Finally he was ready to make the attempt. It was more than an hour after he
first began his operations, and he was weary, for he had to work in a
cramped and uncomfortable position. He rested a few minutes, and then began
sawing the rope around his wrists up and down on the sharp piece of glass
stuck upright in the ground.

It had to be done slowly and gently, because too much pressure would have
overturned the queer knife. Jack knew he must be patient. He cut his wrists
more than once, but the gashes were slight, and he thought the bleeding
would soon stop.

Finally he felt the bonds loosening slightly. Some of the rope strands were
cut through.

"It won't be long now," Jack thought, gladly.

Again and again on the jagged edge of the glass knife did he rub the cords,
and finally, with a sudden spreading apart of his hands, he found he could
break the remaining strands.

His hands were free!

Jack's heart beat high with hope now. He waited a few minutes to let the
slackened circulation of blood take up its work. Then it was the work of
but an instant, with the same piece of glass that had served him so well,
to sever the ropes about his legs. But when Jack tried to stand up he
nearly toppled over, so weak was he, and so numb were his legs. They had
gone to sleep from the lack of circulation of the blood.

But in a little while he was all right, and could walk about.