Chapter 27

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_ CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

"Ugh!" ejaculated the midshipman. "I don't feel half so brave now, and I don't believe I dare go in here in the darkness, set aside make a dive. Where's the tinder-box? For goodness' sake, strike a light and let's have another candle. Oh, you oughtn't to have let that out!"

"Come along," replied Aleck. "I think I can find the way to the place again. Mind how you come; there are so many stones. I say, why is it that one feels so shrinking in the dark and frightened of all sorts of things that we never dream of in the light?"

"I don't know, and don't want to talk about it now. Let's have a light first. I say, we must do something before the candles are all burnt out."

"Mind!" cried Aleck, for his companion caught his foot against one of the pieces of projecting rock against which he had been warned, and but for the throwing out of a friendly hand he would have gone head first into the water.

"Ugh!" he panted, as he clung, trembling now violently. "I wonder how deep the water is just there! How horrible! I say, don't let go of my hand. What are you doing?"

"I'm feeling for the lanthorn."

"What!" cried the midshipman, aghast. "Don't say you've lost that?"

"I wasn't going to," said Aleck, rather gruffly, as he thought that his companion was about the strangest compound of bravery and cowardice he had ever met. "But didn't you hear it go down crash?"

"No, I heard nothing. Here, what's this against my foot?"

Aleck stooped down and found that it was the missing lanthorn.

"It's lucky it did not roll into the water. Now, then, all right. Keep hold of hands, and let's feel our way to where I left the tinder-box. Hold up; don't stumble again."

"I can't help it," said the middy, with his teeth chattering. "It feels as if all the strength had gone out of my legs. Here, Aleck, it's of no use to be a sham; hold on tightly by my hand and help me along. I'm afraid that was all brag about making the dive. I suppose I must be a horrible coward, after all."

"I'm afraid I am too," said Aleck bitterly, as he held the other's hand tightly and tried to progress cautiously in the dark. "I feel horrible, and as if the next step I take will send us both into the water."

"Ugh! Don't say that," whispered the middy, huskily. "I remember what that fellow said about the seals; but it's my belief that a dark piece of water like this must swarm with all kinds of terrible creatures."

"And yet you wanted to dive into it for a swim?"

"Yes, when the candle was alight."

"I didn't feel anything attack us when we bathed," said Aleck, quietly.

"Oh, don't talk about it," said the middy, shuddering. "I bathed then, but I don't feel as if, feeling what I do, I could risk another plunge in."

Aleck felt no disposition whatever to talk about the venture his companion in misfortune had proposed, for he was intent upon getting to the spot where the light-producing implement had been bestowed, and twice over he nearly lost his calmness, for the horrible idea attacked him that he had wandered quite away from the spot in the darkness.

It was an ugly thought, bringing up others of a strangely confusing nature, but at last, just when he was ready to confess to this fresh trouble, he came upon candle and tinder-box, over which his trembling fingers played for some minutes before the welcome spark appeared in the tinder and suffered itself to be blown up into a glow instead of dying out.

Hot and tired, the two lads made for the resting-place, and were thankful to cast themselves down, to lie in silence for close upon an hour before either of them ventured to advert to their position; but at last the midshipman declared that he knew it from the first, and that they were a pair of idiots to trust the word of a smuggler.

"I don't see it," said Aleck, who felt ready to give the man credit for having met with some mishap.

"Well, I do. It was a deeply-laid scheme to trap us--shut us up here and leave us to die while he escaped."

"Nonsense," cried Aleck. "Why, it would be a horrible murder!"

"Yes; horrible--diabolical--shocking."

"I don't believe Eben Megg would be such a wretch," said Aleck, stoutly.

"What, not a smuggler? They're the greatest villains under the sun."

"Are they?" said Aleck, drily.

"Yes, I know that," cried the middy angrily; "but I'll let the brute see. I'll have him hung at the yard-arm for this. He shall find out he made a mistake."

"When we get out," said Aleck, smiling in spite of their trouble, for his companion's peppery way of expressing himself was amusing.

"Yes, when we get out, of course. You don't suppose I'm going to settle myself quietly down here, do you?"

"Of course not," said Aleck; and then an idea occurred to him which made him check his companion just as he was about to burst into a tirade about what he would do.

"I say," cried Aleck, "it must be easy to get out of this if we wait till the time when the boats can come in."

"But do they ever come in?"

"Of course. How else could the smugglers have landed all this stuff?"

"It must be at a spring tide then," said the middy.

"To be sure. When's the next?"

"I don't know," said the middy. "You do, of course?"

"Not I. You're a pretty sort of a sailor not to know when the next spring tide is."

"And you're a pretty sort of a fellow who lives by the shore and don't know. You seem to know nothing."

"Bother the spring tides," said Aleck, testily. "I know there are spring tides, and that sometimes you can walk dry-shod half way down our gully; but I can't tell the times. Tom Bodger would know."

