Part 15 (1/2)

”Yes; why not? I don't feel half so frightened now I've got over that fall.”

”I never felt frightened at all,” said Fred.

”Oh?”

”Well, not much. Come along.”

They approached cautiously, finding that the shelf grew narrower, and evidently ended in a point.

”Mind!”

”Mind what?”

”I've got to the end of the rope.”

”Well, let's leave go, and creep to the edge without it.”

”No,” said Fred, who felt that the rope was like a hand connecting them with the upper surface. ”Perhaps it has caught somewhere, and we haven't got it all loose. Wait till I give it a jerk. Here, leave go for a moment.”

Scarlett loosened his hold, and Fred stepped back a foot or two before sending a wave along the cord, which was followed by a rattling noise, as if a quant.i.ty of the shale and earth had been set at liberty, and was falling in a shower upon the rocky floor.

”There, I told you so,” cried Fred. ”I can draw yards and yards in, and yards and--”

He was suiting the action to the word, hauling more and more of the rope towards him, when there was an end to the rattling sound, and one dull flap.

”What is it, Fred?”

”I--I'm not sure.”

”I am,” cried Scarlett, in agony. ”Why, you've dragged at the rope till it has come untied.”

”I'm afraid so,” faltered Fred, in a husky voice.

”And n.o.body saw us come here,” cried Scarlett. ”Oh, Fred, Fred, we shall be buried alive!”

CHAPTER SIX.

UNEXPECTED AID.

For a few minutes the two lads were so overcome by the horror of their position that they stood there in silence, afraid to move. Then Scarlett recovered himself a little, and said huskily--

”Pull the rope again, and make sure.”

”I'm sure enough,” said Fred, sulkily. ”It's all down here. How could you have tied it so badly?”

”I don't know. I thought it was tight. Ah! there it is again.”

There was a whizzing, whirring sound heard above the plash and whisper of the water down below, and for a few moments the boys remained perfectly still.

”Why, I know what that is,” cried Fred. ”Pigeons. I've often seen them fly into the holes of the rocks. They build in these places, and roost here of a night.”

”Wish I was a pigeon,” said Scarlett, sadly. ”We shall never be able to climb up that hole.”