The Lost Middy Part 59

"Yes," said Aleck, calmly, "I suppose it will be best."

It did not take him long to prepare, and as soon as he was ready his companion made the rope fast just round beneath the arm-pits with a knot that would neither slip nor tighten.

"There!" said the middy, as he finished his preparations by laying out the rope in rings and curves of various shapes, such as would easily run out. "I say, you are perfectly black when I look at you from behind, but in front you seem like a white image on a black ground. Now, then, what do you mean to do?"

"Dive in from here and try to keep right down and swim as deeply as I can for the mouth."

"Try to swallow the job at one mouthful?"

"Yes."

"Won't do," said the middy, authoritatively. "You couldn't do it. You must slip in gently here and swim to that rock that's just out of the water."

"What! That one that seems just to the left of the arch?"

"That's the one. Get out on it, wait a few moments, and then take a long, deep breath and dive."

Aleck pondered for a few moments.

"Yes," he said, "I think you're right. I should have had to swim so far first if I started from here."

"To be sure you would. The less diving you have the better."

"I see," said Aleck. "Now, then, let the rope run out easily through your fingers till I give it a sharp jerk. That means pull me back as fast as you can."

"Yes, because you can go no further."

"If I pull twice it means I am safe through, and then--"

"I shall tie my end of the rope round my chest and come too. You need not pull, only just draw in the line, unless it stops, because that would mean I had got into difficulties. Do we both understand? I do."

"So do I," said Aleck, "so let's get it over. If I wait much longer I shall be afraid to go."

"Don't believe you," said the middy, bluntly. "Now, then--ready?"

"Yes."

The word was no sooner uttered than Aleck slipped down into the water and began to swim, with the rope being carefully paid out by his comrade, and in a minute he was fairly started. He was at first invisible, but very soon began to look like a black object making its way over a surface that grew transparent.

Then all at once the rope ceased to run.

"What is it?" cried the middy, anxiously.

"Got to the rock."

"Is the water deep?"

"Very."

"Well, get up, ready for your dive."

"It's all seaweed, and horribly slippery."

"Never mind; up with you."

A peculiar splashing sound arose, and the middy could just make out the dim shape of his companion climbing, or rather dragging, himself on to the slimy rock, whose top was about a foot above the surface of the water.

"Stop a minute or two first," said the middy, "so as to take--"

He was going to say "breath," but before the word could be uttered Aleck, who had drawn himself up to stand erect, felt his feet gliding from under him, and it was only by a violent effort that he escaped falling heavily upon the weed-covered rock. As it was he came down with a tremendous splash into the water, going head first in a sharp incline down and down, while, obeying his first impulse, he struck out sharply.

The middy was about to obey his first impulse too, and that was not to pay out, but begin to haul his comrade back. His hands tightened round the line, but as he awoke to the fact that it was gliding through his hands in obedience to the regular pulsation of the movements of a swimmer, he felt that all must be right, and waited while, foot by foot, the rope glided on and the transparent water grew more and more agitated and strange to see.

Once he fancied he could clearly make out Aleck's steadily swimming figure, but directly after he knew it was a great, waving, flag-like ma.s.s of weed fronds, and he uttered an impatient gasp and turned cold.

"He couldn't have got his breath for the dive," he said to himself, "and the current must be taking him helplessly away. Half the line must have run out, and perhaps he's insensible. No; that means swimming, for it goes in jerks, and--he has stopped. He must be through. Hooray! Well done, old--oh, that's the signal to pull him back!"

It was surely enough, and the middy began at once to haul in, and then the cold feeling became a chill of horror, for he had drawn the rope quite tight at the second haul, and it was perfectly evident that the swimmer had signalled because in some way he was caught fast.

What to do?

The middy was energetic enough, and in those perilous moments, full of horror for his companion's sake, he hauled till he dared pull no more for fear that the rope should part, and, obeying now a sudden thought, he relaxed the strain, and the rope seemed to be s.n.a.t.c.hed back towards Aleck.

"That can't be a signal," he said to himself, in despair; but he began to haul again, recovered the line lost, and to his intense delight he found that the swimmer was once more free, and that he was drawing him rapidly back to where he stood. The lad's action was as rapid now as he could pa.s.s hand over hand, and in a very short s.p.a.ce of time he had the poor fellow close up to the rock edge, and then, taking hold of the rope where it pa.s.sed round Aleck's chest, he dragged him out, half insensible, upon the rocks.

Another half minute or so might have been fatal, but Aleck had some little energy left, and, after a strangling fit of coughing, he was able to sit up.

"Take--the rope off!" he panted.

This was done, and in a few minutes he was breathing freely and able to talk.

"I didn't get a fair start," he said, hoa.r.s.ely. "I slipped, and went in before I was ready; but I got on all right for a bit till I seemed to be sucked in between two pieces of rock, and felt myself going into black darkness. Then I signalled to you."

"I hauled directly."

"Yes, and it seemed to drag me crosswise so that I couldn't pa.s.s through between the two rocks again. How did you manage then?"

"I did nothing, only let go so as to make a fresh start."

"Did you?" said Aleck, quietly. "Ah, I didn't know anything about that.

I only knew that it was very horrible, and I thought it was all over.

It was very near, wasn't it?"

"Oh, I don't know," said the middy, coolly. "You say that you didn't have a fair start?"

"No; it was that fall. But it's queer work. You can't make out where you are going, and the current grinds your head up against the weedy rock."

"But you got nearly through, didn't you?"