Chapter 28Without thought of her weakened arm, Sara began to ease down the cliff while Bao held the rope. She hoped he could be strong enough to haul both her and Birdie back up the slippery hillside. Bao held tight and braced himself in a backward leaning stance in the loose soil and small rocks.
Sara slipped in wet weeds and mud, landing on her rear end. She managed to get close enough to free the rope from the shrubs. “Pull now, Bao!”
Following the rope, she groped her way back to the top, slipping and sliding, herself now layered with red mud. Back on the cliff edge and helping to pull, Birdie's head finally showed on the trail below as she made her way carefully up the loosened stepping stones. She scampered up the last few feet on all fours resembling a mountain goat who had taken
