Herbert then thought of fastening a cord to an arrow, and shooting the arrow so that it should pass between the first rounds of the ladder which hung from the threshold. By means of the cord they would then be able to draw down the ladder to the ground, and so re-establish the communication between the beach and Granite House. There was evidently nothing else to be done, and, with a little skill, this method might succeed. Very fortunately bows and arrows had been left at the Chimneys, where they also found a quantity of light hibiscus cord. Pencroft fastened this to a well-feathered arrow. Then Herbert fixing it to his bow, took a careful aim for the lower part of the ladder. Cyrus Harding, Gideon Spilett, Pencroft, and Neb drew back, so as to see if anything appeared at the windows. The reporter lifted his gun to his shoulder and covered the door. The bow was bent, the arrow flew, taking the cord with it, and passed between the two last rounds. The operation had succeeded. Herbert immediately seized the end of the cord, but, at that moment when he gave it a pull to bring down the ladder, an arm, thrust suddenly out between the wall and the door, grasped it and dragged it inside Granite House. "The rascals!" shouted the sailor. "If a ball can do anything for you, you shall not have long to wait for it." "But who was it?" asked Neb. "Who was it? Didn't you see?" "No." "It was a monkey, a sapago, an orang-outang, a baboon, a gorilla, a sagoin. Our dwelling has been invaded by monkeys, who climbed up the ladder during our absence." And, at this moment, as if to bear witness to the truth of the sailors words, two or three quadrumana showed themselves at the windows, from which they had pushed back the shutters, and saluted the real proprietors of the place with a thousand hideous grimaces. "I knew that it was only a joke," cried Pencroft, "but one of the jokers shall pay the penalty for the rest." So saying, the sailor, raising his piece, took a rapid aim at one of the monkeys and fired. All disappeared, except one who fell mortally wounded on the beach. This monkey, which was of a large size, evidently belonged to the first order of the quadrumana. Whether this was a chimpanzee, an orang-outang, or a gorilla, he took rank among the anthropoid apes, who are so called from their resemblance to the human race. However, Herbert declared it to be an orang-outang. "What a magnificent beast!" cried Neb. "Magnificent, if you like," replied Pencroft; "but still I do not see how we are to get into our house." "Herbert is a good marksman," said the reporter, "and his bow is here. He can try again." "Why, these apes are so cunning," returned Pencroft, "they won't show themselves again at the windows and so we can't kill them, and when I think of the mischief they may do in the rooms and storehouse--" "Have patience," replied Harding; "these creatures cannot keep us long at bay."