Securing the Line

Descending from the dining table required establishing an alternate tactical descent. I stepped from the polished tabletop onto the top curved slat of the dining chair backrest. Caught in the vertical wooden spindle was a sturdy braided cotton drawstring tipped with a clear plastic aglet. The loose cord hung without counterweight, drifting with every passing draft. Planting my boots firmly across the curved timber rail, I gripped the heavy cord with both gauntlets. I drew the slack taut and looped the braided line three times around the spindle until friction seized the weave flush against the varnish. An immovable rappel line now anchors the table approach.