Had the support proved true, he could have held on, even though it had been blowing a hurricane! It was not in this that his chief danger lay; nor from such source was it to come; but from one altogether unexpected and unthought-of.
It was near the hour of noon, and Ossaroo had already succeeded in setting the steps up to about half the height of the cliff.

He had descended for a fresh supply of sticks; and, having gone up the tree-ladder, and swung himself back upon the kite cord, was just commencing to clamber up it--as he had already done nearly a score of times.
The eyes of Karl and Caspar were upon him, following his movements, as they had been doing all along; for, despite his frequent repetition of the ascent, it was always a perilous performance, and interesting to behold.
Just as he had got free from the ladder, and fairly out upon the rope, a cry came from his lips that thrilled the hearts of the spectators with alarm: for they knew that the utterance was one of terror.

They needed no explanation of that cry; for at the same moment that it reached their ears, they perceived the danger that had caused Ossaroo to utter it.

He was descending along the facade of the cliff--not gliding down the rope of his own free will, but as if the kite had got loose at the top, and, yielding to the weight of his body, was being dragged over the surface of the snow! At first, he appeared to be descending only very slowly; and, but for the cries he was putting forth, and the slackening of the rope below, they upon the ground might not have been aware of what was going on.
But they had not regarded his movements for many seconds, before perceiving the true state of the case, and the fearful peril in which their faithful shikaree was now placed.
Beyond doubt the kite had become detached above; and, yielding to the strain upon the rope, caused by Ossaroo's weighty was being pulled towards the edge of the precipice! Would the resistance be equal to the weight of the man's body?
Would it let him down easily?
Or would the dragging anchor arrive at a place where the surface was smooth, and then gliding rapidly over it, increase the velocity of the descent?
In other words, was the shikaree about to be projected through a fall of thirty feet to the bottom of the cliff?
The spectators were left but little time to speculate on probabilities.
Not a moment was allowed them to take measures for securing the safety of their companion.

Before they could recover from the surprise, with which his first shout had inspired them, they saw that his descent was every moment becoming more accelerated: now in gradual declination, then in quick, short jerks--until he had got within about twenty-feet of the ground.