It took them another day--with their blades all busy from morning till
night--to prepare the pegs which were to constitute the "rounds" of
their rope-ladder. More than a hundred were required: as the cliff
where the rope passed up was over a hundred yards in height; and the
steps were intended to be placed at equal distances of about two feet
apart.
It had been their design at first to insert the steps in the rope--
between the strands of which it was composed; but, on reflection, a
better plan suggested itself. By opening the strands to let in the
pieces of wood, the rope might be weakened, so much as to endanger its
breaking; and this alone, above all things, was to be avoided. It was
deemed more prudent to leave the cord untouched, and place the sticks
crosswise outside of it. Whipped round with strong pieces of other
cord, they could easily be made to keep their places--more especially
as, with the hands of the climber grasping the rope above, no one stick
would have to carry the full weight of his body; and, even should one of
them slip a little out of place, there would be no great danger of an
accident arising out of the circumstance.
It occupied them a second day in twining the pieces of string, required
for tying the sticks in their places; and, upon the morning of the
third, they returned to the cliff, with the intention of transforming
the cord, that the kite had carried up, into a rope-ladder.
The mode by which they intended to effect this purpose will be easily
understood--after what has been already said respecting it. The little
sticks were to be laid transversely against the rope, and then so
tightly tied in their places, as to prevent them from slipping down.
The first was to be attached about the height of a man's waist from the
ground; and the second on a level with his chin. Then with the feet
resting upon the first, and the left hand grasping the rope above, it
would be possible to fix another at the height of the chin, as it would
then be. By climbing up to the second, a fourth could be placed at a
little distance above; and thus in succession, till the top of the cliff
should be attained.
It was not supposed, that any one could continue the process of
attaching the steps, till all were set in their places; nor did they
contemplate being able to complete the work in a little time. On the
contrary, they expected it to occupy them for days; and they knew,
moreover, that long intervals of rest would be required by any one who
should have to execute it. Standing upon such unstable footing, for any
considerable length of time, would be both irksome and fatiguing; and
they were about to enter upon the task with a full knowledge of its
difficulties.
On reaching the cord they at once set to work upon it. Rather should it
be said, that one of them did so: for only one could work at a time in
this, the last labour, as they supposed, they would have to perform in
that lone valley.
In attaching the steps to the rope, Ossaroo was allowed to act as sole
operator: since neither of the others understood the handling of cordage
so well as he. They could but act as spectators and the only purpose
which their presence could serve, was to cheer the shikaree by their
company and conversation.
By good fortune it was not necessary for Ossaroo to fix any steps to the
first thirty feet of the kite cord. One of the long ladders which they
had made enabled him to ascend that far without using the sticks; and,
indeed, all of the ladders might have served in this way, had the kite
carried its cord up the cliff within reach of them. Unfortunately, this
did not happen to be the case; and only the first ladder could be made
available.
Placing it nearly parallel with the rope, Ossaroo mounted up; and, when
near its top, commenced attaching the steps. He had carried up along
with him about a dozen of the little sticks, with cords to correspond--
in a sort of pouch, which he had formed with the skirts of his cotton
tunic.
Karl and Caspar below, seated upon stones, and Fritz squatted on the
ground, watched the movements of the shikaree with deep and speechless
interest.
It was not a very long time, before he had adjusted the first two pegs
in their proper places; and, then letting himself off the ladder, and
placing both his feet upon the first cross-piece, in a way that they
balanced one another and kept the stick in a horizontal position--he
proceeded to attach the third about the height of his chin.
To do this required, a good deal of adroitness; but Ossaroo was gifted
with this quality to a high degree; and, so far as his footing was
concerned, the Hindoo was as much at home upon a rope, as would have
been one of those monkeys sacred to the believers in his Brahministic
creed.
Any other feet would soon have become tired--resting upon such a slender
support; but Ossaroo had been accustomed to climbing the tall lofty
palms, until his toes had acquired a certain degree of prehensile power;
and the smallest branch or protuberance on the trunk of a tree, or even
a knot on a rope, was footing enough to enable him to hold on for many
minutes at a time. He had no difficulty, therefore, in balancing
himself upon the sticks, which he had already attached; nor ascending
from one to the other, as each was got into its place. In this way he
proceeded, until the stock which he had taken up with him was exhausted,
and his apron hung empty. Then, letting himself down from step to step,
and cautiously returning to the wooden ladder, he descended to the
bottom of the cliff.
Karl or Caspar might have rendered his coming down unnecessary, as
either could have carried so light a "hod" up the ladder; but there was
good reason why Ossaroo should make the descent--that was, to rest and
refresh himself.
He did not remain very long below--just long enough to let the blood
circulate along the soles of his naked feet--and then, with his apron
distended--being once more full of sticks--he reclimbed the ladder,
swung himself out upon the cord, and clambered up the steps he had
already fixed in their places.
His second stock of sticks becoming exhausted as the first, he again
revisited the earth; again allowed himself an interval of rest; and then
ascended as before.
With Ossaroo proceeding in this fashion, the remainder of the day was
spent--a long interval being allowed for dinner; which Karl and Caspar,
having nothing else to do, had cooked with extra care. They did not go
home to the hut to perform their culinary operations. There would have
been no advantage in doing so: since the kitchen accommodation there was
not a whit better than where they were at work; and the larder contained
nothing more than what they had brought along with them--some dried
ibex-meat. But Karl had not been idle for a portion of the time; and
had collected various roots and fruits that, when roasted, not only
helped out the meal, but rendered it sufficiently luxurious for stomachs
like theirs, no longer fastidious.
After dinner, Ossaroo indulged in a long smoke of his favourite "bang;"
and, stimulated by this, returned to his task with renewed energy.
So successful was he in its accomplishment, that, before sunset he had
full fifty steps in place; which, along with the wooden ladder, enabled
him to climb nearly a third of the way up the cliff.
Of course darkness put an end to his operations for that day; and with
the intention of continuing them on the morrow, both the operator and
spectators wended their way back to the hut--Karl and Caspar showing as
much respect to Ossaroo, as if he had been the master architect, and
they only his assistants or labourers. Even Fritz appeared to be
impressed with the belief that the shikaree was the most important
personage in the party: for every time that the latter descended from
the cliff the dog had paid his "devoirs" to him, frisking around,
leaping up, and looking steadfastly in his face, as if congratulating
him on being their deliverer!
On the road home Fritz continued these demonstrations--springing against
the legs of the shikaree so as occasionally to impede his progress,
evidently convinced--either from his own observation or from the respect
which he saw the others were paying him--that the Hindoo was the hero of
the day!