On the Edge
“Help! Help!” His call rang out over the empty valley. It threw back two weak cries.“Nobody goes into the mountains alone.” His climbing teacher’s voice ran through his mind.Frank understood now. If he had been with someone up there with a rope—but nobody was there. He went climbing by himself.
Frank studied the cliff. He had fallen only about twelve feet, but there was no place where he could put his hands or feet to hold. And near the top, there was a crack (裂缝). Hekept staring at the crack. Suddenly, his eyes opened wide at an idea. “If I tie a big knot (结) in the end, I can throw it up there and jam the knot so that it won’t pull through.”
“That’s what I’ll do,” Frank said. He took off his jeans, and cut them into long, even pieces,tying them carefully together. Then, he picked up his right shoe. With his jeans rope, he made two tight loops around the shoe, and tied a tight knot.
Afraid to rest, afraid to think, he lifted the rope. He took the end in his right hand,gathered the rest in his left, and threw the shoe. It landed on top, but the rope missed the crack,so the shoe fell back down when he pulled. On the third try, the shoe hit the edge above, and then stuck. Then he climbed for his life—up and up—over the edge to safety. He lay still,catching breath. He had a new sense of how beautiful it was to be alive.
13.The phrase "jam the knot" (Line 4, Para. 2) is closest in meaning to