"What, that wooden-legged sailor?"

"Yes."

"Then you'd better go and fetch him here."

"I wish I could," said Aleck, sadly. "What's the good of wishing? Here, I'm hungry. Let's have something to eat."

"No, we mustn't do that," said Aleck. "We had better eat as little as we can so as to make the food last as long as possible."

"No, we hadn't," replied the middy, roughly. "We may just as well eat while we can. There's plenty to keep us alive; but if we can't get out we shan't be able to live all the same."

"Why?"

The middy was silent for a few moments before he could master himself sufficiently, the horror that he as a sailor foresaw not having been grasped by his shore-going companion.

"You haven't been to sea?" he said, at last, in quite a different tone.

"Only about in my boat."

"In sight of land, when you could put ashore at any time."

"Yes; but what do you mean?"

"I mean, the first thing a sailor, thinks about is his supply of fresh water."

"To be sure," said Aleck. "I always take a little keg from our spring when I go for a long day's fishing."

"Pity you didn't bring it here," said the middy, dismally.

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"I want to know what we're going to do for water as soon as those bottles are empty?"

It was Aleck's turn to be silent now, and in turn he was some moments before he spoke.

"I never thought of that," he said, and he felt as if a cold chill was running through him, to give place to a hot feverish sensation, accompanied by thirst.

Then he recovered his boyish elasticity.

"Here," he cried, "never say die! I'm not going to give up like this. Look here; we've got a spring at home where the water trickles out of a crack in the rock and flows down into a great stone tank like a well. It only comes in drops, but it's always dropping, and so we have enough for our wants."

"Pity you didn't bring your tank here," said the middy. "What's the good of telling me that?"

"Because the cliff all along here for miles has places where the water trickles out, and I shouldn't be a bit surprised if we were to find that the smugglers have something in the shape of a tank here in this place. They must have wanted water here, and they would be sure to have saved any that trickled in."

"Then you'd better find it," said the middy.

"Come along, then; let's search. This place is very big."

"You can if you like. I've had such a dose this morning, just when I felt I was going to get out, that I'm going to lie down and try to forget it."

"What! Go to sleep?" cried Aleck.

"Yes."

"That you're not. You're going to help me search the cavern."

"I'm not."

"You are," cried Aleck, firmly.

"Look here; do you want to make it a fight?"

"No, and you don't either. Come on; we'll light another candle and stick it upon a piece of stone or slate. Then we'll have a good hunt."

"Oh, very well," said the middy, rising. "Come on, then; but I'm sure we're only going to tire ourselves for nothing."

"Never mind, it will keep us from thinking."

There was no difficulty in picking up a flat piece of slate, and then a fresh candle was cut free from the bunch, its end melted, and stuck on to the stone, and then the lads looked at one another.

"Look here," said the middy; "I wish I wasn't such an awful beast."

Aleck laughed.

"You don't look one," he said.

"No, but I feel one. Fellows in trouble ought to be like brothers, and I keep on having fits of the grumps. Here, I mean to work with you now."

"I know you do," said Aleck, frankly, "but it's enough to make anyone feel savage."

"Now, then, where are we going to look for water?"

"Right up at the narrowest end of the cave."

"Why?"

"Because what there is always seems to make for the sea."

"That's right," said the middy; and, taking the lead, he began to pick his way along by the side of the canal-like pool, whose clear waters reflected the lights as if it were a river.

"Water's higher now," said Aleck.

"Yes, and it looks good enough to drink; but it's salter than the sea, I suppose. I say!"

"Well?" said Aleck.

"This place gets narrower. It seems to me that if the roof fell in it would make another of those caves you have all along this coast. I shouldn't wonder if in time all the top of this comes in and opens the mouth so that the waves can rush in and wash it bigger and bigger."

"Very likely," said Aleck. "Look here!"

He held down the candle to show that they had come to the end of the deep water, which was continued farther in by a series of pools, which were probably only joined into one lane of water at very high tides.

The middy said something of the kind, and then pointed out, as they progressed slowly, that the pools grew smaller and smaller till they came to an end, where the cavern had grown very narrow and seemed to be closing in, and where a huge mass of stone blocked the way.

"How are we to go now? Climb right over that big lump? I don't believe there's room to crawl between that and the roof."

"I say," replied Aleck, excitedly, "it's wet right up."

"All the worse for our clothes," was the reply; "but is it any use to go any farther?"

Aleck's answer took the shape of action, for he sank upon his knees, set the piece of slate which formed his candlestick upon the rock floor, and going down upon his chest reached out and scooped up some of the water of the pool in his palm and raised it to his lips.

"Don't swallow it," said his companion; "it will only make you horribly thirsty."

"No," cried Aleck, exultantly, "it's all right--fresh and sweet. Look here; you can see how there's water trickling very slowly down."

