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Venters divined its significance It had been meant for defense

The cliff-dwellers, driven by dreaded enely cut the rock until it balanced perfectly, ready to be dislodged by strong hands Just below it leaned a tottering crag that would have toppled, starting an avalanche on an acclivity where no sliding s and pinnacles, splintered cliffs, and leaning shafts and monuments, would have thundered down to block forever the outlet to Deception Pass

"That was a narrow shave forrock! The cliff-dwellers never had to roll it They died, vanished, and here the rock stands, probably little changedBut it ht serve another lonely dweller of the cliffs I'll hide up here soe on the other side The slope was gradual, the space narrow, the course straight forwalls In a turn the passage narrowed to scarce a dozen feet, and here was darkness of night But light shone ahead; another abrupt turn brought day again, and then wide open space

Above Venters loo the canyon rilistened a beautiful valley shining under sunset gold reflected by surrounding cliffs He gave a start of surprise The valley was a cove awalls were sreat caves

He decided that its floor was far higher than the level of Deception Pass and the intersecting canyons No purple sage colored this valley floor Instead there were the white of aspens, streaks of branch and slender trunk glistening froreen of oaks, and through theline of brilliant green which marked the course of cottonwoods and s

"There's water here--and this is the place for me," said Venters

"Only birds can peep over those walls, I've gone Oldring one better"

Venters waited no longer, and turned swiftly to retrace his steps He nauarded the outlet Balancing Rock Going down he did not find himself attended by such fears as had beset him in the climb; still, he was not easy in irl and his outfit until he had descended to the notch There he rested awith the approach of night At the corner of the wall, where the stone steps turned, he saw a spur of rock that would serve to hold the noose of a lasso He needed no more aid to scale that place As he intended to make the move under cover of darkness, he wantedseveral se of the slope where he had left his rifle and boots He placed the stones so upon the bench where the steps began Then he addressed a keen-sighted, reaze to the rim-wall above