Part 3 (1/2)

”No, no; let me try,” I cried eagerly.

”Don't I tell you it's of no use,” he said angrily. ”Here, I'll go again and show you. Hold on tight, Big.”

”Yes, I'm holding,” came from deep down in Bigley's chest, and Bob made another attempt, scrambling up over my back and on to my shoulders, and ending in his struggles by giving me so severe a kick on the head that I leaped away, leaving him hanging by his hands, so that when he relaxed his hold he came down in a sitting position, with so hard a b.u.mp upon the stones that he seemed to bounce up again in a fit of fury to begin stamping about with rage and pain.

”Oh--oh--oh!” he gasped. ”You did that on purpose.”

”Oh, I say, you do make me laugh,” spluttered out Bigley, who held on tightly to the rope to keep it strained.

”Yes, I'll make you laugh,” cried Bob, flying at him and punching away, while Bigley held on by the rope, and the more Bob punched the more he laughed.

”Oh, I say, don't,” he panted. ”You hurt.”

”I mean to hurt,” cried Bob. ”You and Sep Duncan got that up between you, and he did it to make you laugh.”

”I didn't say you kicked me on the ear on purpose,” I grumbled. ”Oh, I say, Bob, your boot-toe is hard.”

”Wish it had been ten times harder,” he snarled.

”Oh, never mind,” said Bigley, ”I'm getting tired of holding the rope.

Why don't you climb up? Make haste!”

”I'm going home,” grumbled Bob. ”If I had known you were two such fellows I wouldn't have come.”

”Here, you get up, Sep,” cried Bigley. ”I'll stand close up to the rock, and you can climb up me, and then lay hold of the rope.”

”No, no,” I whispered; ”it would only make Bob savage.”

”Never mind; he'll come round again. He won't go--he's only pretending.”

I glanced at our school-fellow, who was slowly shuffling away some twenty or thirty yards down the slope, and limping as he went as if one leg was very painful.

”Here, Bob!” I cried, ”come and have another try.”

He did not turn his head, and I shouted to him again.

”Here, Bob, mate, come and have another try.”

He paid no heed; but while I was speaking Bigley placed himself close to the great rock, reaching up as high as he could, and holding on by the rope with outstretched arms.

”Now, then, are you ready?” he cried.

The opportunity was too tempting to be resisted, and making a run and a jump, I sprang upon his broad back, climbed up to his shoulders, got hold of the rope, and steadied myself as I drew myself into a standing position, and then reaching up the rope as high as I could, I managed to get my toes on first one projection, then upon another, and in a few seconds was right at the top.

Bigley burst into a hoa.r.s.e cheer, and began to jump about and wave his cap, with the effect of making Bob stop short and turn, and then come hurrying back more angry than ever.

”There: you are a pair of sneaks,” he cried. ”What did you go and do that for?”

”I helped him,” said Bigley. ”Hoo--rayah!”