Part 46 (1/2)

”Winnie!” he exclaimed in a tone that quite alarmed her; ”I--I--” He hesitated. The solemn embargo of his father recurred to him.

”What is it! Is there danger?” exclaimed the poor girl, clasping his hand tighter and drawing nearer to him.

This was too much! Nigel felt himself to be contemptible. He was taking unfair advantage of her.

”Winnie,” he began again, in a voice of forced calmness, ”there is no danger whatever. I'm an a.s.s--a dolt--that's all! The fact is, I made my father a sort of half promise that I would not ask your opinion on a certain subject until--until I found out exactly what you thought about it. Now the thing is ridiculous--impossible--for how can I know your opinion on any subject until I have asked you?”

”Quite true,” returned Winnie simply, ”so you better ask me.”

”Ha! _ha_!” laughed Nigel, in a sort of desperate amus.e.m.e.nt, ”I--I--Yes, I _will_ ask you, Winnie! But first I must explain----”

”Hallo! Nigel!” came at that moment from the other side of the obstruction, ”are you there--all right?”

”Yes, yes--I'm here--_not_ all right exactly, but I'll be all right _some day_, you may depend upon that!” shouted the youth, in a tone of indignant exasperation.

”What said you?” asked Van der Kemp, putting his head through the hole.

”Hi! I's a-comin', look out, dar!” hallooed Moses in the opposite direction.

”Just so,” said Nigel, resuming his quiet tone and demeanour, ”we'll be all right when the light comes. Here, give us your hand, Van der Kemp.”

The hermit accepted the proffered aid and leaped down amongst his friends just as Moses arrived with the lantern.

”It's of no use going further,” he said. ”The pa.s.sage is completely blocked up--so we must go round to where the mountain has been split off and try to clamber up. There will be daylight enough yet if we are quick. Come.”

CHAPTER x.x.xII.

THE LAST.

Descending to the boat they rowed round to the face of the great cliff which had been so suddenly laid bare when the Peak of Rakata was cleft from its summit to its foundations in the sea. It was a wonderful sight--a magnificent section, affording a marvellous view of the internal mechanism of a volcano.

But there was no time to spend in contemplation of this extraordinary sight, for evening approached and the hermit's purpose had to be accomplished.

High up near the top of the mighty cliff could be seen a small hole in the rock, which was all that remained of the observatory.

”It will be impossible, I fear, to reach that spot,” said Nigel; ”there does not appear to be foothold for a goat.”

”I will reach it,” said the hermit in a low voice, as he scanned the precipice carefully.

”So will I,” said the negro.

”No, Moses, I go alone. You will remain in the boat and watch. If I fall, you can pick me up.”

”Pick you up!” echoed Moses. ”If you tumbles a t'ousand feet into de water how much t'ink you will be lef to pick up?”

It was useless to attempt to dissuade Van der Kemp. Being well aware of this, they all held their peace while he landed on a spur of the riven cliff.

The first part of the ascent was easy enough, the ground having been irregularly broken, so that the climber disappeared behind ma.s.ses of rock at times, while he kept as much as possible to the western edge of the mountain where the cleavage had occurred; but as he ascended he was forced to come out upon narrow ledges that had been left here and there on the face of the cliff, where he seemed, to those who were watching far below, like a mere black spot on the face of a gigantic wall. Still upward he went, slowly but steadily, till he reached a spot nearly level with the observatory. Here he had to go out on the sheer precipice, where his footholds were invisible from below.