Securing the Lanyard

The wind outside rattled the glass. It was time to secure my gear before moving off the sill. Beside the brass compass lay a scrap of braided leather shoelace, severed and fraying at the tip. I drew my rawhide-bound spike and pressed the cold iron against the split fibers. With steady hands, I worked the narrow end through the perforated loop of a heavy iron washer resting near the window trim. I knotted the hide twice, pulling the hitch taut until the leather bit deep. A lanyard for the pack. It will not break.