Part 6 (2/2)

”Now again!” said Oliver, as they stood up.

They raised a cry about once a minute, as nearly as they could guess: and they had given as many as thirty shouts, and began to find it very hard work, before anything happened to show them that it was of any use.

Then something struck the tree over their heads, and pattered down among the leaves, touching Oliver's head at last. He felt about, and caught the end of a rope, without having to climb the tree, to search for it. They set up a shout of a different kind now; for they really were very glad. This shout was answered by a gentle tug at the rope: but Oliver held fast, determined not to let anything pull the precious line out of his hand.

”What have we here?” said he, as he felt a parcel tied to the rope, a little way from the end. He gave it to Mildred to untie and open; which she did with some trouble, wis.h.i.+ng the evening was not so dark.

It was a tinder-box.

”There now!” said Oliver, ”we shall soon know what we are about. Do you know where the tree was cut down, the other day?”

”Close by? Yes.”

”Well; bring a lapful of chips,--quick; and then any dry sticks you can find. We can get on twice as fast with a light; and then they will see from the house how we manage.”

In a few minutes, there was a fire blazing near the tree. The rope must have come straight over from the house, without dipping once into the water; for not only were the flint and steel safe, but the tinder within, and the cloth that the box was done up in, were quite dry.

”Roger is a clever fellow,--that is certain,” said Oliver. ”Now for fastening the rope. Do you take care that the fire keeps up. Don't spare for chips. Keep a good fire till I have done.”

Oliver gave all his strength to pulling the rope tight, and winding it round the trunk of the beech, just above a large k.n.o.b in the stem. It seemed to him that the rope stretched pretty evenly, as far as he could see,--not slanting either up or down; so that the sill of the upper window must be about upon a level with the great k.n.o.b in the beech-trunk. Oliver tied knot upon knot, till no more rope was left to knot. It still hung too slack, if it was meant for a bridge. He did not think he could ever cross the water on a rope that would keep him dangling at every move: but he had pulled it tight with all his force, and he could do no more. When he had tied the last knot, he and Mildred stood in front of the fire, and raised one more great shout, waving their arms--sure now of being seen as well as heard.

”Look! Look!” cried Oliver, ”it is moving;--the rope is not so slack!

They are tightening it. How much tighter it is than I could pull it!

That must be Ailwin's strong arm,--together with Roger's.”

”But still I never can creep across that way,” declared Mildred. ”I wish you would not try. Oliver. Do stay with me!”

”I will not leave you, dear: but we do not know what they mean us to do yet. There! Now the rope is shaking! We shall see something. Do you see anything coming? Don't look at the flas.h.i.+ng water. Fix your eye on the rope, with the light upon it. What do you see?”

”I see something like a basket,--like one of our clothes' baskets,-- coming along the line.”

It was one of Mrs Linacre's clothes' baskets, which was slung upon the rope; and Roger was in it. He did not stay a minute. He threw to Oliver a line which was fastened to the end of the basket, with which he might pull it over, from the window to the tree, when emptied of Roger.

He was then to put Mildred into the basket, carefully keeping hold of the line, in order to pull it back for himself when his sister should be safely landed. Ailwin held a line fastened to the other end of the basket, with which to pull it the other way.

Oliver was overjoyed. He said he had never seen anything so clever; and he asked Mildred whether she could possibly be afraid of riding over in this safe little carriage. He told her how to help her pa.s.sage by pulling herself along the bridge-rope, as he called it, instead of hindering her progress by clinging to the rope as she sat in the basket.

Taking care not to let go the line for a moment, he again examined the knots of the longer rope, and found they were all fast. In a few minutes he began hauling in his line, and the empty basket came over very easily.

”How shall I get in?” asked Mildred, trembling.

”Here,” said Oliver, stooping his back to her. ”Climb upon my back.

Now hold by the tree, and stand upon my shoulders. Don't be afraid.

You are light enough. Now, can't you step in?”

Feeling how much depended upon this, the little girl managed it. She tumbled into the basket, took a lesson from Oliver how to help her own pa.s.sage, and earnestly begged him to take care of his line, that nothing might prevent his following her immediately. Then came a great tug, and she felt herself drawn back into the darkness. She did not like it at all. The water roared louder than ever as she hung over it; and the light which was cast upon it from the fire showed how rapidly it was shooting beneath. Then she saw Oliver go, and throw some more chips and twigs on the fire; and she knew by that that he could see her no longer.

She worked as hard as she could, putting her hands one behind the other along the rope: but her hands were weak, and her head was very dizzy.

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