Sail Ho! Part 78

"Where there's a big crate thing, sir, as goes right up? That's it."

"Then we can't get any farther?"

"I don't think I can; but that tapping wouldn't come so plain if there warn't a way. It weer too tight for me; but you can try if you can't get round the end of the stopper. It may be big enough for you."

I would have given anything to get back now, feeling as I did that I had done enough; but I plucked up my courage, and began feeling about to make the discovery that while one end of the crate was closed solidly against the next package, the other end did not touch.

"There's a way here," I said to my companion, who was sitting up behind me, having found a place where he could let his legs go down.

"Well, sir, that's what I thought," said Barney. "But it's too small for me, arn't it?"

"Yes, far too small," I said. "I don't think I could get along. Is it any use to try?"

Tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap.

That knocking came so plainly and from so near now that I at once said--

"Yes; I must get through."

"Bravo you, sir. That's your sort. Take it coolly. Where the head 'll go, the rest on you'll follow if you wiggles yerself well. Don't you get scared, sir. I'll pull you back if you get stuck."

"But it's horribly hot here, Barney," I whispered.

"Yes, sir; but I s'pose we mustn't mind that. Go it, sir, and let's get it over."

I did not need his words, for I was already trying to get round that great crate. It was, I felt, an impossible job, for I had to pa.s.s round one angle, and the heat as I wedged myself in became insufferable. But I forced myself along inch by inch till I could get my arms round the end, where to my great joy I found that I could get hold of the bars of the crate, the straw with which its contents were packed yielding enough to allow my fingers to obtain a firm grip, and with this purchase I pulled and pulled, getting myself farther and farther till I was part of the way past the angle; then more and more, till my hips checked the way for a few minutes, and I stopped short, feeling that it was all over, for I could get no farther.

Then I felt that I had done enough. It was useless fighting against the impossible, and I made up my mind to go back; but at the first movement I rucked up my jacket and trousers and literally wedged myself in, finding that I could not get back an inch, and that if I tried more I should be stuck beyond the hope of extrication.

I felt faint with the heat and horror, then a peculiar giddiness came over me; I saw lights dancing before my eyes, and my senses were fast going, when, sounding quite cool and unconcerned, Barney's voice came to me, teaching me the value of companionship at such a time as this.

"Having a rest, sir? Say when, and I'll give your feet a shove."

Just those few simple words, but they were sufficient to give me courage once more, and drive away the mists of horror.

I was myself again, tightened my grip on the stout bars of the crate, gave a spasmodic jerk, and dragged myself as I lay edgewise two or three inches along the end of the great crate.

"That wins it, sir," whispered Barney, and feeling desperate I tried again and again, the bars giving me so much a.s.sistance that I got on and on till I was lyings as I said, edgewise along the end, with my back against a large wooden case.

Then I stopped, panting with my exertion, the perspiration streaming from me, and feeling as if it would be impossible to get any farther.

But all the same I was cheered by my success, and after gaining my breath I was just going to have another try when Barney whispered--

"What's ahead of you? Can you touch anything?"

I stretched out my hands as far as I could reach, and this action elongated me a trifle, so that I felt myself slipping down a little-- only a few inches, but that was enough; a curious oppression of my chest followed, and to my horror I realised that the pa.s.sage narrowed downwards, and my weight had carried me lower, so that now at last I felt that I was hopelessly wedged in.

For some moments the horror of my position rendered me helpless. I could not struggle, but lay as if paralysed till Barney roused me by whispering in his cheery way--

"Takin' a rest again, my lad?"

"No, no," I panted in a hopeless tone of voice; "I'm fast, Barney; I can't move."

"Oh yes, you can, sir," he replied; "take it coolly."

"But the packages on each side are holding me," I panted.

"Have another go, sir. You don't know how ingyrubbery you are till you try, sir. Take it coolly, sir, then wait your time, and you'll work yourself out just as we did. All three on us got fast."

"Yes; but there was some one to pull Bob Hampton out," I said angrily; and in this spirit I made a fierce effort after reaching up with one leg and one arm, and somehow managed to drag myself higher, so that I did not feel so much oppression at my chest. Another inch or two made me wonder why I had been so much alarmed, and in another minute I had pa.s.sed the great crate, and found more room between the cargo and the beams overhead.

But I hesitated to go farther in that horrible darkness, dreading some fresh complication, and feeling that now I had reached a part where I could hear, it would be wise to go back and accept my fate of a prisoner, and see what Jarette would do, when all at once the tapping, which had been unheard for some time, recommenced, and apparently so close, that my cowardly dread pa.s.sed off, and I determined to go on.

"All right now, aren't you, sir?" whispered Barney.

"Yes."

"Told you so. Only be careful, sir, I can't help you now."

I felt about a little, and then crawled forward in no narrow perpendicular crevice, but flat on my chest, between the cargo and the deck, and in less than a minute my hand touched an upright piece? of roughly-sawn wood. Then another and another, and pa.s.sing my hand between them I felt board, while the next instant there was a dull jar as if some one on the other side struck the board I touched, and gave three taps. I answered directly with my knuckles, and a strange feeling of emotion made my heart palpitate as a voice came through the narrow opening between the boards.

"Is any one there?"

I placed my mouth as close to the crevice as I could in my constrained position, and chancing being heard, I cried--

"Yes."

"Who is it?" came back.

"Dale; and the three men are with me."

"Can you force off one of these boards?"

"No. Who is it?" I said.

I was almost sure when I asked the question, and my ideas were confirmed. It was Mr Brymer speaking, and he told me that Mr Preddle, Mr Frewen, and the captain were with him.

That was good news, but he had not told me all.

"Where is Miss Denning?" I asked.

"With her brother in their cabin still, I think. Now look here, Dale, we will try and pull out one of these boards, and you and the others must join us here."

I must have made his heart sink in despair the next minute, when I told him that it was impossible, and said how I had had to struggle to get to him.

"Then either you or we must get out, and the party that gets on deck must help the other. Wait a minute."

I waited, and heard the sound of boring, and a few minutes later, as I kept a hand upon the board, I felt the point of a knife or gimlet working its way through.