hin him! Wriggling to an upright
position against the newel-post, he looked up at the great height which
he had to climb and sighed; but there was no dimming of the light in
his eyes. How could he accomplish the impossible task?

His solution of the problem was very simple, though daring and perilous
as all the rest. While leaning against the newel-post he let himself
fall diagonally upon the bottom step, where he lay partly hanging over,
but safe, on his side. Turning upon his back, he wriggled forward along
the step to the rail and raised himself to an upright position against
it as he had against the newel-post, fell as before, and landed on the
second step. In this manner, with inconceivable labor, he accomplished
the ascent of the entire flight of stairs.

It being apparent to me that the rajah was not the object of Neranya's
movements, the anxiety which I had felt on that account was now
entirely dissipated. The things which already he had accomplished were
entirely beyond the nimblest imagination. The sympathy which I had
always felt for the wretched man was now greatly quickened; and as
infinitesimally small as I knew his chances for escape to be, I
nevertheless hoped that he would succeed. Any assistance from me,
however, was out of the question; and it never should be known that I
had witnessed the escape.

Neranya was now upon the balcony, and I could dimly see him wriggling
along toward the door which led out upon the balcony. Finally he
stopped and wriggled to an upright position against the rail, which had
wide openings between the balusters. His back was toward me, but he
slowly turned and faced me and the hall. At that great distance I could
not distinguish his features, but the slowness with which he had
worked, even before he had fully accomplished the ascent of the stairs,
was evidence all too eloquent of his extreme exhaustion. Nothing but a
most desperate resolution could have sustained him thus far, but he had
drawn upon the last remnant of his strength. He looked around the hall
with a sweeping glance, and then down upon the rajah, who was sleeping
immediately beneath him, over twenty feet below. He looked long and
earnestly, sinking lower, and lower, and lower upon the rail. Suddenly,
to my inconceivable astonishment and dismay, he toppled through and
shot downward from his lofty height! I held my breath, expecting to see
him crushed upon the stone floor beneath; but instead of that he fell
fu