I drew close to the precipice, and perceived l'Encuerado more than twenty feet below me crawling, with all the skill of a monkey, over an almost smooth surface. I ordered him to come up to us again; but he did not seem able to get back, and remained motionless in his dangerous position. Sumichrast hastened to bring me a lasso, which I let down to our daring companion. But instead of ascending, he slid down four or five feet, and placing himself astride on the projecting trunk of a tree, called out to us to let go the lasso; this he tied round a stout branch, and disappeared down the abyss. It was not long before we saw him again install himself on the tree round which he had rolled the leather strap, when he called out to us that we might descend without any great danger. "How shall we fasten it?" asked Lucien; "there are no thick branches just at the edge." "The strap is a long one, and there is a bush not far off with pretty strong branches." "But then we shall lose the lasso, for none will be left to loosen it." "Upon my word!" cried Sumichrast, "Master Sunbeam is right." Then each of us tried to solve the problem, proposing expedients more or less impracticable. "I've found it out," cried I at last, with quite as much satisfaction as Archimedes when he leaped out of his bath. Seizing my _machete_, I cut two stakes of a good thickness, which I drove into the ground close to one another, about three yards from the precipice. While Sumichrast with a club was consolidating my work, I cut a stick about a foot long, to the middle of which I firmly tied the lasso. I then placed it crosswise behind the stakes. I considered that when we had let ourselves down to the spot occupied by l'Encuerado, a sharp undulatory shake given to the lasso would be sufficient to disengage the stick. When our preparations were finished, we let down the basket to the man who carried it. Then Sumichrast, who was the heaviest among us, slid down the cord to the tree which grew in so convenient a position. The stakes scarcely yielded at all to his weight. Continuing his descent, my friend soon joined the Indian. Lucien's impatience was extreme; he was enchanted with this aerial route. "Now it's your turn," said I, as soon as I had drawn up the lasso. "Are you going to tie me?" he asked in a disappointed tone. "How did you suppose you would descend?" "By holding on to the lasso, like l'Encuerado and M. Sumichrast," answered the boy. "The grasp of your hands is not firm enough; you must not think of it; I have no wish to risk your neck." "Oh! dear father! do let me try." "Certainly not; for if your trial failed, you would not be in a position to try again." [Illustration: "Then Sumichrast . . . slid down the cord to the tree."] Not without some slight vexation Lucien was tied to the lasso, while Gringalet, astonished, barked round us.