“Take it easy,” he cautioned. “It’s mighty easy to rub the skin off and that makes it harder.”
“I can almost do it but not quite,” Jack announced a few minutes later.
“Roll over here and let’s see if I can help any with my teeth.”
He found that Jack’s hands were tied with a piece of half-inch rope which seemed to be nearly new. At any rate it was so stiff that, although he worked until he could taste the blood from his gums, he could not make the slightest impression on it.
“I’m afraid it’s no use,” he said sadly.
“How about trying with your hands?”
“We’ll try it,” Bob agreed as he rolled over and hitched forward until he could touch the rope with his fingers.
“My hands are tied so tight that they’re numb,” he said after a few minutes of vain effort.
“Well, let me work at it again. I may do it in time.”
For a time the only sound to be heard was Jack’s grunting as he tugged at the rope. Bob hoped almost against hope that he might succeed and more than once he breathed a silent prayer.