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Fire Island, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 24. An Interesting Failure |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR. AN INTERESTING FAILURE One of the rifts was crossed in the dim twilight, another was avoided by making a circuit, and another by walking along its edge till it narrowed sufficiently for them to spring across, and after one of these bold leaps, Smith, who bore the ladder, said to Wriggs,-- "Feel 'sposed to take to a noo line o' life, messmate, if we ever gets back home?" "Dunno. What sort?" growled Wriggs. "Hacerybat and tumbler by appointment to her Majesty." "What d'yer mean, Tommy?" "Why, arter this practice we can do anything: balancing on poles, crawling desprit places on ladders, hanging from ropes, and standing over nothing with yer eyes shut. Feel a tug, Billy, when we jumped that last bit?" "Tug? No. I on'y felt as if I was a bit a' iron, and there was a big loadstone down in the hole, trying to pull me in." "Well, that's what I meant--a tug." "Bah! there's only one kind o' tug--a steam tug, and there's none here for a man to feel." "What, aren't there a tug-o'-war?" "Not here, messmet. But I say, I don't stomach this here darkness. It's like being at work in the hold. Mind!" "All right, I see it coming, mate," said Smith, as a great lump of cinder fell close to him. "Didn't touch me." "Miss is as good as a mile, mate, eh? But don't it seem as if someone up above was heaving these stones at us because we are not wanted here." "Come along, my lads!" cried Oliver, halting for them to hasten up. "Take my gun, Smith, and I'll carry the ladder for a bit." "Not me, sir, begging your pardon. This here ladder's about the awkwardest and heaviest ladder as ever was for his size." "Then let me rest you." "No, sir. I've got used to it now. You couldn't carry it. Could he, Billy?" "Not much, lad. We're all right, sir. You go on and show us the way. If you manage, we can." "Better let me rest you, my lad." "Thank-ye, no, sir, Billy and me lays it down in the dust now and then, and sits on the edge for a rest. We're doing pretty comfortable, and only wants to get down to the tent to tea." "All right, then." The darkness increased for a while, and they came dangerously near being struck by stones several times over, but escaped as if by a miracle. Then just as they were approaching one of the worst of the gaps, the cloud of smoke and ashes floated gradually away, they obtained a glimpse of the bright blue sky and were able to cross the crevice in safety, though conscious all the while that a great body of suffocating vapour was now rising from the depths below. The rest of the descent to the great rift was made in the bright afternoon sunshine, every nerve being strained to get that passed before darkness fell, and as Wriggs, who came last this time, reached the edge where the others were hauling in the line they all set up a hearty cheer, and gathering up the rope, set off as if refreshed, for the dangers of the ascent were at an end. "An hour will do it," cried Oliver. "Then a warm bath, a good meal, a night's rest, and we shall be all right." "But we did not get to the top," said Panton. "Well, what of that? We've found out that we are upon an island, and we have left something else to do another day, for we must get to the edge of the crater before we've done." "And now what next?" said Drew, as they tramped on down the soft ash bed, after carefully mapping out their course to the hot-spring camp. "Food and rest." "No, no, I mean about our proceedings." "Let Mr Rimmer construct a boat if he likes. It will keep him busy, and take I daresay a couple of years. During that time we can collect a cargo of specimens, and thank our stars that we have fallen in such good quarters." In spite of marking down the trees and rocks where the hot springs lay, the natural darkness of night made their task by no means easy. Objects looked so different, and after they had reached the end of the ash slope, the inequalities of the surface were so great that they lost their way several times over, and at last it was decided to lie down and rest under the shelter of a huge tree, when Smith suddenly exclaimed,-- "Why, this here's where I got some of the firewood last night." "Nonsense," said Panton pettishly. "It was somewheres here as I broke a big branch off, one as was dead." "If it were, you would find the stump," said Panton. "Course I should, sir, and here it is," growled the man. "What!" shouted Oliver. "Then the tent must be close by." "Round at the back of a big mask o' rock, sir, as is the hardest and sharpest I ever broke my shins again. It ought to be just about where Billy Wriggs is a-lighting of his pipe." "Want me, matey?" "Yes. Look if there's a lot o' rock behind you." "Ay, I am a-leaning again it." "There you are, sir! I'll go on and light the fire and set the kettle to boil," said Smith, and ten minutes after there was a ruddy blaze lighting up the rocks and trees; a good tea meal followed, and forgetting all perils and dangers, the little party lay down to rest and enjoy the sound sleep that comes to the truly tired out. _ |
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