Mycompanion，Ibelieve，sleptprettysoundly；butatdaybreak，whenwerolledoutofourdwelling，Ifeltnearlydisqualifiedforanyfurtherefforts。Tobyprescribedasaremedyformyillnessthecontentsofoneofourlittlesilkpackages，tobetakenatonceinasingledose。Tothisspeciesofmedicaltreatment，however，I
wouldbynomeansaccede，muchasheinsisteduponit；andsowepartookofourusualmorsel，andsilentlyresumedourjourney。ItwasnowthefourthdaysinceweleftNukuheva，andthegnawingsofhungerbecamepainfullyacute。Wewerefaintopacifythembychewingthetenderbarkofrootsandtwigs，which，iftheydidnotaffordusnourishment，wereatleastsweetandpleasanttothetaste。
Ourprogressalongthesteepwatercoursewasnecessarilyslow，andbynoonwehadnotadvancedmorethanamile。Itwassomewherenearthispartofthedaythatthenoiseoffallingwaters，whichwehadfaintlycaughtintheearlymorning，becamemoredistinct；anditwasnotlongbeforewewerearrestedbyarockyprecipiceofnearlyahundredfeetindepth，thatextendedallacrossthechannel，andoverwhichthewildstreampouredinanunbrokenleap。Oneitherhandthewallsoftheravinepresentedtheiroverhangingsidesbothaboveandbelowthefall，affordingnomeanswhateverofavoidingthecataractbytakingacircuitroundit。
“What’stobedonenow，Toby？“saidI。
“Why，“rejoinedhe，“aswecannotretreat，Isupposewemustkeepshovingalong。“
“Verytrue，mydearToby；buthowdoyoupurposeaccomplishingthatdesirableobject？“
“Byjumpingfromthetopofthefall，iftherebenootherway，“
unhesitatinglyrepliedmycompanion；“itwillbemuchthequickestwayofdescent；butasyouarenotquiteasactiveasIam，wewilltrysomeotherway。“
Andsosaying，hecreptcautiouslyalongandpeeredoverintotheabyss，whileIremainedwonderingbywhatpossiblemeanswecouldovercomethisapparentlyinsuperableobstruction。Assoonasmycompanionhadcompletedhissurvey，Ieagerlyinquiredtheresult。
“Theresultofmyobservationsyouwishtoknow，doyou？“beganToby，deliberately，withoneofhisoddlooks:“well，mylad，theresultofmyobservationsisveryquicklyimparted。Itisatpresentuncertainwhichofourtwoneckswillhavethehonourtobebrokenfirst；butaboutahundredtoonewouldbeafairbetinfavourofthemanwhotakesthefirstjump。“
“Thenitisanimpossiblething，isit？“inquiredI，gloomily。
“No，shipmate；onthecontrary，itistheeasiestthinginlife:
theonlyawkwardpointisthesortofusagewhichourunhappylimbsmayreceivewhenwearriveatthebottom，andwhatsortoftravellingtrimweshallbeinafterwards。Butfollowmenow，andI
willshowyoutheonlychancewehave。“
Withthisheconductedmetothevergeofthecataract，andpointedalongthesideoftheravinetoanumberofcurious-lookingroots，somethreeorfourinchesinthickness，andseveralfeetlong，which，aftertwistingamongthefissuresoftherock，shotperpendicularlyfromit，andrantaperingtoapointintheair，hangingoverthegulflikesomanydarkicicles。Theycoverednearlytheentiresurfaceofonesideofthegorge，thelowestofthemreachingeventothewater。Manyweremoss-grownanddecayed，withtheirextremitiessnappedshortoff，andthoseintheimmediatevicinityofthefallwereslipperywithmoisture。
Toby’sscheme，anditwasadesperateone，wastoentrustourselvestothesetreacherous-lookingroots，andbyslippingdownfromonetoanothertogainthebottom。
“Areyoureadytoventureit？“askedToby，lookingatmeearnestly，butwithoutsayingawordastothepracticabilityoftheplan。
“Iam，“wasmyreply；forIsawitwasouronlyresourceifwewishedtoadvance，andasforretreating，allthoughtsofthatsorthadbeenlongabandoned。
