CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.
"WHAT SHALL WE DO?"
I seemed to be standing there some time, but Mr Solomon afterwards toldme it was not a moment, before I looked up, and seeing him returningwith the plumber, ran towards them swiftly, shouting for help.
The two men started running directly, and as we reached the welltogether there was Philip lying upon the ground beside the path, facedownwards, and with his fingers thrust into his ears.
"Now, then," shouted Mr Solomon to the plumber, as Ike came running upstraight across beds, bushes, everything. "Now, then, you said the wellwas safe; go down and fetch him up."
The plumber went upon one knee, seized the top of the ladder, and got upagain shaking his head.
"I can't afford it," he said. "I've a wife and bairns at home."
"I--I daren't go down," groaned Mr Solomon. "Man, man, what shall wedo?"
"It scares me," growled Ike hoarsely; "but I've got no wife and nobairns; and if Master Grant here says, `Go,' I'll go, though," he addedslowly, "it's going down into one's grave."
"Can you see him, Grant?" cried Mr Solomon.
"Yes; down on the wood," I said in a hoarse whisper; "he's lying acrossa beam with his head down. What shall we do?"
As I asked this piteously I raised my head, to see Philip close by mekneeling on the gravel, his eyes half closed, his face of a yellowishgrey, his hands clenched, and his teeth chattering.
No one spoke, and as I looked from one man to the other every face waspale and stony-looking, for the men felt that to go down into thatcarbonic acid gas was to give up life.
I felt horribly frightened, and as if I were sinking somewhere. Iglanced round, and there was the beautiful garden all flowers and fruit,with the glorious sunshine over all. Below me that terrible pit withthe falling whispering water, and a chill seeming to rise out of itsdepths.
As I looked I saw Shock coming towards us at a run, as if he divinedthat something was the matter, and the sight of him made me think of MrBrownsmith's garden and my happy life there, and I gave a low sob as myeyes filled with tears.
I tell you I felt horribly frightened, and all this that has taken solong to describe seemed to pass in a flash--almost as I started fromgazing down the well to my feet.
"Tie the rope round me," I said huskily. "You can pull me up if Ifall."
"Well done, young un!" shouted the plumber, catching up the coil ofrope. "I like pluck, I do."
"You stand aside," cried Ike, snatching the rope from him and giving hima rough thrust with his elbow. "I'll do this here."
He ran the rope rapidly through his hands, and secured one end about mychest.
Then he made a running noose at the other end.
"Look here," he cried. "You take this here noose in your hand, my lad;there's plenty of rope to reach down double. When you gets to him putit over his arm or his leg, or anywhere, and pull it tight. I'll takecare o' you, my boy, and have you up again like a shot."
"Shake hands, Ike," I said, all of a tremble.
"Ay, I will, boy."
"Go, and God help you!" groaned Mr Solomon; and the next instant, withthe noose in my hand and just feeling the rope drag on my chest, Istepped on to the ladder, clasped it as Courtenay had done, and letmyself slide down.
As I went I looked up, and it seemed dark, for there was a ring of headsround the top; but below as I looked it was still darker.
Down, down, with a curious catching of the breath, and a strangesensation of this not being real seizing me. Then I seemed to wake upand find myself where the water was dripping, and the well whispering,and still I slid down till I was on the slimy platform where the foot ofthe ladder rested, but young Dalton was not there, but some ten feetdown, on the next crosspiece of timber.
"Lower me down," I cried, and hanging by the rope I felt myself loweredmore and more, and that I was slowly spinning round; but as I swung toand fro I caught at something I could dimly see, and found it was thegreat slippery pipe that went down into the water, and guided myself bythat.
Only about ten feet; but the distance in that curious state of dreadthat made me feel as if my breath was painful and difficult, seemed tentimes as great. The rope seemed to be compressing the bones of my chesttighter and tighter, and twice over I felt that I was in amongst thefoul air that I believed would kill me before I reached the crosspieceon which the lad hung.
The next minute I was seated astride the slippery piece of oak with thewater about half a dozen feet below me, and I saw that the least touchwould send Courtenay off.
I remembered my lesson though, and, forgetting my dread in theexcitement, I slipped the rope over the hanging arm nearest to me, rightup to the shoulder, and was in the act of drawing it tight, when, as Ibent down, a curious choking sensation seized me, and all was blank.
Ike told me what took place afterwards, for I knew nothing more till Iopened my eyes, and found that I was lying down, and several peoplewhose faces looked misty and confused were about me.
I felt sick, and my head throbbed violently. There was a weight over metoo, and a curious feeling of confusion, in the midst of which a coolhand was laid upon my fore-head, and I heard some one say:
"He's coming round fast."
I lay quite still for some time, and at last I exclaimed:
"What's the matter--is anyone hurt?"
"Lie still, my lad," said a strange voice.
"I know," I cried excitedly. "Did you get him out?"
"Yes, yes, he's all right, and so are you, Grant, my lad," said MrSolomon; and just then the room seemed to be darkened, and I heard Ike'svoice:
"Is he coming to?"
"Yes. He's all right."
Then I felt that I was wrong about some one else, and that it was thataccident with the cart tipping up at Old Brownsmith's, and it was I whowas hurt.
That all passed away like a cloud, and my full senses seemed to comeback.
"Did you get Master Courtenay out?" I said.
"Yes, my lad, he is quite safe," said a quick sharp voice, which itsowner seemed to me trying to make gentle, and turning my head I saw SirFrancis.
I tried to get up, but turned giddy.
