“You’ll forget your head next, sir. Now, tell me: how am I to get the rope up to you?”
“Can you throw it?”
“No, I can’t; nor you neither. Now, if you had been carrying it instead of me, how easy it would be! Of course you have not got that ball of string with you?”
“No,” said Saxe sadly.
“No one should travel without a knife and a bit of string in his pocket; and yet, if you had a bit of string, it would not be long enough. Now, what’s to be done?”
“I don’t know,” cried Saxe.
“That shows you are only an apprentice at mountaineering yet. I do know.”
“You can see a way to get me down, sir?” said Saxe joyously.
“Yes: two ways. One is quick, short and dangerous.”
“More dangerous than being as I am?”