"Yes, of course. Question is—" Laurie's words were coming slower now, with pauses between—"question is, can you folks follow along the edge and hold your end of the rope?"
Bob turned his head and studied. After a minute he said: "Yes, I'm sure we can. The trees are close to the edge in places, but we could manage to pass the rope around them. We'll see to that. Trouble is, Nod, there's a place about ten or twelve yards from where you are where the blamed shelf sort of peters out for a ways, nearly five feet, I'd say."
"That so?" Laurie deliberated. "Well, if you fellows took a turn around a tree with your end of the rope I reckon I could make it, eh?"
"Yes, I think you could," Bob agreed. "Sure, you could!"
"All right. Guess that's . . . the best plan," said Laurie tiredly. "How long's Ned . . . been gone?"
"Oh, he must be back in a minute!" cried Polly. "He's been gone a long, long time."
"Seen him down there . . . yet?"
"He probably went to the office-building near the dock," answered Bob. "You can't see that