AfterIhadsignifiedmyassent，Toby，withoututteringasingleword，crawledalongthedrippingledgeuntilhegainedapointfromwhencehecouldjustreachoneofthelargestofthependantroots；heshookit-itquiveredinhisgrasp，andwhenheletitgo，ittwangedintheairlikeastrongwiresharplystruck。Satisfiedbyhisscrutiny，mylight-limbedcompanionswunghimselfnimblyuponit，andtwistinghislegsrounditinsailorfashion，slippeddowneightortenfeet，wherehisweightgaveitamotionnotunlikethatofapendulum。Hecouldnotventuretodescendanyfarther；soholdingonwithonehand，hewiththeothershookonebyonealltheslenderrootsaroundhim，andatlast，findingonewhichhethoughttrustworthy，shiftedhimselftoitandcontinuedhisdownwardprogress。
Sofarsowell；butIcouldnotavoidcomparingmyheavierframeanddisabledconditionwithhislightfigureandremarkableactivity:buttherewasnohelpforit，andinlessthanaminute’stimeIwasswingingdirectlyoverhishead。Assoonashisupturnedeyescaughtaglimpseofme，heexclaimedinhisusualdrytone，forthedangerdidnotseemtodaunthimintheleast，“Mate，domethekindnessnottofalluntilIgetoutofyourway“；andthenswinginghimselfmoreononeside，hecontinuedhisdescent。Inthemeantime，I
cautiouslytransferredmyselffromthelimbdownwhichIhadbeenslippingtoacoupleofothersthatwerenearit，deemingtwostringstomybowbetterthanone，andtakingcaretotesttheirstrengthbeforeItrustedmyweighttothem。
Onarrivingtowardstheendofthesecondstageinthisverticaljourney，andshakingthelongrootswhichwereroundme，tomyconsternationtheysnappedoffoneafteranotherlikesomanypipestems，andfellinfragmentsagainstthesideofthegulf，splashingatlastintothewatersbeneath。
Asoneafteranotherthetreacherousrootsyieldedtomygrasp，andfellintothetorrent，myheartsunkwithinme。ThebranchesonwhichIwassuspendedovertheyawningchasmswangtoandfrointheair，andIexpectedthemeverymomenttosnapintwain。Appalledatthedreadfulfatethatmenacedme，Iclutchedfranticallyattheonlylargerootwhichremainednearme；butinvain；Icouldnotreachit，thoughmyfingerswerewithinafewinchesofit。AgainandagainItriedtoreachit，untilatlength，maddenedwiththethoughtofmysituation，Iswayedmyselfviolentlybystrikingmyfootagainstthesideoftherock，andattheinstantthatIapproachedthelargerootcaughtdesperatelyatit，andtransferredmyselftoit。
Itvibratedviolentlyunderthesuddenweight，butfortunatelydidnotgiveway。
MybraingrewdizzywiththeideaofthefrightfulriskIhadjustrun，andIinvoluntarilyclosedmyeyestoshutouttheviewofthedepthbeneathme。FortheinstantIwassafe，andIutteredadevoutejaculationofthanksgivingformyescape。
“Prettywelldone，“shoutedTobyunderneathme；“youarenimblerthanIthoughtyoutobe-hoppingaboutuptherefromroottorootlikeanyyoungsquirrel。Assoonasyouhavedivertedyourselfsufficiently，Iwouldadviseyoutoproceed。“
“Ay，ay，Toby，allingoodtime:twoorthreemoresuchfamousrootsasthis，andIshallbewithyou。“
Theresidueofmydownwardprogresswascomparativelyeasy；therootswereingreaterabundance，andinoneortwoplacesjuttingoutpointsofrockassistedmegreatly。InafewmomentsIwasstandingbythesideofmycompanion。
SubstitutingastoutstickfortheoneIhadthrownasideatthetopoftheprecipice，wenowcontinuedourcoursealongthebedoftheravine。Soonweweresalutedbyasoundinadvance，thatgrewbydegreeslouderandlouder，asthenoiseofthecataractwewereleavingbehindgraduallydiedohourears。
“Anotherprecipiceforus，Toby。“
“Verygood；wecandescendthem，youknow-comeon。“
Nothingindeedappearedtodepressorintimidatethisintrepidfellow。TypeesorNiagaras，hewasasreadytoengageoneastheother，andIcouldnotavoidathousandtimescongratulatingmyselfuponhavingsuchacompanioninanenterpriselikethepresent。
Afteranhour’spainfulprogress，wereachedthevergeofanotherfall，stillloftierthanthepreceding，andflankedbothaboveandbelowwiththesamesteepmassesofrock，presenting，however，hereandtherenarrowirregularledges，supportingashallowsoil，onwhichgrewavarietyofbushesandtrees，whosebrightverdurecontrastedbeautifullywiththefoamywatersthatflowedbetweenthem。
