Part 16 (1/2)

The hearts of all three beat audibly as foot after foot was told off; but a murmur of satisfaction escaped from all, when it was found that the lowest estimate was nearest the truth The chasm was about a hundred feet wide!

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

THE HUT

Karl felt confident they could bridge the crevasse The only weapons they had were their knives, and a small wood hatchet which Ossaroo chanced to have in his belt when they set out in chase of the uns, but of what service could these be in e?

Ossaroo's knife, as already described, was a long-bladed one,--half knife, half sword,--in fact, a jungle knife The hatchet was not larger than an Indian tomahawk; but with these weapons Karl Linden believed he could build a bridge of one hundred feet span!

He communicated to his companions his plan in detail, and both believed in its feasibility I need hardly say that under such a belief their spirits rose again; and, though they felt that success was far fro taken all the necessary steps, in regard tothe narrowest part of the crevasse, and noted the ground well, they returned to the valley with lighter hearts

The bridge was not to be the work of a day, nor a week, nor yet ht a month suffice Could they only have obtained access to both sides of the chasm it would have been different, and they could easily have finished it in less time But you are to remember that only one side was allowed them to work upon, and froe to the other If they could even have got a cable stretched across, this would have been bridge enough for them, and they would have needed no other A cable, indeed! They would soon have found their way over upon a cable or even a stout rope; but the stoutest co, and only an arrow to hold it in its place!

The genius of Karl had not only projected the bridge, but a h many a contrivance would have to be adopted, before the work could be finished Much time would require to be spent, but what of time when compared with the results of failure or success?

The first thing they did was to build the colder, for the Hi in the open air, even by the largest fire they ht make, was by no means cos, and partly of stone blocks, for it was difficult to procure logs of the proper length, and to cut them with such tools as they had would have been a tedious affair The walls were ; the interstices were matted and daubed with clay froe obtained from the lake; and the floor of earth was streith the leaves of the sweet-s rhododendron The hole was left for the sranite slabs served for seats--tables were not needed--and for beds each of the party had provided hirass and leaves With such accommodations were the hunters fain to content themselves They felt too much anxiety about the future to care for present luxuries

They were but one single day in building the hut Had there been bamboos at hand, Ossaroo would have constructed a house in half the time, and a much handsomer one As it was, their hovel occupied the they set to work upon the bridge

They had agreed to divide the labour; Karl with the axe, and Ossaroo with his large knife, were to work upon the timbers; while Caspar was to provide the food with his double-barrelled gun, helping the others whenever he could spare tiun besides procuring h ropes; and they had already planned it, that these should be ht be killed Caspar, therefore, had an i cables would be required, so Karl told hith, besides many other ropes and cords It would be necessary to hunt with some success before these could be obtained

More than one large hide, a dozen at least, would be required; but Caspar was just the man to do his part of the work, and procure them

For the timbers, the trees out of which they were to befour trees had been irdled These were pine-trees, of the species known as Thibet pines, which grow to a great height, with tall trunks clear of branches full fifty feet froest trees that were chosen; as it would have cost too much labour to have reduced their trunks to the proper dimension, and particularly with such tools as the workmen had On the contrary, the trees that were selected were those very near the thickness that would be required; and but little would have to be done, beyond clearing the the heavier ends, so as to hout their length The splicing each two of thereatest a fully discussed, each set about his own share of the work Karl and Ossaroo betook theo in search of the game

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

THE BARKING-DEER

”Now,” said Caspar to hiun, and started forth, ”now to find that saest animals here I fancy, and their beef's not bad--the veal isn't, I know Besides, the hide of the old bull would make--let me see--how many yards of rope”

Here Caspar entered into a th of rawhide rope, of two inches in diaht be twisted out of the yak bull's skin Karl had said two inches in diah for his purpose, provided the hide of the anih as ordinary cow's hide; and this the skin of the yak really is

The young hunter, after reat bull of his skin, and spread it out upon the grass, and measured it--all in fancy of course--and cut it into strips of near three inches in width-- had arrived at the conclusion that he would get about twenty yards of sound rope out of the hide

Then he submitted the skins of the cows to a similar process of measurement There were four of them--there had been five, but one was already killed To each of the four Caspar allowed a yield of ten yards of rope--as each of them was only a little more than half the size of the bull--besides their skins would not be either so thick or so strong

There were four half-grown yaks--young bulls and heifers Caspar re them

To these he allowed still less yield than to the cows--perhaps thirty yards from the four So that the hides of all--old bull, cows, and yearlings--would, according to Caspar's calculation, give a cable of ninety yards in length What a pity it would not th that Karl had said the cable should be True, there were so calves in the herd, but Caspar could ht serve for other purposes, but they would not do for working up into the strong cable which Karl required

”Maybe there is more than the one herd in the valley,” soliloquised Caspar ”If so it will be all right Another bull would be just the thing;” and with this reflection the hunter brought his double-barrel down, looked to his flints and priun to his shoulder, and then walked briskly on