their
store of provisions. The arrows of Ossaroo still existed, independent
of either powder or lead. Snares and traps would enable them to capture
many of the wild creatures that, like themselves, appeared to have found
a prison in that secluded and singular valley.

When all the arrangements regarding their winter residence were
completed, they returned once more to the survey of the cliffs, which
had been interrupted by the elephant.

After a prolonged examination of the ledges, that had been discovered on
that eventful day, they continued on until they had made the circuit of
the valley. Not a foot of the precipice was passed without the most
elaborate inspection being bestowed upon it; and of course the twin
cliffs which hemmed in the gorge of the glacier were examined with the
rest.

There proved to be no place offering such advantages for an ascent by
ladders as that already discovered; and although there was no positive
certainty that they might be able to accomplish their formidable task,
they determined to make a trial, and without further delay set about
preparing the ladders.

The preliminary step was to select and cut down a sufficient quantity of
timber of the right length. They were about to have recourse to the
beautiful Thibet pine--the sort which had served them for bridging the
crevasse--when a new tree was discovered by them, equally beautiful, and
more suitable for their purpose. It was the cedar (_Pinus deodara_).
Ossaroo once more lamented the absence of his beloved bamboos--alleging
that with a sufficient number of these he could have made ladders enough
for scaling the cliff, in less than a quarter of the time it would take
to construct them out of the pines. This was no exaggeration: for the
culm of the great bamboo, just as it is cut out of the brake, serves for
the side of a ladder, without any pains taken with it, further than to
notch out the holes in which to insert the rounds. Moreover, the bamboo
being light, would have served better than any other timber for such
ladders as they required--enabling them with less trouble to get them
hoisted up to the ledges--an operation in which they apprehended no
little difficulty. But although there was a species of cane growing in
the valley--that known to the hill people as the "ringall"--its culms
were neither of sufficient length nor thickness for their purpose. It
was the great bamboo of the tropical jungles that Ossaroo sighed for