Sappers and Miners | Page 7

still; and Joe and the mining captain, who had been
absolutely paralysed for the time being, stood gazing wildly in each
other's face.
That, too, was almost momentary, and, with a despairing cry, Joe
Jollivet dashed at the low wall and began to climb over it, dislodging
one of the stones, which fell inward, and then plunged down into the pit
just as Hardock seized the boy by the waist to drag him back.
"What are you going to do?" roared the man, and the splash and roar
of the fallen stone also came rushing out of the mouth.
"Do?" cried Joe, hysterically; "try and save him."
"But you can't do it that way, boy," panted the man, whose voice
sounded as if he had been running till he was breathless.
"I must--I must!" cried Joe, struggling to get free. "Oh, Gwyn, Gwyn,
Gwyn!"
"Hold still, will you?" bawled Hardock. "Chucking yourself down won't
save him."

"Then let me down by the rope."
"Nay; it's parted once, and you'd be drowned too."
"I don't care! I don't care!" cried Joe, wildly. "I must go down to him.
Let go, will you?" and he struggled fiercely to get free.
But the man's strength was double his, and he tore the boy from the
wall, threw him down on his back, and placed a foot on his breast to
hold him as he rapidly ran out the rest of the rope, till only about a
yard remained, and then he released him.
"Now, you keep quiet," he growled. "You're mad--that's what you are!"
Joe rose to his feet, awed by the man's manner, and grasping now the
fact that he was about to take the only steps that seemed available to
save his companion.
For Hardock hurried to the other side of the opening, where the wall
had been built close to the edge, and there was no space between, so
that he could, in leaning over the wall, gaze straight down the shaft.
And then he began jerking the rope; and as he did so they could faintly
hear indications of its touching the water far below.
"D'yer hear, there?" he shouted. "Lay holt o' the rope. Can't you see
it?"
As he spoke, he jerked the stout line and sent a wave along it, making it
splash in the water far below; but the faint, whispering and smacking
sounds were all the answer, and Joe burst out with a piteous cry,--
"He's drowned! he's drowned! Or he's holding on somewhere waiting
for me to go down and save him. Pull up the rope, quick! No; fasten it,
and I'll slide down."
"Nay, nay; you keep quiet," growled the man, whose face was now of a
sickly pallor. "How'm I to hear what he says, if you keep on making
that row?"

"What--he says?" faltered Joe. "Then you can hear him shout?"
"You be quiet. Ahoy! Below there! Ketch holt o' the rope. None o' your
games to frighten us. I know. Now, then, ketch holt and make it fast
round yer."
Joe stood there with his face ghastly, and his eyes starting, as, with his
hands behind his ears, he strained to catch the faintest sound which
came up as through a great whispering tube; but all he could hear was
the splashing of the rope, and a deep low musical dripping sound of
falling water.
"D'yer hear there!" roared Hardock, now savagely. "It arn't right of
yer, youngster. Shout something to let's know where yer are."
"He's dead--he's dead!" wailed Joe. "Let me go down and try and get
him out."
"Will you be quiet!" roared the man, fiercely. "D'yer want to stop me
when I'm trying to save him?"
"No, no, I want to help."
"Then be quiet. You only muddles me, and stops me from thinking
what's best to do. Below there! Pendarve, ahoy! Ketch holt o' the rope,
I tell yer!"
But he called in vain--there was no reply; and though he agitated the
rope again and again, there was no other sound.
"There, now, let me go down. I must--I will go down, Sam."
"There's a good two hundred feet on it, and it's gone right down into
the water," growled the man thoughtfully. "It's him playing tricks with
us, arn't it?"
"Playing tricks! Who's mad now?" cried Joe. "Will you pull up that
rope?"

For answer the man jerked it again and again, then pulled up a few
fathoms, and let them drop again with a splash.
"Now, then, do you hear that?" he cried. "If yer don't ketch holt we'll
haul it all up, and leave yer."
"Oh, Sam, Sam, Sam," cried Joe, "let me go down. Do you hear me? If
you don't, I'll jump."
"Will you be quiet?" roared the man, fiercely. "You just