esitating and doubtful manner. "Not us, Karl?"
continued he, with a slight touch of jocularity in his manner--"you
don't mean that, I suppose?"

"Not us," gravely repeated Karl, "but _a rope_ that may carry _us_."

"Ha!" exclaimed Caspar, a gleam of joy overspreading his face as he
spoke. "There's something in that."

Ossaroo, equally interested in the dialogue, at the same moment gave
utterance to a joyous ejaculation.

"What do _you_ think of it, shikaree?" inquired Karl, speaking in a
serious tone.

The reply of Ossaroo did not bespeak any very sanguine hope on his part.
Still he was ready to counsel a trial of the scheme. They could try it
without any great trouble. It would only need to spin some more rope
from the hemp--of which they had plenty--attach it to the leg of the
bearcoot, and give the bird its freedom. There was no question as to
the direction the eagle would take. He had already had enough of the
valley; and would no doubt make to get out of it at the very first
flight he should be permitted to make.

The scheme superficially considered appeared plausible enough; but as
its details were subjected to a more rigorous examination, two grand
difficulties presented themselves--so grand that they almost obliterated
the hope, so suddenly, and with too much facility, conceived.

The first of these difficulties was, that the bearcoot, notwithstanding
his great strength of wing, might not be able to carry up a rope, which
would be strong enough to carry one of themselves. A cord he might
easily take to the top of the cliff, or even far beyond; but a mere
cord, or even a very slender rope, would be of no use. It would need
one strong enough to support the body of a man--and that, too, while
engaged in the violent exertion of climbing. The rope would require to
be of great length--two hundred yards or more; and every yard would add
to the weight the eagle would be required to carry up.

It is not to be supposed that they intended to "swarm" up this rope hand
by hand. For the height of a dozen yards or so, any of them could have
accomplished that. But there would be a hundred and fifty yards of
"swarming" to be done before they could set foot upon the top of the
cliff; and the smartest sailor that ever crawled up a main-stay--even
Sinbad himself--could not have done half the distance. They had
foreseen this difficulty from the very first; and the ingenuity of Karl
had at once provided a remedy