Page 359 - The snake's pass

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THE FULFILMENT. " 347
possible, if not probable, that more than once, in the
countless ages that have passed, this ravine has been as
we see it—and again as it was but a few hours ago !
No one had anything to urge against this theory, and
we all proceeded on our way.
When we came to the place where Norah had rescued
me, we examined the spot most carefully, and again
went over the scene and the exploit. It was almost
impossible to realize that this great rock, towering
straight up from the bottom of the ravine, had, at the
fatal hour, seemed only like a tussock rising from the
bog. When I had climbed to the top I took my knife
and cut a cross on the rock, where my brave girl's
feet had rested, to mark the spot.
Then we went on again. Higher up the hill we came
to a place, where, on each side a rocky promontory,
with straight deep walls, jutted into the ravine, making
a sort of narrow gateway or gorge in the valley. Dick
pointed it out:
" See ! here is one of the very things I spoke of,
that made the bog into sections or chambers, or tanks,
or whatever we should call them. More than that, here is
an instance of the very thing I hinted at before—that the
peculiar formation of the Snake's Pass runs right through
!
the hill ! If this be so —but we shall see later on."
On the other side was, we agreed, the place where
old Moynahan had said the Frenchmen had last been
seen. Dick and I were both curious about the matter,
and we agreed to cross the ravine and make certain,