“Yes, there is,” said Jerry, quickly. “We have the one they tried to hang Professor Snodgrass with—the same we used on the tree. It’s in the auto. You get it, Bob.”
In a few minutes a long rope was dangling over the edge of the cliff, and when the end reached the men imprisoned on the ledge they set up a joyful shout. The boys retained their end and at a signal from Nestor, who had tied the cable about the professor, under his arms, Bob, Ned and Jerry began to haul away. They strained and pulled, but the man at the other end did not budge.
“It’s caught!” exclaimed Ned.
Jerry ran forward, telling Ned and Bob to retain their hold of the rope. He found that the cord rasped against an edge of rock as it passed up from the depths below, and this produced so much friction that great force would have to be used in pulling the men up. Then, too, there was the danger of the rope fraying and being cut in two.
Jerry thought over the problem a few seconds.
“What’s the matter up there?” asked Nestor.
“Never mind!” shouted back Jerry. “We’ll have you up in a jiffy now.”
He hurried over to a little clump of trees and came back with a short section of a round limb.
“This will be a roller for the rope to pass over, just like a pulley,” he announced. Then he proceeded to put his plan in operation. Lying down on his face, he held the log in position, the rope passing over it. Then he told Bob and Ned to pull.
But even with this advantage there was trouble. The two boys managed to get the professor up a short distance, but they were not strong enough to hoist him all the way.