OTHER KULU-KAMBAS 179 



it, then to carry the loose ends of the line to the 

 stanchion and make it fast in the angle of it and the 

 rail. This was done. As soon as she was left alone 

 she began to examine the knots ; but she made no 

 attempt at first to untie them except to feel them as 

 if to see how firmly they were made. She then 

 climbed up on the iron rail around which the middle 

 of the line was tied, and slackened the knot. She 

 pulled first at one strand and then at the other, but 

 one end was tied to the stanchion and the other to 

 her neck, and she could find no loose end to draw 

 through. First one way and then the other she 

 drew this noose. She saw that in some way it was 

 connected with the stanchion. She drew the noose 

 along the rail until it was near the post ; she climbed 

 down upon the deck, then around the post and back 

 again ; she climbed up over the rails and down on 

 the outside, and again carefully examined the knot ; 

 she climbed back, then through between the rails 

 and back, then under the rails and back, but she 

 could find no way to get this first knot out of the 

 line. For a moment she sat down on the deck, and 

 viewed the situation with evident concern. She 

 slowly rose to her feet and again examined it ; she 

 moved the noose back to its place in the middle of 

 the rail, climbed up by it, and again drew it out as far 

 as the strands would allow. Again she closed it ; she 

 took one strand in her hand and traced it from the 

 loop to the stanchion, then she took the other end 

 in the same manner and traced it from the loop to 

 her neck. She looked at the loop and then slowly 



