They felt they must get out of the cave and go to look for food.
It would be better to be shot than to sit there and starve.
Then they devised a plan by which they could get down.

The smallest man got out of the cave and let himself hang, holding to the outer edge of the floor with his hands.

Then another man put his feet over the edge of the rock, and let the hanging man take hold of them.

The other two each seized an arm of the second man, and lowered the two down as far as they could reach.

When they had done this, the bottom man dropped, and did not hurt himself.