and was continued on the farther side, the chasm being spanned by a bridge of the simplest character—no more than a footway of boards bound together with ropes none too substantial in seeming, with another rope, breast-high, to serve as a hand-rail.
Alan tested the bridge cautiously. It bore him. He returned, helped Rose to cross, and, with her once safely on the farther side, took his life in his hands, and, aided by Barcus, unaffectedly afflicted with qualms, somehow or other persuaded the burros to cross.
After that, though the way grew more broad and easy and even showed symptoms of a decline, they had not strength enough left to sustain through another hour.
And what they thought good fortune, opportunely at this pass, brought them to a clearing dotted with the buildings of an abandoned copper mine. Not a soul was in evidence there, but the rude structures offered shelter for beast as well as man; here (so ran their sleepy thoughts) they might hide the burros and themselves for a few hours, and so obtain a little sorely needed sleep. Pursuit, if any, might overlook them, go on in ignorance of their proximity.
None but men fatigued beyond the power of coherent reasoning would have built hopes upon so preposterous a suggestion. But Rose and Barcus had known little rest since the previous dawn, while
