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Updated: May 12, 2025
Ossaroo wasted not the precious moments in idle reflection, but shouting to the young sahibs, and signalling them to follow his example, he struck off towards the tree with all the speed that lay in his legs; and not till he had got up to the third or fourth tier of branches did he look behind him, to see whether his advice had been taken.
It was a tree that had already been instrumental in saving his life: for it was the same that stood by the little straits where Ossaroo had set his nets, and by means of which Caspar had been enabled to hoist him up out of the quicksand.
Thus, nearly to the hour of noon, did Ossaroo continue his arduous undertaking of course with the usual intervals of rest, during each of which Karl and Caspar reiterated their entreaties for him to desist and leave the work to be executed at a more favourable opportunity.
Ossaroo had to tell them pretty nearly all he knew in relation to this curious bird; for although there are several species of hornbills natives of India, it is by no means a common creature, even at home in its own country. Karl could have told them much more about its species and habits, and no doubt he would have done so had they been otherwise engaged.
Then, letting himself down from step to step, and cautiously returning to the wooden ladder, he descended to the bottom of the cliff. Karl or Caspar might have rendered his coming down unnecessary, as either could have carried so light a "hod" up the ladder; but there was good reason why Ossaroo should make the descent that was, to rest and refresh himself.
Of course this could be only fancy on the part of Ossaroo.
Ossaroo once more lamented the absence of his beloved bamboos alleging that with a sufficient number of these he could have made ladders enough for scaling the cliff, in less than a quarter of the time it would take to construct them out of the pines.
Many of them he had made known long before especially that the seeds of the plant were eatable; and both Caspar and Ossaroo had often proved to their own satisfaction that they were something more than eatable in short, a great delicacy.
Caspar soon followed him fully participating in the feeling of grievous disappointment. Ossaroo took leave of the inflated monster in a different fashion. Drawing near to it, he stood for some seconds contemplating it in silence as if reflecting on the vast amount of seam he had stitched to no purpose.
At the same time his words reached them in whispers, cautioning them to lie close and keep silent. Both, without knowing what the danger was, of course obeyed injunctions thus emphatically delivered; and remained sitting up on their couches without uttering a word. Ossaroo, after having delivered his cautioning speeches, kept equally silent.
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