She missed the limb of the tree by an inch or
so. Jane's effort threw her off her balance also. The three girls
went crashing down.
"Hold the blanket hard!" shouted Harriet. Then, with rare presence of
mind, she let go of her burden. The object in doing this was that
Hazel might land on the upraised blanket and thus break her fall.
Harriet reasoned that she and Jane were better able to take care of
themselves than was Hazel in her half unconscious condition. Hazel
reached the blanket first, but her fall was of such force that the
blanket was jerked from the hands of Miss Elting and her two charges.
However, the blanket had served to break the fall of the unfortunate
mountain climber.
The next instant the other two girls came tumbling down, but they fell
feet first.
"Out of the way!" cried Jane.
Harriet threw herself to one side in order not to fall directly on
Hazel, whom those below had had no time to get out of the path of the
others. The result of Harriet's throwing herself sideways was that she
fell heavily on her side. She lay still. Jane came straight down,
reaching the rocks on all fours right over Hazel.
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