Part 29 (1/2)

”It'll coave the rope a tug, then a sharp jerk, and another, before, raising his hands and grasping it as high as he could, he took a run, and then, raising his legs, let hi,” he cried ”There, you'd better go first”

”You fastened it,” said Vince, ”so you've got first go”

”No, it was your idea Up with you! but you've scared the pigeons away”

Vince seized the rope as high as he could reach, twisted it about his leg, pressing the strong strands against his calf with the edge of his shoe-sole, and then began to clith of his aran to revolve with hi ”Wants basting;” and he picked up handsful of sand to scatter over the climber's back

But Vince was too busy to heed his interruption, and by trying hard he soon drew hiht into the narrow crack, and the next minute only his boots were visible, and they were drawn out of sight directly after

”Well?” cried Mike; ”what have you found?”

”Grapnel,” panted Vince; for clile thin rope is hard work

”Yes, but what else?”

”Big crack, which goes right in Light the lanthorn and fasten, it to the end of the rope”

This was soon done and the light drawn up

”I say, play fair!” cried Mike, as the lanthorn disappeared; ”don't go and do all the fun yourself”

For answer Vince threw him down the rope, which he had freed from the lanthorn

”Coan to be deeply interested, his curiosity now being excited, seized the rope and began in turn to climb

He was as active as his co often let theain in their search for eggs; so that in another minute he too was in the crack, dimly lit by the lanthorn, which Vince had set lohere the fracture in the rock began to close in towards where it was again solid

”Don't see to keep hi a foot on either side of the rift ”Goes in, though”

”Yes,” said Vince, ”and I was right, for the pigeonsabout: ”nests soes here,” said Vince: ”the top goes up to a point Shall we go on?”

”Of course,” said Mike; and, taking up the lanthorn, Vince began to shuffle hi the narroard place, till, at the end of a dozen yards, in darkness which grew thicker as he went, the great crack turned suddenly right off to the right, and again directly after to the left

”Why, it looks just the sa,” cried Mike

”Does it get any bigger?”

”Doesn't seem to,” was the reply; ”but there's plenty of roo? I'utter I say, think there's ever been water along here?”