"I'll tie it on fer ye."
I had misgivings, but, not liking to fail old Hughy at a pinch, I let
him rig me up for the feat and at last, taking the plug, started to walk
up the slightly inclined tree trunk to the woodpecker's hole, which was
close to the point where the basswood rested against the hemlock. I
found it was not hard to walk up the sloping trunk if I did not look
down into the gully. With stray bees whizzing round me, I slowly took
one step after another. Once, I felt the trunk settle slightly, and I
almost decided to go back; but finally I went on and, reaching the hole,
grasped a strong, green limb of the hemlock to steady myself. Then I
inserted the plug, which fitted pretty well, and drove it in with the
heel of my boot.
Perhaps it was the jar of the blow, perhaps it was my added weight, but
almost instantly I felt the trunk slip again--and then down into the
gully it went with a crash!
Luckily I still had hold of the hemlock limb and clung to it
instinctively. For a moment I dangled there; then with a few convulsive
efforts I succeeded in drawing myself to the trunk of the hemlock and
getting my feet on a limb.
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