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Making a short splice. Untwist the ends of the rope for a few inches and seize with twine to prevent further unwinding, as shown at A, A; also seize the end of each strand to prevent unravelling and grease or wax the strands until smooth and even. Now place the two ends of the ropes together as shown at B, B. Then with a marline-spike, or a pointed stick, work open the strand 1c, and through this pass the strand A of the other rope; then open strand 2 and pass the next strand of the other rope through it and then the same way with the third strand. Next open up the strands of the other rope, below the seizing, and pass the strands of the first rope through as before. Now untwist the six strands and cut away about half the yarns from each and seize the ends as before; pass these reduced strands through under the whole strands of the rope—the strands of the left under the strands of the right rope and vice versa—for two or three lays and then cut off projecting ends, after drawing all as tight as you can. If an extra-neat splice is desired the strands should be gradually tapered as you proceed, and in this way a splice but little larger than the original diameter of the rope will result. The only difficulty you will find in making this splice is in getting the strands to come together in such a way that two strands will not run under the same strand of the opposite rope. To avoid this, bear in mind that the first strand must be passed over the strand which is first next to it and through under the second and out between the second and third. In the following operations the strands are passed over the third and under the fourth; but the figures will make this perfectly clear.