ady driven home, close to the end of which he had already cut a
couple of notches.

Some of the vegetable twine was next prepared by him, and taking a piece
of the proper length, he made the upright bamboo fast to the horizontal
peg by a knowing knot, such as only a savage or sailor can tie.

Captain Redwood and his ship-carpenter having now obtained an inkling of
his design, stood by to render every assistance, while the young people
as spectators were very much interested in the proceeding.

As soon as the upright cane was securely lashed to the cross piece, and
also made safe against shifting by having its lower end "stepped" or
embedded in the ground, Saloo prepared to ascend, taking with him
several of the pegs that had been sharpened. Murtagh "gave him a leg,"
and he stood upon the first "round" of the ladder.

Then reaching up, he drove in a second peg--not quite so far above the
first as this was from the ground. With another piece of creeper he
made it also fast to the perpendicular pole, and the second round was
formed, upon which he had to climb without any helping hand, and with
the agility of an ape.

A third step was similarly established; then a fourth and fifth, and so
on, till the pegs and cordage carried up with him gave out, when he came
back to the ground to provide himself with a second supply. Obtaining
this, he once more ascended, and continued to carry aloft his singular
"shrouds."

The next thing to be exhausted was the upright piece, which, being only
about thirty feet in length, and requiring a surplus to be left, of
course came far short of reaching to the lowest limbs of the durion.
Another similar stem of bamboo had to be added on by splicing; but for
this he did not need to descend, as Murtagh, stretching to his arm's
length, handed it up to him, so that he was enabled to lay hold of and
draw it up of himself.

Giving the two pieces a good length of double for the splice, he bound
them securely together, and then went on with the driving of his pegs,
to complete the remaining rounds of the ladder.

In a space of time that did not in all exceed twenty minutes, he had got
up to within ten or twelve feet of the lower branches of the durion--to
such a height as caused those looking at him from below to feel giddy as
they gazed. It was, indeed, a strange and somewhat fearful spectacle--
that slight human form, sixty or seventy feet above their heads, at such
a vast elevation so dim