The Lost Middy Part 49

"Then he could not lead a party here, Eben," said Aleck; "and you could get him out of here so that he would never know how he was taken out."

"Ah!" said the middy, sharply. "Then you two didn't come in a boat?"

"Never you mind how we came or how we didn't, my lad," said the smuggler, "we're here; and as the game's up, Master Aleck, and all I want to do is to keep out of the clutches of the press-gang and the law, I'll do as I said, go up by and by and try to get the key, and if I can't get the key I'll bring down a file."

"That will do, Eben--I'll trust you; and as you're going to do your best now I don't think Mr--Mr--"

"Wrighton," said the middy.

"Mr Wrighton will want to be hard on a man who wants to escape from being pressed. How long will it be before it's safe to go up?"

"I daren't go till it's midnight, my lad. I've been run too close before, and as it is I'm not sure but what they'll be waiting for me about my home; but anyhow I'll try."

"And I must wait till then?" said the middy, with a break in his voice.

"Yes," said Aleck; "but I shall keep my word--I'll stick by you till you're free."

"Ah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the lad, and his voice sounded more natural, as he added, in a low tone to Aleck: "Don't think me a coward, please. You don't know what it is to be shut up in a place like this."

"No," said Aleck; "but if I were I should feel and act just as you have, and I hope be quite as brave."

A pressure of the hand conveyed the midshipman's thanks, and directly after the two lads awoke to the fact that the smuggler was doing something which could mean nothing else but the providing of something to eat and drink.

For upon raising the lanthorn to look around, he came upon a basket, and beside it a good-sized bottle, both of which he examined.

"Why, skipper," he said, "you haven't eat your dinner!"

"How could I eat at a time like this?" said the midshipman, angrily.

"Well, I s'pose it didn't give you much hankering arter eating tackle,"

said the smuggler, grimly. "I took nowt but water when I was aboard your ship; but you ought to eat and drink now you ye got to the end of your troubles, thanks to Master Aleck here. Why, you've got two lots.

What's in the bottles?"

The speaker screwed out the corks of two bottles, one after the other, and smelt the contents.

"Ha! Water. Want anything stronger?" he said, with a grin. "Plenty o'

Right Nantes yonder," he added, with a jerk of his thumb over the right shoulder.

"No, no, I don't want anything," said the midshipman, impatiently.

"Well, sir, I do," said Eben. "I'm down faint, and if you don't mind-- what do you say, Master Aleck?"

"I never thought of it," replied Aleck; "but now you talk about eating and drinking you make me feel ready. Let's have something, Mr Wrighton; it will help to pa.s.s away the time."

The result was that the contents of the basket were spread between them, and from forcing down a mouthful or two of food the prisoner's appet.i.te began to return, and a good meal was made, Aleck and the smuggler naturally playing the most vigorous part.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

Aleck ate heartily, for the state of affairs began to look bright, but as he played his part his eyes were busy, and he noted that the beautiful effect of light which came through the transparent water beneath the submerged arch grew less and less striking till the colour had nearly faded out, while the water had evidently risen a good deal in the long ca.n.a.l-like pool, and was still rising, and where the cavern's weird configuration had in one part appeared through a dim shadowy twilight all was black darkness.

There had been a little talking during the consumption of the meal, but when it was ended silence had fallen upon the group. The smuggler had proceeded to fill a black pipe which he had lit at the lanthorn, and then drawn back a little, leaving the two youths to themselves; but very little was said, conversation in the man's presence seeming to be impossible.

The pipe was smoked to the very last, and then, after tapping out the hot ashes, the smuggler coughed and turned to the others.

"Look here, gen'lemen," he said; "I think we understand one another a bit now, which means I'm going to trust you two and you're going to trust me?"

"Yes," said Aleck.

"That's right, then. Of course, all I want to do is to get safe away so as to bring back the key of them irons, or a file, and as soon as we've got them off you're going to give me till to-morrow about this time before you come out?"

"We can't stay in this horrible hole all night," cried Aleck, impetuously.

"Don't see as it's much of a horrible hole, master," said the man; "there's plenty to eat and drink, and a good roof over your heads. I've slept here times enough. There arn't nothing to worry you--no old bogies. Wust thing I ever see here was a seal, which come in one night, splashing about; and he did scare me a bit till I knowed what it was.

But that's the bargain, gentlemen, and there's no running back. There's the lanthorn, and there's a box yonder with plenty of candles, and a tinder-box with flint, steel, and matches, so you never need be in the dark. Plenty of bread and bacon, cheese, and b.u.t.ter too, so you'll be all right; so there's no call to say no more about that. Now, then, I'm going uppards to try if I can find out what's going on outside. I shall keep coming down to tell you till I think my chance of getting home has come, and then I shall run off and you'll wait till I come back."

"Very well," said Aleck, who found that he had all the talking to do, and after a time the smuggler rose.

"There," he said, "I'm going now. Say good luck to me."

"Well," replied Aleck, "good luck to you! Be as quick as you can. But what are you going to do about a light?"

"What for?" said the man, gruffly.

"To find your way to the zigzag slopes."

The smuggler laughed softly.

"I don't want any light to go about this place, squire. There arn't an inch I don't know by heart."

"I suppose not," said Aleck, thoughtfully. "But, look here; what about that place?"

"What about it, sir?"

"The getting up. Of course it was easy enough to slide down, but how about getting up?"

"Didn't I tell you? No, of course, I didn't. Look here, sir; it's all smooth in the middle, but if you keep close up to the left you'll find nicks cut in the stone just big enough for your toes, and as close together as steps. You'll find it easy enough."

"I understand," said Aleck, and the next minute they were listening to the faintly-echoing steps, for the moment the man stepped out of the faint yellow glow made by the lanthorn he plunged into intense black darkness. But from what he had so far gleaned of the configuration of the place the lad was pretty well able to trace the smuggler by his footsteps, till all at once there was a faint rustling, and then the gloom around was made more impressive by the silence which endured for a couple of minutes or so, to be succeeded by a faint, peculiar, echoing, sc.r.a.ping sound.

"What's that?" asked the midshipman, excitedly.

Aleck explained that it was evidently the noise made by the sc.r.a.ping of the smuggler's boots against the stone, as he ascended the zigzag crack to the surface.

This lasted for about a minute, to be succeeded by a peculiar harsh noise as of stone being drawn upon stone, after which there was another peculiar sound, also in some way connected with stone jarring against stone; but Aleck could give no explanation to his companion as to what that might be, feeling puzzled himself. Another stone seemed to be moved then, and it struck the listener that it might be somehow connected with the more level of the zigzag pa.s.sages, though why he should have thought that he could not have explained.

Probably not more than three minutes were taken up altogether before the last faint sound had died completely away, and then Aleck found himself called upon to explain the configuration of the natural staircase by which ascent could be made and exit found. For it never occurred to the lad that he was in any way breaking the confidence placed in him in making the prisoner as familiar with the peculiarities of the cavern as he was himself. The midshipman, his companion in the strange adventure, had asked him about the shape and position of his prison, and he had explained what he knew. That was all.