Sappers and Miners Part 9

"No; he must be under one of the blocks that jut out."

"Ay and all hings over, or he'd ha' climbed up. Now, my lad, what's to be done? Will you go down?"

"Yes, of course; but knot me fast this time, Sam."

"Ay, my lad, I will. You trust me."

"I will, Sam," said the boy, calmly. Then he strained outwards, put both hands, trumpet fashion, to his lips, and shouted,--

"Ahoy! Coming down.--Hardock, look! I can see him."

"Eh? Where? I can't see nought."

"There, nearly straight under us, about half-way down--look!"

"No; I can't see him. Can you?"

"Yes; only his hand. It's like a speck. He's waving it to us. There, I can just see a bit of his arm, too."

"I got it now. Yes, I can see it. He must be at the mouth of an adit where they threw out their waste stuff to be washed away by the sea."

"Ahoy! Rope!"

Those two words came up plainly now, and Joe answered through his closed hands.

"All--right--coming down!--Now, Sam, quick. Make me fast, and lower away."

"No! Rope!" came up from below.

"Says you aren't to go down," cried Hardock, excitedly. "And why should yer? I'll drop the rope, and you can help me haul him up. He'll make it fast enough, I know."

As he spoke the man rose up, threw the ring of rope on the rock by his side, set the end free, made a knot in it, and gave it to Joe to hold while, after a little examination to make sure that it would uncoil easily, he raised the ring, stood back a couple of yards, swung the coil to and fro horizontally on a level with his left shoulder and then launched it seaward with a vigorous throw, making a s.n.a.t.c.h directly after at the end close to where Joe held on with both hands.

Away went the rope with the rings gracefully uncoiling and straightening out as the stout hemp writhed like some long thin serpent, opening out more and more, till, far away below them, they saw it hang down, swaying to and fro like a pendulum.

"Not long enough," cried Joe, sadly.

"Good two hundred foot, my lad; nigh upon five-and-thirty fathom; p'raps he'll climb to it. Can you see the end?"

"No--no," said Joe; "it hangs over beyond that block that sticks out?"

"And it's below that he's a-lying, aren't it?"

"I don't know--I think so. It's of no use. I must slide down to him.

Ah, stop a minute, let's give it a swing to and fro. Perhaps he can't see it. Hurrah! I've got a bite."

"Nay!" cried Hardock, excitedly.

"Yes, it's all right. Feel."

But there was no need, for at that moment there was a most unmistakable tug.

CHAPTER SIX.

AT AN AWKWARD CORNER.

"Hurrah!" yelled Joe, half mad with excitement. "It is long enough, and he has got it. He was trying if it was safe."

"Hooroar!" shouted Hardock, hoa.r.s.ely, for he was as excited as the boy.

"Hold tight, my lad; don't let him pull it out of your hands. But he won't, for I've got it, too. Why, it's all right, young Jollivet, and the old mine goblins had nothing to do with it, after all. We'll soon have him up."

"Yes, we'll soon have him up," cried Joe, hysterically, and he burst into a strange laugh. "I say, how he frightened us, though!"

And in those moments of relief from the tension they had felt, it seemed like nothing that the lad was two hundred feet down the terrible precipice, about to swing at the end of the rope which had played him so false but a short time before.

"He's making the line fast round him, Sam. I can feel it quiver and jerk. Shout down to him to be sure and tie the knots tight."

"Nay, nay, you let him be. He don't want no flurrying. Trust him for that. He knows how to make himself fast."

"Think so?" said Joe, hoa.r.s.ely; and he felt the hands which held the rope grow wet.

"Nay, don't want no thinking, my lad. He'll manage all right."

"He has," cried Joe, excitedly. "Do you feel? He's signalling for us to haul him up."

For three sharp tugs were given at the rope.

"Ay, that means all right," said Hardock. "Now you hold on tight."

"I can't haul him all alone."

"Nay, not you. n.o.body wants you to try; I only want you to hold while I get ready. It wouldn't do to let one end go loose, would it?"

As he spoke Hardock relinquished his hold of the rope, and began to strip off his jacket.

"What are you going to do? You're not going down, Sam?"

"You wait a bit: you'll see," said the man; and he folded his coat into a large pad, which he laid over the edge of the rock. "Now you lay the rope on that, my lad, and give me the end. That's the way; now it won't be cut."

"When we haul it over the rock? No; I see."

"But we aren't going to haul it over the rock," said Hardock, nodding his head. "I'll show you a way worth two of that."

He took the end and pulled it over, and made a loop, leaving just enough free line for the purpose; and slipping it over one shoulder and across his breast diagonally, he stood ready.

Meanwhile jerk after jerk was given to the rope, each signal which reached Joe's hands making him thrill with eagerness.