One poor wretch, whom he assisted to extricate from beneath the body of his struggling horse, cried to him for water, and died in the prayer.

Fortunately for the few who survived the catastrophe--among whom was their gallant but unfortunate young leader--they had, at the first glimpse of the danger, urged on their horses with redoubled effort, and by a close approach to the surface or the rock, taking an oblique direction wide of its probable course, had, at the time of its precipitation, reached a line almost parallel with the place upon which it stood, and in this way achieved their escape without injury.

Their number was few, however; and not one half of the fifteen, who commenced the ascent, ever reached or survived its attainment.
Ralph gained the summit just in time to prevent the completion of the foul tragedy by its most appropriate climax.

As if enough had not yet been done in the way of crime, the malignant and merciless Rivers, of whom we have seen little in this affair, but by whose black and devilish spirit the means of destruction had been hit upon, which had so well succeeded, now stood over the body of the Georgian, with uplifted hand, about to complete the deed already begun.

There was not a moment for delay, and the youth sprung forward in time to seize and wrest the weapon from his grasp.