"Have you got to the lowest stick?" he asked, leaning over.
"Yes; it is just touching the ground."
"Not such a bad guess," the captain said, as he turned to Dick. "There
are about twenty feet left."
He now fastened the rope round the spears in the ground.
"I will lower you down, if you like, Dick. You are half as heavy again
as that young native, but I have no doubt that I can manage it."
"Not at all, Father. I am not a bit nervous about it. If it was light,
I should not feel so sure of myself, for I might turn giddy; but there
is no fear of my doing so now."
"Well, lad, it is as well to be on the safe side, and I manufactured
this yesterday."
He put a loop, composed of a rope some four feet long, over Dick's
shoulders and under his arms. To each end was attached a strong double
hook, like two fingers.
"There, lad! Now, if you feel at all tired or shaky, all you have got
to do is to hook this on to one of the steps. Do you see? One hook on
each side of the cord. That way you can rest as long as you like, and
then go on again. You say you can go down a rope with your hands only.
I should advise you to do that, if you can, and not to use your legs
unless you want to sit down on one of the long steps; for, as you
know, if you use your feet the rope will go in till they are almost
level with your head; while, if you use your arms only, it will hang
straight down.
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