"Perhaps not," replied Scarlett, gloomily; "but then, it is dark; and how dreadful the water sounds as it rushes into the mouth of the cave!"
"Oh, it always does; but there's nothing to mind."
"But suppose one of us did get down and found the mouth?"
"Well, we must find the mouth, because that's where the light and water come in."
"But if we did, the water's deep outside, and we should have to swim round to somewhere and land."
"Seems to me very stupid that we know so little about the sh.o.r.e under the rocks," said Fred, as he tried to pierce the pale grey light below.
"Seems a stupid sort of sh.o.r.e, all steep cliff, and nowhere hardly to get down. Well, what shall we do? Will you go down, or shall I?"
"I'd rather trust to your holding the rope than mine."
"That's just how I feel," cried Fred. "But you went down first, and now it's my turn, so here goes. Now then, let's gather the rope into a coil, and throw one end down. Then you sit flat here on the ledge, with your legs stretched out, hold tight by the rope with both hands, and then let it hang between your legs and over the edge. It won't be hard to hold."
"I'll try," said Scarlett, nervously; "but I hardly like doing it."
"And I don't like going down, but it has got to be done, and the more fuss we make over it, the worse it will be. When you've got to take physic, down with it at once."
"Yes," said Scarlett, drily, "that's the best way, but the best way is often the hardest."
Fred had gathered the rope into rings, and was taking a final glance down at what seemed to be an uglier descent the more it was inspected, and but for very shame he would have given up. He set his teeth, though, and handed one end of the rope to his companion.
"Catch hold--tight," he said in a low voice. "If you let that go we're done. Now then--one, two--"
He did not say three, for at that moment a gruff, husky voice came rumbling and echoing down toward them with the cheery hail of--
"Anybody at home?"
"Now, I wonder what them boys are going to do," said Samson, over and over again, and each time that he said so he sighed and rubbed his back, and ended by resting upon the handle of his spade.
"No good, I'm sure," he muttered. "Yes," he added, after a thoughtful pause, "that's it--going to let one another down over the cliffs so as to break their necks; and if they do, a nice mess I shall be in, for the colonel 'll say it was all my fault for letting them have the rope."
Samson turned over a couple of spadefuls of earth, and then drove the tool in with a fierce stab, leaving it sticking up in the ground.
"Here, I can't go on digging and knowing all the time as them lads is breaking their necks over the cliff side. Never was in such a muddle as this before. Why didn't they say what they were going to do?"
"Here, this must be stopped--this must be stopped!" he cried, with a display of energy such as he had not before shown that day; and, s.n.a.t.c.hing up his jacket, he started off in the direction taken by the lads, he having had no difficulty in seeing that their aim was the ma.s.s of slaty rock, rounded and covered with short green turf, known as the Rill Head, up which he climbed just in time to shout down the gra.s.sy crevice the words which sent joy into the boys' hearts.
"Hurrah! There's help!" cried Scarlett, starting up.
"Mind! you nearly knocked me over."
"I could not help it, Fred. Here, hi!"
"Anybody at home? Where are you?"
"Why, it's old Samson," cried Fred, groping his way to where he believed the bottom of the crack by which they had descended to be. "Hi!
Samson!"
"Hullo!" came back. "Where are you? What are you doing?"
Fred hastily explained their plight.
"Serve you both right," cried Samson; and his voice, as it rumbled down the hole into the cavern, sounded, as Scarlett thought, like the voice of a giant. "Well, what are you going to do? Live there?"
"No; you must help us out."
"Help you out?"
"Yes. How did you know we were here?"
"How did I know you were there, indeed!" growled Samson, with aggravating repet.i.tion of the other's words. "Why, I knowed you'd be in some mischief as soon as I saw you both go by with that rope."
"But you didn't see us come down here."
"No; but I see your clothes lying aside the hole. What did you want here? Somebody's sheep tumbled down again?"
"Hear that?" whispered Fred. "No, Samson; but don't stand there talking. Did you bring a rope?"
"How could I bring the rope, when you'd got it?"
"Go and fetch another."
"There isn't one that'll bear you. Can't you throw up the end of that one?"
"Impossible! You must fetch another."
"And who's to do my gardening while I'm hunting all over Coombeland for ropes as n.o.body won't lend?"
"Look here, Samson," cried Scarlett. "Go up to the Hall, and ask Nat to lend you one of ours."
"Go up and ask my brother Nat to lend me a rope?"
"Yes."
"I'd sooner go and jump off the cliff. There!"
"Well, you must do something, and pray make haste."
"What am I to do?"
"I know," cried Fred. "Go and get your garden line."
"Why, that wouldn't bear a cat, let alone a boy like you."
"You do as I tell you, and bring a big round stone, too, one that you can tie to one end of the line. Be quick."