he Baas, whom
alone you love, is dead already and waits for you to come to serve him.
You are very tired; say now, Otter, would it not be well if you took
that rope which is about your middle and hanged yourself? Thus you too
would become a ghost and be able to do battle with them in their own
fashion," and he groaned loudly.

Then of a sudden he grew fearful indeed, the short wool stood up upon
his head, his teeth chattered, and, as he said afterwards, his very nose
seemed to grow cold with terror. For as he sat he heard, or seemed to
hear, a voice speaking to him from the air, and that voice his master's.

"_Otter_, _Otter_," said the voice.

He made no answer, he was too frightened.

"Otter, is that you?" whispered the voice again.

Then he spoke. "Yes, Baas, it is I. I know that you are dead and call
me. Give me one minute till I can undo my rope, and I will kill myself
and come to you."

"Thank you, Otter," said the voice with a ghastly attempt at a laugh,
"but if it is all the same, I would much rather that you came alive."

"Yes, Baas, and I too would rather stop alive, but being alive how can I
join you who are dead?"

"You fool, I am not dead," said Leonard.

"Then, Baas, how is it that you speak out of the air? Come near to me
that I may touch you and be comforted."

"I cannot, Otter; I am bound and in a prison above you. There is a hole
in the floor, and if you have a rope, as I heard you say, perhaps you
could climb up to me."

Now the dwarf began to understand. Rising, he stretched the long staff
he had brought with him high above his head, and found to his delight
that he could touch the roof of the cave. Presently the point of the
staff ceased to press upon the rock.

"Is the place here, Baas?" said Otter.

"It is here, but you must throw the stick up like a spear through the
hole, for I am tied, and cannot put out my hand to take it."

"Stay awhile, Baas; first I must make the line fast to it."

"Good, but be swift, for I am in danger."

Hurriedly Otter undid the hide rope from about his middle, knotting it
securely to the centre of the stick. Then some five feet below the stick
he made a loop large enough for a man to place his foot in, and having
ascertained the exact situation of the opening in the roof of the cave,
he hurled the staff upwards and jerked at the line.

"It is fixed," whispered Leonard from above. "Now come up if you can."

The dwarf required no second invitation.