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Nid. Coming down, old chap. Left arm first. Straighten it up. All right. Get your hold again. Now the other. Hold the rope closer in, Nid. Right-o! Fine! Tighten up easy, Nid. How's that, down there?"
"All right, thanks. Ned, don't start anything until you've rested a bit. I can hear you puffing down here. I'm fine now and can spend the day here."
Ned sank down and relaxed, breathing heavily and mopping his face. "Best way to do," said Bob to him, "will be to take a turn of rope around a tree and let Polly take up the slack as we haul. It'll be a hard tug, with the rope binding over the edge, but I guess we can do it." Ned nodded, took a deep breath, and stood up.
"Let's go," he said shortly.
