Won’t hurt him,” said Kitty. “Get some water, someone.” May and Matty dashed helter skelter in the direction of the spring before they realized that they had nothing to bring water back in. Rodney, however, who had brought the cups from the ledge when he had gone for the coats, tumbled them out of a box and sped after the girls. When they got back Tad’s eyelids were already fluttering, and when Matty had applied her handkerchief, dipped in water from a cup, to Tad’s forehead the latter heaved a deep sigh and looked about him.  
“Where the dickens—” he began. Then recollection returned and he frowned. “Gee, I went and fainted, didn’t I?” he asked disgustedly. “Ain’t I the fine little hero? Say, let’s go home!”
 
[223]
 
“Don’t get up yet,” begged Matty. “You’d better rest awhile. Hadn’t he, Phineas?”
 
“Yes. Got a long walk ahead. Better have a good rest.”
 
“Put your head in my lap, Tad,” said Matty, seating herself on the ground. “You’ll be more comfortable.”
 
“Oh, thunder!” said Tad, with a sheepish grin. But he allowed Rodney to hitch his shoulders up, and Matty squirmed nearer, and Tad’s head went back with a sigh.
 
“I say, Kitty,” he said after a moment, during which the color began to creep back into his cheeks.
 
“What?”
 
“Thanks.”
 
“That’s all right,” answered Kitty gruffly. “It wasn’t anything.”
 
“Oh, Kitty!” said May.
 
“Yes, it’s all right now,” responded Tad gravely, “but there was a time when I thought it wasn’t going to be. I—I’m sorry I made such an ass of myself, fellows—and ladies. I hadn’t any business trying it. I’d never done any climbing before.”
 
[224]
 
“Yes, you certainly were an ass,” agreed Rodney severely. He as onlooker had perhaps felt the nervous strain more than Kitty himself, and was inclined to be a bit cross. “We told you not to do it.”
 
Matty gazed at him reproachfully, and May murmured, “Don’t, Rod!” But Tad smiled. “That’s so. I own up. You may kick me when I get up.”
 
“I don’t want to kick you,” responded Rodney grudgingly, “but I do think—” However Matty’s imploring gaze moved him to silence. Kitty, blinking at Tad, said,
 
“Foolish thing to try if you’ve never done it. Thought from what you said you had. Otherwise I wouldn’t have let you try. It follows.”
 
“You were certainly a brick, Kitty,” said Tad feelingly. “And I don’t know how to thank you. I guess if you hadn’t got along about when you did—” Tad paused, shuddered and then smiled. “I guess Stacey would have had to find a new roommate, what?”
 
“Oh, Tad!” murmured May.
 
“Shut up!” growled Rodney.
 
[225]
 
“All right. Say, you fellows, what time is it?” Tad sat up suddenly and stared anxiously while Kitty pulled leisurely at his fob. “What? ’Most one? Say, you fellows will be late for practice!”
 
“Can’t be helped, I guess,” answered Kitty. “Besides, there isn’t any practice today. We play Ludlow. Won’t need us anyhow.”
 
“I tell you what,” said Tad. “The rest of you start along. I—I’m a bit weak on my pins yet, but I’ll follow in a little while. Maybe I’ll catch you up.” He winked at Rodney. Kitty shook his head.
 
“Better keep together, I guess,” he said. “No hurry. Plenty of time. Think so, Rod?”
 
“Yes, Cotting won’t mind for once if we don’t report on time.”
 
They rested there fully a half-hour. Then Kitty, who had taken command of the situation the instant he had shed his shoes to begin his climb to the rescue, gave permission to start homeward. By that time Tad seemed quite himself again, and the first thing he did was to walk around the Rock and follow with his eyes the course of his climb and of Kitty’s. It looked[226] pretty high up from down there, and the wall of granite seemed even more perpendicular than it really was. Tad shook his head.
 
“I don’t see how I got as far as I did,” he said.
 
“Neither do I,” returned Kitty. “You got off the track after you left the fissure. Ought to have gone almost straight up. See that three-cornered rock sticking out at the left? That’s the way. Instead you went off across that face. Risky. Might have fallen. Next time——”
 
“Huh?” demanded Tad.
 
“Next time,” repeated Kitty, blinking.
 
“There isn’t going to be any next time,” replied Tad with emphasis. “I don’t believe I was cut out for a mountain climber.”
 
“Next time,” continued Kitty as though he had not heard, “pull yourself until you get your knee over that three cornered rock. After that the ledge slopes more and you can crawl up. Not very hard.”
 
Tad observed the rock in question thoughtfully, darted a look at Kitty and nodded. “All right. If I ever do try it again, Kitty, I’ll remember.”
 
[227]
 
“You will,” said Kitty. “Sooner or later. They always do.”
 
“If you ever do, Tad,” said Matty severely, “I—I’ll never, never forgive you!”
 
Tad made no answer, but a few moments later when they were descending the hill, he paused and looked back at Finger Rock. “It doesn’t look so hard from here, does it?” he asked Rodney, who had stopped beside him. “And I hate to be beaten, Rod. I wouldn’t wonder if Kitty is right.”
 
“About what?”
 
“He says they always try again sooner or later. Someho............