket hard!” shouted Harriet.  Then, with rare presence of mind, she let go of her burden.  The object in doing this was that Hazel might land on the upraised blanket and thus break her fall.  Harriet reasoned that she and Jane were better able to take care of themselves than was Hazel in her half unconscious condition.  Hazel reached the blanket first, but her fall was of such force that the blanket was jerked from the hands of Miss Elting and her two charges.  However, the blanket had served to break the fall of the unfortunate mountain climber.

The next instant the other two girls came tumbling down, but they fell feet first.

“Out of the way!” cried Jane.