Part 22 (1/2)
This was easily done A few turns of the cables around the belaying-pin, and all stood fast The pulley-wheels worked adrooved blocks
The rollers were soon readjusted--the cables again freed froradually--slowly but smoothly and surely, it moved, until its farther end rested upon the opposite cheek of the crevasse, lapping the hard ice by several feet Then the cables were held taut, and securely fastened to the belaying-pin The nearer end of the pole was tied with other ropes--so that it could not possibly shi+ft froe!
Not till then did the builders rest to look upon their work; and, as they stood gazing upon the singular structure that was to restore them to liberty and hoave vent to their trius in a loud huzzah!
CHAPTER FORTY THREE
THE PassAGE OF THE CREVassE
I know you are se, and wondering how they who built it were going to cross upon it Cli to such a feat Itto a pole six inches in dia it for some yards, but when you coression, and that over a yawning chasiddy and the heart faint, then the thing beco over, like enough our heroes would have endeavoured to cross in that way
Ossaroo, who had ”swarmed” up the steht nothing of it; but for Karl and Caspar, ere not such climbers, it would have been rather perilous They had, therefore, designed a safer plan
Each was provided with a sort of yoke, for that had been sweated in the fire and then bent into a triangular shape
It was a rude isosceles triangle, tied tightly at the apex with rawhide thongs; and thereto was attached a piece of well-twisted rope, the object of which was to form a knot or loop over the pole, to act as a runner The feet of the passenger were to rest on the base of the yoke, which would serve as a stirrup to support the body, while one ar the other free to push forward the runner by short gradations In this way each was to work his, were to be tightly strapped to their backs
They had only those that orth bringing along As for Fritz, he was not to be left behind, although the transporting him across had offered for some time a serious difficulty Ossaroo, however, had re up in a skin and strap him on his (Ossaroo's) own back, and thus carry hi to Ossaroo
In less than half-an-hour after the bridge was in its place, the three were ready to cross There they stood, each holding the odd-looking stirrup in his hand, with his _impedimenta_ strapped securely on his back The head of Fritz, just showing above the shoulder of the shi+karree, while his body was shrouded in a piece of shaggy yak-skin, presented a very ludicrous spectacle, and his countenance wore quite a serio-co to be done with hi first; and then Caspar, brave as a lion, said that he was the _lightest_, and _ought_ to go _first_ Karl would not listen to either of thee, by all usage it was his place tothe Sahib of the party, and, of course, thecautiously to the point where the pole rested on the ice, he looped the rawhide rope over it, and then suffered the yoke to drop down He then grasped the pole tightly in his arms, and placed his feet firmly in the stirrup For a moment or two, he pressed heavily upon the latter, so as to test its strength, while he held on by the bea his left arm, he pushed the runner forward upon the pole, to the distance of a foot orwith it, as well as his feet; and then, throwing forward the upper part of his body, he swung hiht, even to those atched him, and would have been too perilous a feat for idle play; but the very nature of their circuer
After a ti upon a thread between heaven and earth!
Had the pole slipped at either end, it would have precipitated the adventurous Karl into the chasainst this At the nearer end, they had rendered it secure by rolling immense rocks upon it; while, on the opposite side, it was held in its place by the cable, that had been drawn as tight as the pulley couldthe ht of Karl's body; and it was plain that, but for this contrivance, they could never have crossed When half-way to the point where this stay was attached, the pole bent far below the level of the glacier, and Karl now found it up-hill work to force the runner along
He succeeded, however, in reaching the stay-rope in safety
Now he had arrived at one of the ”knottiest” points of the whole perforo no farther, as it was intercepted by the stay It was necessary, therefore, to detach it altogether from the pole, and then readjust it on the other side of the cable
Karl had not co a kind He had already considered how he should act at this crisis, and he delayed only a moment to rest himself Aided by the mainstay itself, which served his upon the timber, and then, without much trouble, shi+fted his runner to the opposite side
This done, he onceto his stirrup,” and continued onward
As he approached the opposite edge of the chasain encountered the up-hill difficulty; but a little patience and soht him nearer and nearer, and still nearer, until at last his feet kicked against the icy wall
With a slight effort, he drew hi a pace from the brink, he pulled off his cap, and waved it in the air A huzza from the opposite side answered his own shout of triumph But louder still was the cheer, and far more heartfelt and joyous, when, half-an-hour afterwards, all three stood side by side, and, safe over, looked back upon the yawning gulf they had crossed!
Only they who have escaped froeon, or death itself--can understand the full, deep emotions of joy, that at that moment thrilled within the hearts of Karl, Caspar, and Ossaroo
Alas! alas! it was a short-lived joy,--a nant ht followed by the darkest of clouds!