Sappers and Miners | Page 8

stay where you
are, or I'll tie yer neck and heels with the rope. Think I want to go back
and say there's two on yer drownded. Stop where yer are."
"But we can't stand without doing something. Oh, Gwyn, Gwyn! How
can I go and tell Mrs Pendarve what's happened?"
"And how can I?" cried the man, angrily. "What d'yer both mean,
coming tempting on me to let yer down. What's the Colonel going to
say to me?"
"Then you do think he's drowned?" cried Joe, piteously.
"Who's to help thinking he is?" said the man, gruffly, and he wiped the
thick perspiration from his brow. "They all did say it was a onlucky
mine, but I wouldn't believe 'em."
"Gwyn! Gwyn! Gwyn!" shouted Joe, as he leaned over the wall and
gazed down, but there were only hollow reverberations in reply.
"It's no good, my lad," said Hardock, bitterly. "Who'd ha' thought of
that rope failing as it did? Good sound rope as it be."
"But you are not going to give up, and do nothing?" cried Joe,
frantically.
"What is us to do then?" said the man, with a groan. "Let me down, I
tell you."
"Nay; it would be too bad, I won't do that."

"Then go down yourself."
"How? Can you hold me, and haul me up? That's madder still. He's
gone, my lad, he's gone; and we can't do nothing to help him."
"Run, run for help. I'll stay here and hold the rope. He may be
insensible and catch hold of it yet."
"Ay, he may," said the man, meaningly; "but folk don't do that sort o'
thing, my lad. Nay; it's o' no use to struggle over it. He's a dead and
goner, and you and me's got to face it."
"Face it!" groaned Joe, letting his head go down on the top of the wall.
"Face it! How can I ever face Mrs Pendarve again?"
"Ah! and how can I face the Colonel, his father. I can't do it, my lad,
Ydoll Churchtown's been a happy enough home for me, and I've allus
made a living in it, but it's all over now. I must be off at once."
"To get help?" cried Joe, raising his ghastly face from where it rested
upon the weathered stone, and looking more ghastly now from the
blood which had started from a slight cut on his brow.
"Nay; I've done all I could do here for young Gwyn--all as a man can
do. I've got to take care o' myself now, and be off somewheres, for the
Colonel'll put it all on to me."
"Go! Run away!" cried Joe. "Oh, you wouldn't be such a coward! Here,
quick! try again.--Gwyn, old chap! The rope--the rope. Oh, do try and
catch hold," he shouted down the pit.
But there was no reply; and wild now with frantic horror, the boy
seized the rope and began to climb over the wall. "Ah! none o' that!"
roared Hardock, grasping his arms; and now there was a desperate
struggle which could only have the one result--the mastery of the boy.
For at last Hardock lifted him from the ground and threw him on his
back amongst the heath, and held him down.

"It's no good to fight, young 'un," he said breathlessly. "You're strong,
but my muscles is hardest. I don't say nought again' you, though yer did
hit me right in the mouth with your fist. I like it, for it shows your pluck,
and that you'd do anything to try and save your mate. Lie still. It's of no
use, yer know. I could hold down a couple of yer. There, steady. Can't
yer see I should be letting yer go to your death, too, my lad, and have
to hear what the Major said as well as the Colonel. Not as I should, for
I should be off; and then it would mean prison, and they'd say I
murdered you both, for there wouldn't be no witness on my trial, but the
rope, and mebbe they'd give me that for my share, and hang me. There,
will yer be quiet if I let yer sit up?"
"Yes, yes," said the boy, with a groan of despair.
"And yer see as I can't do nothing more, and you can't neither."
"I--I don't know, Sam," groaned the boy, as he lay weak and panting on
his back in the purple-blossomed heath. "No, no, I can't see it. I must
do something to try and save him."
"But yer can't, lad," said the man, bitterly. "There arn't nothing to be
done. It's a gashly business; but it wouldn't make no better of it if I let
you chuck yourself away, too. There, now you're getting sensible."
Joe lay with his