Part 58 (1/2)
”I'm afraid so,” said Aleck, ”and all the outside of the flour mouldy”
”Very likely,” said the middy ”But never mind; if the outside's bad we'll eat the in”
”Look at the crack over yonder now!” cried Aleck, after a ti which the only sounds heard were those of two people eating
”What for?”
”It look's so light; just as if the sun was shi+ning upon it outside I must try if I can't dive down and swim out”
”With a rope round your waist,” said the erly, ”so that if you stuck--”
”You could pull h safely--” cried the middy
”You would tie the other end round you,” said Aleck, ”ready for ood of a fellow being gru ourselves This is one big adventurous galad those women took me prisoner I don't believe there ever were tho dropped in for such an adventure as this But, I say, I don't think we'll try the diving trick to-day We ought to be rested and fresh”
”Yes,” replied Aleck, ”and we ought to have another good try up the zigzag first”
”Yes, itfor the people to clear away I want to have a nap now What time is it?”
”Oh, I don't know Why?”
”Because I want to knohat to call it You see, I don't knohether I'enuine snooze”
”Have both,” said Aleck, laughing, ”and I'll do the saht and day seem to be about the same? Put out that candle, and mind where the tinder-box is”
”Here, you see where it lies,” was the reply, and then there was silence, both lying thinking deeply before oncebeen taken up by the hard toil and suffering they had gone through
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
The next , as it seemed from the beautiful limpid appearance of dawn that rose froloom overhead, the lads lit a candle and set offtheir way out through the zigzag passage, Aleck trying first and dragging and pushi+ng at the stones which blocked his way, till, utterly exhausted and dripping with perspiration, he made way for his comrade to have a try
The latter toiled hard in turn, and did not desist till he found that his fingers were bleeding and growing painful
”It's of no good,” he said, glooet down to where we can breathe I say, though,” he added, cheerily, ”I've learned one thing”
”What?” asked Aleck
”That I was never cut out for a chih; I don't knohat it would be if there was the soot”
They slid down, and as soon as they were back in the comparatively cheerful cavern, where they could breathe freely, Aleck proposed that they should look out ast the sails and shi+ps' stores for a suitable rope for their purpose
There was coil upon coil of rope, but for the most part they were too thick, and it see upon their dive untralance round, Aleck caught sight of the very piece he required, hanging fro driven in between two blocks of stone