Rather should it be said, that one of them did so: for only one could work at a time in this, the last labour, as they supposed, they would have to perform in that lone valley.
In attaching the steps to the rope, Ossaroo was allowed to act as sole operator: since neither of the others understood the handling of cordage so well as he.

They could but act as spectators and the only purpose which their presence could serve, was to cheer the shikaree by their company and conversation.
By good fortune it was not necessary for Ossaroo to fix any steps to the first thirty feet of the kite cord.

One of the long ladders which they had made enabled him to ascend that far without using the sticks; and, indeed, all of the ladders might have served in this way, had the kite carried its cord up the cliff within reach of them.

Unfortunately, this did not happen to be the case; and only the first ladder could be made available.
Placing it nearly parallel with the rope, Ossaroo mounted up; and, when near its top, commenced attaching the steps.

He had carried up along with him about a dozen of the little sticks, with cords to correspond-- in a sort of pouch, which he had formed with the skirts of his cotton tunic.
Karl and Caspar below, seated upon stones, and Fritz squatted on the ground, watched the movements of the shikaree with deep and speechless interest.
It was not a very long time, before he had adjusted the first two pegs in their proper places; and, then letting himself off the ladder, and placing both his feet upon the first cross-piece, in a way that they balanced one another and kept the stick in a horizontal position--he proceeded to attach the third about the height of his chin.
To do this required, a good deal of adroitness; but Ossaroo was gifted with this quality to a high degree; and, so far as his footing was concerned, the Hindoo was as much at home upon a rope, as would have been one of those monkeys sacred to the believers in his Brahministic creed.
Any other feet would soon have become tired--resting upon such a slender support; but Ossaroo had been accustomed to climbing the tall lofty palms, until his toes had acquired a certain degree of prehensile power; and the smallest branch or protuberance on the trunk of a tree, or even a knot on a rope, was footing enough to enable him to hold on for many minutes at a time.