CHAPTER XVIII. BETWEEN EARTH AND SKY.
But no such sound came. Instead they heard something that brought theminstantly to the alert.
"Hey, fellows! Come quick!"
It was Rob's voice, coming up to them over the edge of that dizzy height.
In three bounds, careless of the consequences of a false step, they wereon the parapet of the tower where they had last seen Rob, as he reachedout for the treacherous "flag pole."
"Look, boys! Look! There he is! Hold on, Rob, old fellow. Hold on, forheaven's sake," cried Merritt.
Rob, his feet dug into the rough interstices of the old ruinous wall, wasclinging to a stoutly rooted bush that had broken his fall and given himone second in which to stay his awful plunge into space. But his positioneven now was bad enough.
His face was as white as chalk, and the sweat streamed down it in riversas he gazed up at his comrades above. He was fully thirty feet belowthem, and they had no rope, no means of saving him from his fearfulposition! In the very nature of things his muscles, strong as they were,were bound to give out before long. It was not in flesh and blood toendure such a tension long; and then---- But they dared not think ofthat.
It was a moment for quick action and nimble wits. The shrub to which Robwas clinging appeared to be firmly rooted. In fact, it must have been, tohave withstood the strain of his crashing fall. Then, too, his toes weredriven home into a crack of the wall, relieving to some extent the weightbrought to bear on the shrub. But this could not last indefinitely.
Suddenly Merritt noticed something. Just above the place where Rob clungto the wall, a hundred feet above the waving banana fronds, was anopening. As he saw this a sudden idea struck him. He thought he saw away, a desperate way, it is true, but still a way to rescue Rob from hisperilous position.
"How long can you hold on, Rob?" he called down.
"Not much longer I'm afraid," came back in a voice that could hardly havebeen recognized as Rob's, "can't you get a rope?"
Merritt shook his head. He knew that a search for such an article wouldtake too much precious time.
"No; but you hold on, old chap. Keep up a good heart and we'll get youout of that, never fear."
Turning to his companions he hastily explained his plan. An instant laterthe three Scouts were rushing down the crazy stone staircase headed forthe opening above Rob. As soon as they reached it Merritt peered out. Robwas still there, but he looked up appealingly at his chum. Merritt knewwhat the look meant. Rob couldn't hold on much longer, but dared notwaste breath in speaking.
"Now, then, fellows," spoke Merritt, turning to his chums, "what we'regoing to do is easy enough if you keep cool; but if you get rattled itmay fail."
"We'll keep cool all right, Merritt," Fred assured him, though his breathwas coming fast.
As for Tubby, his countenance did not betray the flicker of a muscle.Merritt knew he could rely on the fat boy, but of Fred's more emotionalnature he had not been quite so sure.
Suddenly his eye caught sight of something that would make his taskeasier. In the wall of the opening was a big, rusty iron staple. What itsformer use had been there was no means of guessing; but Merritt regardedit with delight. It made the daring thing he was about to attempt alittle more certain of success.
"Tubby, you just hook your belt through that staple," he ordered, "andthen hang on to Fred's feet for all you are worth. Fred, you lie downright here,--with your hands just at the edge,--that's right."
The boys obeyed Merritt's orders, but Tubby looked at him withapprehension.
"You'll never do it," he quavered.
"Nonsense, of course I will, if you fellows carry out your part. It'snothing more than wall scaling, only we're doing it the other way round."
When all was ready Tubby was lying flat with his belt hooked through theiron staple. He had fast hold of Fred's ankles, while the latter's handscame just to the edge of the opening. Merritt was to form the last linkin this human chain that was to rescue Rob Blake, if such a thing waspossible.
Merritt had already seen that the bush to which Rob clung was not morethan four feet below the opening. His daring plan was to lowerhimself,--with Fred clinging to his ankles,--till he could reach Rob'shands and help him up to safety.
Without a word Merritt threw himself on his stomach, after taking off hiscoat and hat, and wriggled to the edge. One look at Rob's upturned facetold him that he had no time to lose. Seconds, yes, fractions of seconds,would count now.
"Catch hold, Fred!"
Fred gripped the daring Scout's ankles tightly.
"Now hang on like grim death."
Merritt clenched his teeth and slowly wriggled his way over the edge.Hanging head downward he extended his hands toward the shrub where Robwas clinging.
"Hold on for your lives!" he shouted to those above, and then to Rob:--
"Let go with one hand and grab my right wrist, Rob."
For an instant Rob hesitated. He _dared_ not let go. But again cameMerritt's voice. This time it was sharp and imperative.
"Let go and grab me!"
Rob's grip with his left was relaxed and he seized Merritt's wrist,giving it a jerk that almost pulled his arm out of the socket. For aninstant his heart was in his mouth. If the boys above weren't strongenough to hold them, they would both be dashed downward to the groundthat looked so fearfully far below. But both Tubby and Fred were heavyyouths, and then, too, the belt that was looped through thataccommodating iron staple was an anchor in itself.
There was a slight give and a sag, but the "human chain" held.
"Now the other hand," ordered Merritt, drawing a breath of relief.
Rob obeyed instantly this time. But he was a fairly heavy youth and itwas a good thing that he could take part of the weight off his rescuer'sarms by digging his toes into the cracks of the ruinous tower. Otherwisethis story might have had a different ending.
"Now, Rob, use me as a ladder. Don't look down for heaven's sake, butreach up and grab my belt. Use the cracks in the wall like the rungs of aladder and clamber up."
"Let me rest a minute. I'm winded and dizzy," breathed Rob, whose nervewas badly shaken.
"Not a minute. Go on now!"
Merritt spoke sharply purposely. Rob rallied and did as he was told. Heseized Merritt's belt as the other boy hung head downward, and, digginghis toes into the cracks of the wall, he drew himself up till he could,with his other hand, lay hold of the edge of the opening. After this itwas an easy matter, thanks to the ruinous condition of the wall whichoffered plenty of foothold, to clamber to safety. Reaching it, Rob layback white and panting.
But in a few seconds he was able to help his chums haul the courageousMerritt out of danger.
It was some time before they felt able to leave the ruined tower, such abad shaking up had all their nerves received; but at last a move wasmade. Needless to say, the Scout totems were not flung to the breeze thatday.
"I don't see how we ever did it," exclaimed Fred, as they reached theground and Tubby began taking pictures of the tower while the otherslooked up at the spot where Rob had clung in such dire peril.
"I guess 'being prepared,' having good, healthy muscles and all that hada whole heap to do with it," said Tubby, snapping his shutter; "and nowlet's get a move on and get back to dinner, or second breakfast, as theycall it here. I don't know how you fellows feel, but I'm one achingvoid."