Part 54 (1/2)
Aleck toiled up the slope again, reached the top, where the crack should have run in a fresh direction and at a different inclination, and carefully exaan to beat faster and faster fro upon him rapidly For as he ran his hands over the rock in front, which coreat pieces--one which ran right into the angle, where the pathway should have made its turn; a second, which lay between it and the smooth wall at the bend; and another shtly in between the two other stones and the roof, and carrying conviction to Aleck'ssounds he had heard soon after the sht out of his s by his companion, who suddenly exclaimed:
”I say, look here; I'm not a puffin”
”Eh? No, of course not What made you say that?”
”Because you see me perched up on a piece of rock like this Now, then, are you going on?”
Aleck was silent, for he had not the heart to say that which ithin
”Are you going duain”
”It's worse than that,” said Aleck
”Worse? What do youthe lanthorn up high with one hand, and pointing with the other
”Well, I'h stone”
”Neither can I We can go no farther”
”What! You don't mean to say that the roof has fallen in?”
”No; it's worse than that”
”Can't be,” cried thethe fallen stones away Sailor, I'ularly trapped!”
”What! Who by? Oh, nonsense!”
”It's true enough, I'ler would not do as we did We trusted him, but he would not trust us”
”You don't ed to say so I heard hione Look for yourself I can't move one”
”No,” said the midshi+pive the top one a shake ”He has been too clever for us Think we can ht will keep theood to lose, and he has got us safe”
To Aleck's astonishun to whistle a dis hih crack so that he could not slip
”What's to be done?” said Aleck, at last
”Done, eh?” was the reply ”Well, I'm afraid if I had been alone and found this out, I should have lain down, let myself slide to the bottooes, 'Two's coood coo back to the cave We can breathe there The heat here is awful This shows that it doesn't do to be too cocksure of anything
Coood try to rily
”Not a bit of use That brute has wedged them in and jumped upon them