Sappers and Miners Part 76

"But it's all a scare," said Gwyn, banteringly.

"I hope so, sir, but I feel unked like, and as if something's very wrong."

"Think of old Grip playing the sneak," said Joe, as they finally cleared the grotto-like cracks, and came upon flooring better for walking.

"Nay, sir, he's no sneak. He's only gone to see what's the matter."

"Without a light?" cried Gwyn.

"He wants no light, sir. His eyes are not like ours. Would you mind walking a little faster?"

"No; lead on, and we'll keep up. But how long will it take us to get to the foot of the shaft?"

"Two hours, sir."

"So long as that?"

"Every minute of it, sir--if we get there at all," said the man to himself. And now they walked on at a good steady rate, only pausing once to trim their lights, and at last came to a turn familiar to both the lads, for it was the beginning of the pa.s.sage where they had had the scare from having to pa.s.s through water, but at the end farthest from that which they had come by in the early part of the day.

"Won't go through here, Sam?" said Gwyn.

"Much the nighest, sir; but we don't want to be soaked. Would you mind going a little way down here?"

"Not I," said Gwyn; and the man led on, Joe following without a word.

"Don't look like that, Jolly," whispered Gwyn. "I suppose everyone gets scared at some time in a place like this. It's Sam's turn now. Hallo!"

"Can't go any farther, sir," said Hardock, huskily. "The water's right up to here, and farther on it must reach the roof."

Gwyn needed no telling, for the reflection of their lights was glancing from the floor, and he knew perfectly well that no water ought to be there.

A chill ran through him--a sensation such as he would have experienced had he suddenly plunged neck deep in the icy water, and he turned a look full of agony at Joe, who caught at his arm.

"The sea has broken in--the sea has broken in!" he cried; and quick as lightning Gwyn bent down, scooped up some of the black-looking water, and held it to his lips.

It was unmistakably brackish.

"It can't have broke in, my lads--it can't," cried Hardock. "Come on, and let's go round by the pillar place and get to the men as quick as we can. There must be some spring burst out; but they'll set the pumps at work as soon as they know, and soon pull it down again. Come on."

With their hearts beating heavily from excitement, the two lads followed the captain as he hurried back along the gallery to the spot where they had turned down; and then, as fast as they could go, they made for the pillared hall, expecting to find some of the men close by; but when they reached it, there being no sign of water, there was not a soul visible.

There was proof, though, that it was not long since there were men there, for the ends of two candles were still burning where they had been stuck against the wall; tools were lying here and there, and a couple of half-filled skeps were standing on the low four-wheeled trucks waiting to be run along the little tramway to the shaft.

No one said so, but each saw for certain that there must have been a sudden alarm, and the men had fled.

"Come on," said Hardock, hoa.r.s.ely; but his heart was sinking, and Gwyn knew that there was a gradual descent toward the bottom of the shaft.

But they walked rapidly on for fully half-an-hour before they came to the first trace of water, and it was startling when they did.

The gallery they were in entered the next--a lower one--at right-angles; and as they reached that end dry-footed, their lights gleamed from the face of running water which was gliding rapidly by in a regular stream of a few inches deep.

It was Joe who stooped quickly down now to scoop up some of the water and taste it, which he did in silence.

"Salt?" cried Gwyn, sharply.

There was no reply, and the lad followed his companion's example and tasted the water.

"Salt, sir?" said Hardock.

"As the sea," said Gwyn, with a groan. "Hah! good dog then. Here, here, here! Grip, Grip, Grip!"

For there had been a faint barking in the distance, but the noise ceased.

"Can we go round any way?" said Gwyn.

"No, sir; we must face it," said Hardock; "and as quick as we can, for it gets lower and lower, and the water sets this way fast, so it must be rising. Ready, sir?"

"Yes."

"Then come on."

Hardock stepped down into the rapid stream, which was ankle-deep, the others followed, and they splashed rapidly along, to hear the barking again directly; and soon after Grip, who must have been swimming, came bounding and splashing along, barking joyously to meet them again, and barking more loudly as he found that his master was making for the way from which he had come.

"Can't help it, old fellow. When it gets too bad for you, I must carry you," muttered Gwyn, as they hurried along; their progress gradually becoming more painful, for the water soon became knee-deep, and the stream harder to stem.

But they toiled on till it was up to their waists, and so swift that it began to threaten to sweep them away; so, after a few minutes'

progression in this way, with the water growing yet deeper, Hardock stopped at a corner round which the water came with a rush.

"It's downhill here, gen'lemen, all the way to the shaft, and even if we could face it, the water must be five-foot deep in another ten minutes, and round the next turn it'll be six, and beyond that the pa.s.sage must be full."

"Then we must swim to the foot of the shaft," said Gwyn, excitedly.

"A shoal of seals couldn't do it, sir," said the man, gruffly. "Come back, sir!" he roared, for, as if to prove his words, the dog made a sudden dash, freed himself from Gwyn's grasp, and plunged forward to swim, but was swept back directly, and would have been borne right away if Gwyn had not s.n.a.t.c.hed at his thick coat as he pa.s.sed, and held him.

"But we must make for the shaft," cried Joe, pa.s.sionately.

"We can't sir! It's suicide! We couldn't swim, and just a bit farther on, I tell you, the place must be full to the roof. Why, there must be eight or ten foot o' water in the shaft."

"Then are we lost?" cried Joe.

"A fellow's never lost as long as he can make a fight for it," said Gwyn, sharply. "Now, then, Sam, what's to be done--go back?"

"Yes, sir, fast as we can, and make for the highest part of the mine."

"Where is that?"

"The water will show us," said Hardock. "I pray it may only be a bit of an underground pool burst to flood us; and they'll pump and master it before it does us any harm."

"No, no," groaned Joe; "we've heard it beating overhead before, and the sea has burst in. We're lost--we're lost!"

"Then if the sea has bursted in," cried Hardock, fiercely, "it's that fellow Tom Dina.s.s's doing. He's a spite against us all, and it's to flood and ruin the mine."