"Lie still, my lad," he said kindly. "Don't disturb him, Brownsmith.Good-bye, my lad! I'll see you again."
He shook hands with me and went to the door.
"Well," he said sharply, "are you going to shake hands with the bravefellow who saved your brother's life?"
The next moment I saw young Philip at my side, and he took my hand inhis, which felt cold and damp like the tail of a cod-fish.
"If he seems to change in any way," said the voice I had heard before,"send for me directly; but I think he will be all right in an hour ortwo. I'm going up to the house."
"Who's that?" I said sharply.
"The doctor, my lad," said Mr Solomon.
"But I'm not ill," I said. "What was it? Did I fall into the water?"
"Foul air overcame you, my lad. How do you feel?"
"Yes, how do you feel?" said Mrs Solomon gently, as she took my hand.
"I'm all right," I said, sitting up, and this time I didn't feel giddy."Only something seems to hurt my chest."
"The rope cut you a bit, that's all. It will soon go off."
Through the open door I could see Ike standing watching me attentively,and as soon as he caught my eye he began to jerk his arm in the air asif he were crying "Hooray!"
Just then a head came slowly round the door-post, and I saw Shockstaring in at me; but as soon as he saw that I was looking his head wassnatched back.
"How is he now?" said the plumber, coming to the door.
"Oh, I am quite well," I said, in an irritable tone that was new to me,and I got up; "I'm going out now."
"You're well out of it, my lad," said the plumber. "I knowed a caseonce where five chaps went down one after the other to save him as hadgone first, and they all fell to the bottom and died."
"There, for goodness' sake, man, don'
t talk like that to the lad afterwhat he has gone through," said Mrs Solomon.
"All right, mum," said the plumber; "but as I was going to say, I don'tthink I shall have the heart to go down today, but I'll see how the airis whether or no."
"You're not going out," said Mrs Solomon.
"Yes, please; it will do me good," I said; and the air did seem torefresh me, as I followed them back to the well, where the plumber triedit again by lowering down the lighted candle, to find it burn brightlytill it was down by the cross piece on which young Dalton had lain,after which it went out directly.
He tried it again and again, always with the same result.
"It's got lower and lower," he said. "By to-morrow there won't be muchin. That young gent couldn't have been overcome by the bad air," hecontinued. "It's my belief as he fell out of being frightened, and it'slucky for him that he stopped where he did. If he'd gone a foot lower,that doctor wouldn't have brought him round."
"Well," said Mr Solomon rather impatiently, "what are you going to do?"
"Kiver up the well for to-day, and come on tomorrow."
"But we want water."
"Can't help it; I couldn't go down and work there to-day. My nerves isshook."
"Suppose we put a rope round you."
"Bless your heart, Mr Brownsmith, sir, I couldn't go down if you puttwo ropes round me. I'm just going to lift out this here ladder, andthen p'r'aps your man will help me put on the stone."
Mr Solomon grunted, and I looked on, shivering a little in spite of thehot sunshine as I saw the ladder lifted out and laid down beside thepath by Ike, after which Mr Solomon himself helped to put the stoneback in its place before walking with the plumber towards the gate.
"How was it all, Ike?" I said eagerly.
"Oh, you'd better ask young Shock here."
Shock, who was in a stiff suit of corduroys, looked at him sharply, spunround, and ran off.
"Y'ever see the likes o' him?" said Ike chuckling. "Puts me in mind ofa scared dog, he do, reg'lar."
"But tell me," I said; "how was it? I don't remember."
"Well, it were like this, you see," said Ike. "I were holding the ropetightly and watching of you, and I see you slip on the noose, andtightened it, and then all at once I shouted to the others, `Hook on,' Isays, `it's got him.'
"I was on the watch for it, you see, and ready, and hauled at once.Thank goodness, I am strong in the arm if I ain't in the head. So Ihauled, and they hauled, and so had you both up a few feet directly, oneat each end of the rope, and you two couldn't be civil to each othereven then, but must get quarrelling."
"Quarrelling! Nonsense, Ike! I was insensible, and so was he."
"I don't care; you was quarrelling and got yourselves tangled uptogether, and the rope twissen round and round under one of them bits o'wood as goes acrost."
"Yes, I know," I said excitedly, for the thought made me shudder.
"Well, there you was; and the more you was pulled the tighter you was,just below the bottom of the ladder."
"And what did you do, Ike?"
"Well, I was going down, and was about handing the ropes to OldBrownsmith's brother, when young Shock hops in on to the ladder like awild monkey a'most. Down he goes chattering like anything, and it wasno use to shout to him to have a rope. Afore we knowed it a'most, hewas down and lying flat on his stum. `Lower a bit,' he shouts, and welowered, and he untwisted you two and guided you both clear, and stoppedtill you were both out, when he came out whistling as if nothing was thematter."
"A brave fellow!" I cried warmly.
"That's what I said," cried Ike; "but the plumber said it was because hedidn't know there was any danger."
"Well, Ike, what then?"
"Oh, there's no more to tell, only that Sir Francis come and a doctorwas fetched, and the guv'nor said it would be a warning to them twoboys; and young shaver who went down's up at home getting all right, andyou've got all right, and that's all."
That was not all, for I went down the garden--and found Shock, to thankhim for what he had done, but he only turned his back on me and thenwalked away; while, feeling faint, I turned to go up to the cottage andlie down till the sick sensation had gone off.
I had gone about a dozen yards, when, _thump_! a worm-eaten baking pear,half-grown, hit me on the back, and I did not need telling that it wasthrown by Shock.