"So there is," cried the middy. "You were all right about that."

"Yes," said Aleck, "and I believe we shall find ships' stores enough amongst those barrels to last us for months."

"Let's see!" said the middy. "Oh! this is getting too jolly," he added. "Let's open some of the boxes too. Why, the next thing will be that I shall be finding a new uniform all ready for putting on, but--oh, dear!" he added, dolefully.

"Well, of all the fellows," cried Aleck. "Here have we just found out that things aren't half so bad as they seemed, and now you're breaking out again. What is the matter now?"

"I was thinking about the uniform, been lying here perhaps for months; it's sure to be too damp to put on."

"Bah!" cried Aleck. "Dip it right into the big pool and make it salt. It won't hurt you then."

"Right," shouted the middy. "Now, then, what next? I believe if we keep on we shall find a fresh way out."

"Like enough. Let's try."

They tried, but tried in vain. The middy held the light, and Aleck climbed up the wet face of the huge mass which blocked the way, and then began to crawl on beneath the roof.

"How do you get on?"

"Splendid. It goes upward, and I could almost stand."

"How are you getting on?" said the middy, after listening to the scrambling noise made by the climber.

"Middling. Just room to crawl now." Five minutes later the middy shouted again:

"Look here; hadn't I better come up now?"

"Yes, if you like."

"Is there plenty of room?"

"No."

"Then what's the use of my coming?"

"Only to keep me company. Better still, come and give a pull at my heels."

"Pull at your heels?"

"Yes, it's like a chimney laid on its side, and I'm quite stuck fast."

"Oh!" cried the middy; and then, "All right, I'm coming."

"No, no, don't!" came to him in smothered tones, as he began to climb; "I've got room again. Coming back."

There was a good deal of shuffling and scraping, and then Aleck's feet came into the light over the top of the block. The next minute he was on his feet beside his companion, hot, panting, and with the front of his clothes wet.

"There's a tiny stream comes trickling in there," he said, brushing himself down softly; "but there isn't room for a rat to get any further than I did. My word, it was tight! I felt as if the water had made me swell out, and it didn't seem as if I was going to get back."

"Phew!" whistled the middy. "We should have been worse off then. I say, Aleck, you'd have had to starve for a few days to get thin, and then I could have pulled you out. Here, I say, though, old fellow, I'm not going on the grump any more; things might be worse, eh?"

"Ever so much," said Aleck, cheerfully. "Let's have a good drink now, and then go and examine some of those barrels. If one of them turns out salt beef or pork we'll go back and finish our stores, for we shall be all right for provisions."

"Without counting the fish I mean to catch. I'm sure there'll be some come in with the tide."

"Very foolish of them if they do," said Aleck, wiping his mouth after lying down to take a long deep draught, in which action he was imitated by his companion. "Now, then, I want to be satisfied about flour and meat."

Within half an hour he was satisfied, for a little examination proved to the prisoners that some unfortunate vessel had gone to pieces outside and its stores had been run in by the smugglers.

"Yes," said the middy, as they returned to their resting-place, to begin making a hearty meal, "things do look a bit more rosy, but you mustn't be too chuff over it. I'll bet sixpence, if you like, that the tackle in those tubs is as salt as brine."

"I'm afraid so," said Aleck, "and all the outside of the flour mouldy."

"Very likely," said the middy. "But never mind; if the outside's bad we'll eat the in."

"Look at the crack over yonder now!" cried Aleck, after a time, during which the only sounds heard were those of two people eating.

"What for?"

"It look's so light; just as if the sun was shining upon it outside. I must try if I can't dive down and swim out."

"With a rope round your waist," said the middy, eagerly, "so that if you stuck--"

"You could pull me back," said Aleck.

"And if you got through safely--" cried the middy.

"You would tie the other end round you," said Aleck, "ready for me to haul and help you out in turn."

"Oh! What's the good of a fellow being grumpy?" cried the middy. "Why, we're enjoying ourselves. This is one big adventurous game. I'm getting to be glad those women took me prisoner. I don't believe there ever were two who dropped in for such an adventure as this. But, I say, I don't think we'll try the diving trick to-day. We ought to be rested and fresh."

"Yes," replied Aleck, "and we ought to have another good try up the zigzag first."

"Yes, it might be as well. I say, just ring for the people to clear away. I want to have a nap now. What time is it?"

"Oh, I don't know. Why?"

"Because I want to know what to call it. You see, I don't know whether I'm going to have a siesta or a genuine snooze."

"Have both," said Aleck, laughing, "and I'll do the same."

"And it doesn't matter, does it, for night and day seem to be about the same? Put out that candle, and mind where the tinder-box is."

"Here, you see where it lies," was the reply, and then there was silence, both lying thinking deeply before once more dropping fast asleep, many hours having been taken up by the hard toil and suffering they had gone through. _

Read next: Chapter 28

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