the sloping wall of rock.
The next investigation suggested itself as being the edge over whichScarlett had stepped, and for the moment they shrank from that, and madetheir way cautiously back, keeping close to the wall.
"Let's see how far it goes in that direction," whispered Scarlett. "Ifancy that's where the light comes from."
Fred acquiesced, and the little mounds of slate were crossed, and theway followed till they had nearly reached the limit of the line, when,low down before them, they made out a dark, rough-looking edge, blackupon the very pale light which struck into the cave.
"Why, that's the edge of the rough shelf we are standing on," saidScarlett. "Now, let's get close to the line there, and look over."
"Shall we?"
"Yes; why not? I don't feel half so frightened now I've got over thatfall."
"I never felt frightened at all," said Fred.
"Oh?"
"Well, not much. Come along."
They approached cautiously, finding that the shelf grew narrower, andevidently ended in a point.
"Mind!"
"Mind what?"
"I've got to the end of the rope."
"Well, let's leave go, and creep to the edge without it."
"No," said Fred, who felt that the rope was like a hand connecting themwith the upper surface. "Perhaps it has caught somewhere, and wehaven't got it all loose. Wait till I give it a jerk. Here, leave gofor a moment."
Scarlett loosened his hold, and Fred stepped back a foot or two beforesending a wave along the cord, which was followed by a rattling noise,as if a quantity of the shale and earth had been set at liberty, and wasfalling in a shower upon the rocky floor.
"There, I told you so," cried Fred. "I can draw yards and yards in, andyards and--"
He was suiting the action to the word, hauling more and more of the ropetowards him, when there was an end to the rattling sound, and one dullflap.
"What is it, Fred?"
"I--I'm not sure."
"I am," cried Scarlett, in agony. "Why, you've dragged at the rope tillit has come untied."
"I'm afraid so," faltered Fred, in a husky voice.
"And nobody saw us come here," cried Scarlett. "Oh, Fred, Fred, weshall be buried alive!"
CHAPTER SIX.
UNEXPECTED AID.
For a few minutes the two lads were so overcome by the horror of theirposition that they stood there in silence, afraid to move. ThenScarlett recovered himself a little, and said huskily--
"Pull the rope again, and make sure."
"I'm sure enough," said Fred, sulkily. "It's all down here. How couldyou have tied it so badly?"
"I don't know. I thought it was tight. Ah! there it is again."
There was a whizzing, whirring sound heard above the plash and whisperof the water down below, and for a few moments the boys remainedperfectly still.
"Why, I know what that is," cried Fred. "Pigeons. I've often seen themfly into the holes of the rocks. They build in these places, and roosthere of a night."
"Wish I was a pigeon," said Scarlett, sadly. "We shall never be able toclimb up that hole."
"We shall have to try," said Fred, "unless we can find a way down.Here, let's creep to the edge and look."
Scarlett hesitated for the moment, but it was a work, of sternnecessity; and together, using the greatest caution the while, theycrept on hands and knees to the edge of the great shelf, and looked overto see that the light came in from some opening away to the right, to bereflected from the wall of rock opposite, and shed sufficiently strong adawn to let them see fifty feet below them the creamy foaming waterwhich flowed in and then ran back.
"Don't see any way down," said Fred, rather despondently. "This placesticks right out over everything."
"But we can get down by fixing the rope up here, and sliding down."
"I'd forgotten the rope," said Fred, with a deep sigh. "But suppose wedo get down. What then?"
"Why, we can find our way to the mouth of the cave, and look out andshout at the first boat that comes by."
Fred brightened up.
"I say, Scar," he said cheerfully, "what a clever fellow you are! Let'stry at once."
"Hadn't we better try first whether we can climb up the hole?"
The suggestion was so good that it was at once tried, but withouteffect; for a very few minutes' search proved that there was aperpendicular face of rock to scale, and, unless they cut steps withtheir knives, ascent in that way was impossible.
"It's of no use, Scar," said Fred, "unless we can get away by the mouth.I say, is it as dark as it was when we first came down?"
"Our eyes are getting used to it," said Scarlett, as they both stoodgazing across the opening at the black-looking rock-face before them,and, gaining courage from familiarity, they once more approached theedge of the shelf, and felt their way about, seeking vainly for themeans of descent.
"I'm afraid it's of no use, Fred. The only way is for one of us to letthe other down with the rope, and the one who goes down to call forhelp."
"But why not both go down?"
"Because there is nowhere to fasten the rope; and, after it slipped asit did just now, I should not like to venture."
"That was with your tying. You wait till I've found a place."
There did not seem much risk of a fall after Fred's securing of therope, for the simple reason that he was not likely to tie it.Everywhere, as they searched, they found smooth rock without aprojection, or shivering shaley slate, which crumbled down at a touch,and, at last, Fred gave up with a sigh of despair.
"It's of no use," he said. "One of us must go down and try the mouth ofthe cave. I don't want to, but I will go if you'll hold the rope."
"I feel so much afraid of not being strong enough, that I ought to go,and let you."
"Let's have a look, and see if we can make out what it's like first,"said Fred; and, creeping cautiously to the edge, he lay down, and peeredover, Scarlett following his example, and looking into the gloom beneathfrom close by his side.
"Looks very horrible," said Fred; "but I suppose it's because it's sodark. I don't believe it would be anything to mind, if it was so lightwe could see clearly."
"Perhaps not," replied Scarlett, gloomily; "but then, it is dark; andhow 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 watercome in."
"But if we did, the water's deep outside, and we should have to swimround to somewhere and land."
"Seems to me very stupid that we know so little about the shore underthe rocks," said Fred, as he tried to pierce the pale grey light below."Seems a stupid sort of shore, all steep cliff, and nowhere hardly toget 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 nowit's my turn, so here goes. Now then, let's gather the rope into acoil, and throw one end down. Then you sit flat here on the ledge, withyour legs stretched out, hold tight by the rope with both hands, andthen let it hang between your legs and over the edge. It won't be hardto 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 morefuss we make over it, the worse it will be. When you've got to takephysic, down with it at once."
"Yes," said Scarlett, drily, "that's the best way, but the best way isoften the hardest."
Fred had gathered the rope into rings, and was taking a final glancedown 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 camerumbling 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 andover again, and each time that he said so he sighed and rubbed his back,and ended by resting upon the handle