Cutlass and Cudgel Part 44

"Frightened?" said Ram, who was watching him.

"I don't know about being frightened. It would be a terrible fall."

"Oh, I don't know," said Ram, leaning forward and gazing down into the void. "Water's precious deep here. Such lots of great conger eels, six foot long, 'bout the holes in the bottom. Jemmy Dadd and me's caught 'em before now. Most strong enough to pull you out of the boat.

Dessay, if you went down, you'd come up again, but you couldn't get ash.o.r.e."

"Why? A good swimmer could get round the point there, and make for the ledge where I saw you and that man land."

"No, you couldn't," said Ram; "it's hard work to get round there with a boat. You do have to pull. That's where the race is, and it would carry you out to--oh?"

The boy was looking down between his legs as he spoke; and the midshipman just had time to dart forward his hand, catch him by the shoulder, and drag him back, or he would have gone off the rock.

Ram lurched over sidewise, his sun-browned face mottled and strange-looking, as his head dropped slowly over on to the midshipman's shoulder, where it lay for a good ten minutes, Archy pa.s.sing his arm round the boy, and supporting him as he lay there, breathing heavily, with his eyes half-closed.

It was a terrible position; and a cold, damp perspiration bedewed the midshipman's face, as he felt how near they both were to a terrible end.

The deep water after that awful fall, the fierce current which would carry him out to sea--and then came shuddering thoughts of the great, long, serpent-like congers, of whose doings horrible stories were current among the sailors.

At last, to his great relief, Ram uttered a deep sigh, and sat up, smiling at his companion.

"I've felt like that before," he said. "Come over all at once sick and giddy, like you do if you lean down too much in the sun. I should have gone over, shouldn't I, if you hadn't ketched me?"

"Don't talk about it."

"Oh, very well; it was. .h.i.tting my head such a crack, I suppose. I say, though, you never thought you could get away down here, did you?"

"Meant to try," said Archy laconically.

"Yah! What was the good, I knowed you wouldn't; but I meant to fetch you back. Me and Jemmy Dadd come down here once after birds' eggs, before father had the place up there quite blocked up. It used to be a hole just big enough to creep through. Jemmy stopped up on that patch where you and me wrastled, and let me down with a rope. There's no getting no farther than this."

"Not with a rope?"

"Well, with a very long one you might slide down to the water, but what's the good, without there was a boat waiting? You hadn't got the boat, and you didn't bring no rope. No use to try to get away."

The words seemed more and more the words of truth as the midshipman listened, and he was compelled to own in his own mind that he had failed in his attempt; but a question seemed to leap from his lips next moment, and he said sharply,--

"Perhaps there's no getting down, but any one might climb up right to the top of the cliff."

"Fly might, or a beedle," said the boy, laughing. "Why, a rabbit couldn't, and I've seen them do some rum things, cutting up the rocks where they've been straight up like a wall. Why, it comes right over up nigh the top. No, father's right; place is safe enough from the seaside, and so it is from the land. Now, then, let's go back."

"You can go," said Archy coldly. "I'm going to stop here."

"That you won't," said Ram sharply. "You're a-coming up with me. Yah!

What's the good o' being obstinate? We don't want to have another fight. Don't you see you can't get away?"

"I will get away," said Archy sternly.

"Well, you won't get off this way, till your wings grow," said Ram, laughing. "Come on, mate, let's get back."

Archy hesitated, but was obliged to come to the conclusion that he was beaten this time, and he turned slowly to his companion and said,--

"Can you climb that rope?"

"Can I climb that rope? I should think I can!"

"But dare you venture now?"

Ram put his hand to his head, and gazed up thoughtfully.

"Well, it would be stoopid if I was to turn dizzy again. S'pose you untie the rope from round you, and let me tie it round my waist. Then you go up first, and when I come, you'll be ready to lend me a hand."

"Yes, that will be best," said Archy.

"Without you want to leave me?" said the boy, laughing.

The midshipman made no reply. There was an arduous task before him, and his nerves were unstrung. After he had unfastened the end of the rope and pa.s.sed it to Ram, who did not secure the end about him, but the middle, after he had nearly drawn it tight, so that, if he did slip, the fall would not be so long. Then reluctantly, but feeling that it must be done, Archy climbed the thirty feet of rope between him and the great ledge, slowly and surely, glad to lie down and close his eyes as soon as he was in safety so far.

He tried to, but he dared not look over when the rope began to quiver again. He contented himself with taking hold near the edge, and crouched there, picturing the boy turning dizzy once more from his injury, letting go, and dropping with a terrible jerk to the extent of the rope where it was tied. Then, as he felt the strong hemp quiver in his hands, he found himself wondering if the strands would snap one by one with the terrible strain of the jerk, and whether the boy would drop down into the sea.

What should he do then?

What should he do if the rope did not part? He did not think he would have strength to draw the boy up, and, if he did, he was so unnerved now, that he did not believe he would be able to drag him over the edge on to the rock platform.

There! Ram must be turning giddy, he was so long; and, unable to bear the pressure longer, Archy opened his eyes and crept nearer to the edge, to face the horror of seeing the boy's wild upturned eyes.

But he saw nothing of the kind, save in the workings of his own disordered imagination. What he did see was Ram's frank-looking rustic face close up, and a hand was reached over the edge.

"You may get hold of me anywhere if you like," said the boy, "and give a hand. That's your style, orficer! Pull away, and up she comes. That's it!" he said, as he crept over the edge. "Thank'ee. I aren't smuggled."

They both sat down for a few minutes, while Ram untied the rope from his waist and from round the big block of stone, before beginning to coil it up.

"I say," he said, as he formed ring after ring of rope, "that rock isn't very safe. If I'd slipped, and the rope hadn't snapped, that big stone would have come down atop of me, and what a mess you'd have been in, if father had said you pitched me off!"

"Let's get back," said the midshipman, who felt sick at heart; and he moved toward the place where he had been down and up three times.

"Wait a moment," said Ram, securing the end of the rope, and throwing the coil over his shoulder. "That's right. I'll go first. Know the way?"

"Because you don't trust me," said Archy angrily.

"That's it," said Ram. "Door's open, and you might get out."

Archy's teeth grated together, but he said nothing, only began to climb, following the boy patiently till they were nearing the opening, when he started so violently that he nearly lost his hold.

For a voice came from above his head,--

"Got him, Ram?"

"Yes, father; here he is."

For the moment the midshipman felt disposed to descend again, but he kept on, and a minute later he looked up, to see Ram's frank face looking out of the hole, and the boy stretched out his hand.