The strain
on the bottom would thus only fix the supporting section more firmly
in place. From the bottom of the pine shaft a loop of four of the
suspension cords reached just out of the tunnel opening. To this
loop the top rang of the ladder was tied, with a separate
hundred-foot length of cord. After the ladder had been made firm
with a running slip knot the hundred-foot length of cord was dropped
to the ground.
This arrangement had been provided in order that the rope ladder
might be removed after the descent. By a jerk of the cord the slip
knot would be loosened and the ladder, released, would fall of its
own weight. Another length of rope had been prepared, this one
somewhat over a hundred feet long and also doubled for strength.
This was for the lowering of the packs and other articles by one of
the boys after the other had descended. To insure its free running
and to prevent its wearing through on the edge of the cliff, a six
inch section of the pine tree had been prepared, flattened on one
side and having a wide smooth groove in the top. This, attached to
a short length of rope, which was made fast with the ladder loop to
the upright shaft in the tunnel, was fixed on the verge of the
opening.
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