Devon Boys | Page 7

one end tied securely to the bar, the other

held by Bigley on the other side, the great heavy fellow hanging on to it,
and the question arose as to whether Bob or I was to make the first
attempt.
I wanted to go, but I felt that if I did, Bob would be affronted, so I gave
way and let him lead, giving him a hoist or two as he seized the rope,
and climbed, and scratched, and kicked, and got up half-way and then
slid down again.
"Here, Big," he shouted, "what's the good of bringing such a stupid
little thin rope? It's no good."
"Can't you get up?" cried Big.
"No, nor anyone else. It's no use. Let's get back."
"No, no; let me try," I cried eagerly.
"Don't I tell you it's of no use," he said angrily. "Here, I'll go again and
show you. Hold on tight, Big."
"Yes, I'm holding," came from deep down in Bigley's chest, and Bob
made another attempt, scrambling up over my back and on to my
shoulders, and ending in his struggles by giving me so severe a kick on
the head that I leaped away, leaving him hanging by his hands, so that
when he relaxed his hold he came down in a sitting position, with so
hard a bump upon the stones that he seemed to bounce up again in a fit
of fury to begin stamping about with rage and pain.
"Oh--oh--oh!" he gasped. "You did that on purpose."
"Oh, I say, you do make me laugh," spluttered out Bigley, who held on
tightly to the rope to keep it strained.
"Yes, I'll make you laugh," cried Bob, flying at him and punching away,
while Bigley held on by the rope, and the more Bob punched the more
he laughed.
"Oh, I say, don't," he panted. "You hurt."

"I mean to hurt," cried Bob. "You and Sep Duncan got that up between
you, and he did it to make you laugh."
"I didn't say you kicked me on the ear on purpose," I grumbled. "Oh, I
say, Bob, your boot-toe is hard."
"Wish it had been ten times harder," he snarled.
"Oh, never mind," said Bigley, "I'm getting tired of holding the rope.
Why don't you climb up? Make haste!"
"I'm going home," grumbled Bob. "If I had known you were two such
fellows I wouldn't have come."
"Here, you get up, Sep," cried Bigley. "I'll stand close up to the rock,
and you can climb up me, and then lay hold of the rope."
"No, no," I whispered; "it would only make Bob savage."
"Never mind; he'll come round again. He won't go--he's only
pretending."
I glanced at our school-fellow, who was slowly shuffling away some
twenty or thirty yards down the slope, and limping as he went as if one
leg was very painful.
"Here, Bob!" I cried, "come and have another try."
He did not turn his head, and I shouted to him again.
"Here, Bob, mate, come and have another try."
He paid no heed; but while I was speaking Bigley placed himself close
to the great rock, reaching up as high as he could, and holding on by
the rope with outstretched arms.
"Now, then, are you ready?" he cried.
The opportunity was too tempting to be resisted, and making a run and

a jump, I sprang upon his broad back, climbed up to his shoulders, got
hold of the rope, and steadied myself as I drew myself into a standing
position, and then reaching up the rope as high as I could, I managed to
get my toes on first one projection, then upon another, and in a few
seconds was right at the top.
Bigley burst into a hoarse cheer, and began to jump about and wave his
cap, with the effect of making Bob stop short and turn, and then come
hurrying back more angry than ever.
"There: you are a pair of sneaks," he cried. "What did you go and do
that for?"
"I helped him," said Bigley. "Hoo--rayah!"
"Yes, and I'll pay you for it," he snarled; but Bigley was too much
excited to notice what he said; and, taking hold of the rope again, he
planted himself against the rock to turn his great body into a ladder.
"Go on up, Bob, and then you two chaps can pull me up to you."
The temptation was too great for Bob, who began to climb directly, and
had nearly reached where I stood, when I bent down and held out my
hand.
"Catch hold, Bob!" I cried, "and I'll help you."
"I can get up by myself, thank you," he cried very haughtily, and he
loosed his hold with one hand to strike mine aside.
It was a foolish