Evening star., 1925-08-23


fixed at the same level. and it sagged
terrifyingly.
Only the strongest of the country
men dared to venture to cross by 1t
unaided, for the climbing up from the
bottom of the sag by the sheer
strength of ones wrists was rather a
feat. SO the ma jority of them were
hauled up by the ferrymen, as we
We're.
When my turn came Tibetan girl
and ] We're tied with rough straps and
attached together to a wooden hook
that would glide on the leather cable.
Dressed up i'll that way, a push sent
us swinging in the void like two pitt
able puppets.
x 4 Z
IN less than one minute we were
down to the middle of our course.
and then from the other bank the
ferrvnen began their work. Each
jerk they gave pulling the long tow
ing rope caused us to dance in the air
a most unpleasant kind Of jig.
1t went SO for a little while. then
we felt a shock, heard splash below
us and slipped back at full speed in
the sagging middle part of the cable.
The towing rope had broken.
The accident in itself did not en-
danger our lives. Men would come to
attach the rope that they were draw
ing out of the water. But giddiness
might overcome. us, suspended as we
were zoe or 300 feet above the swift
current.
The way in which we were attached
afforded security for a conscious pas.
senger in an erect position whose
hands had strong grip to the strap
under the hook. but could not he
trusted in the aSe of one who col
lapsed and dropped backward My
nerves are solid. l had no doubt I
could stand there even for an hour.
But what of my companion? She
was rather pale. and looked with
frightened eyes to the point where the
strap to which we were suspended was
fastened to the hook.
What is the matter with you?" l
said. Il have called my tsawai lama
(the spiritual teacher) to protect us.
You need not fear"
With a slight motion of the head
she pointed out the hook
The strap comes loose" she said.
trembling.
If the strap came loose. then we
would fall in the deep river. Tied as
we We're, swimming was out OF the
question. Could I even disentangle
myself and drag the girl for a while.
there was no landing in the gorge.
where the river flowed between gigan-
tic walls of rocks. l looked attentiyely
at the knots. but could notice nothing
wrong.
Shut your eyes" I said to the girl
You are giddy. Nothing is loosing.
We are safe"
1T is loose" she repeated. She
murmured it with such a convinced
tone that l began to doubt That IT.
betan lass. who had often crossed
rivers in that way, of course, knew
better than 1 did about knots, straps
and hooks.
SO it was only a question of time.
Would the men have repaired the
towing rope and taken us on land be-
fore all knots were loose? That could
have been the matter of a bet. I
thought Of it and smiled inwardly
The slow way in which the ferrymen
were working was rather irritating
At last one proceeded toward US in
the. way flies walk on the ceiling. We
swung again more than before.
she says that the knots of the
straps are loose" told him as soon as
he reached us.
Lama kienor' q knew it, o lanai,
he exclaimed. He gave a hasty look
III the ulIecllOH VI lne NOOK. Il can
not see il WELL" he said. "I hope 1t
will keep fast till you arrive at the
bank"
He hoped! Bless the fellow-T also
hoped
He went away, working with hands
and feet, as he had come, and when he
had Joined his companion they began
to haul us again. Would the knots
bear these repeated jerks? We con-
tinued to hope" they would.
And now we were safely landing on
a projecting rock of the cliff. Half a
dozen women took hold of us, express
ing their sympathy in loud exclama-
tions. The ferrymen who had united