The Settlers at Home Part 6

Oliver rose, and did all that Roger bade him.

"You say there is a long rope somewhere about the house," said Roger.

"Where is it?"

"There is one in the cow-shed, I know."

"And if I cannot get there, is there one in the house?"

"In the lumber-room," said Mildred. "The spare bed is tied round and round with a long rope--I don't know how long."

"I wish we had set about it an hour ago," muttered Roger, "instead of waiting for dark. A pretty set of fools we have been to lose the daylight! I say, lad, can you think of anyway of making a fire? Here are sticks enough, if one could set them alight."

"To cook a supper?" asked Mildred.

"No; I mean to sup within doors; only we must do some work first."

Oliver had a steel knife; but it was too dark to look for a flint, if any other plan than a fire would do.

"Well, don't plague any more about a fire," said Roger, "but listen to me. Can you climb a tree? I'll be bound you can't: and now you'll die if you can't."

"I can," said Oliver; "but what is Mildred to do?"

"We'll see that afterwards. Which of these trees stands nearest to the nearest of yon upper windows?"

Oliver and Mildred pointed out a young ash, which now quite bent over the water.

"That is not strong enough," said Roger, shaking the tree, and finding it loosened at the roots. "Show me a stouter one."

A well-grown beech was the next nearest. Roger pulled Oliver by the arm, and made him stand directly under the tree, with his sister beside him. He desired them not to move from where they were, and to give a loud halloo together, or a shriek (or anything that might be heard furthest)--about once in a minute for an hour to come, unless they should hear a rope fall into the tree, or anywhere near them. They were to watch for this rope, and use all their endeavours to catch it. There would be a weight at the end, which would make it easier to catch.

Oliver must tie this rope to the trunk of the tree, stretching it tight, with all his strength, and then tying it so securely that no weight would unfasten it.

"Mind you that," said Roger. "If you don't, you will be drowned, that's all. Do as I tell you, and you'll see what you will see."

Roger then whistled for his dog, s.n.a.t.c.hed Oliver's black ribbon from about his neck, and fastened it round the dog's neck, to hold by. He then showed the dog the house, and forced him into the water, himself following, till the children could no longer see what became of them.

"What do you think he means?" asked poor Mildred, s.h.i.+vering.

"I don't know exactly. He cannot mean that we are to climb over by a rope. I do not think I could do that; and I am sure you could not."

"Oh, no, no! Let us stay here! Stay with me under the trees, here, Oliver."

"Why, it would be much more comfortable to be at home by the fire. You are s.h.i.+vering now, already, as if it was winter: and the night will be very long, with nothing to eat."

"But Roger is gone; and I don't like to be where he is,--he is such a rude boy! How he s.n.a.t.c.hed your ribbon, and pulled you about! And he calls you 'lad,' when he might just as well say 'Oliver.'"

"We must not mind such things now, dear. And we must get home, if he can show us how. Think how glad Ailwin and George will be: and I am sure father would wish it, and mother too. You must not cry now, Mildred; indeed you must not. People must do what they can at such a time as this. Come, help me to shout. Shriek as loud and as long as ever you can."

"I wish I might say my prayers," said Mildred, presently.

"Do, dear. Kneel down here;--n.o.body sees us. Let us ask G.o.d to save father,--and us too, and George and Ailwin, if it pleases Him;--and Roger."

They kneeled down, and Oliver said aloud to G.o.d what was in his heart.

It was a great comfort to them both; for they knew that while no human eye saw them in the starlight, under the tree, G.o.d heard their words, and understood their hearts.

"Now again!" said Oliver, as they stood up.

They raised a cry about once a minute, as nearly as they could guess: and they had given as many as thirty shouts, and began to find it very hard work, before anything happened to show them that it was of any use.

Then something struck the tree over their heads, and pattered down among the leaves, touching Oliver's head at last. He felt about, and caught the end of a rope, without having to climb the tree, to search for it. They set up a shout of a different kind now; for they really were very glad. This shout was answered by a gentle tug at the rope: but Oliver held fast, determined not to let anything pull the precious line out of his hand.

"What have we here?" said he, as he felt a parcel tied to the rope, a little way from the end. He gave it to Mildred to untie and open; which she did with some trouble, wis.h.i.+ng the evening was not so dark.

It was a tinder-box.

"There now!" said Oliver, "we shall soon know what we are about. Do you know where the tree was cut down, the other day?"

"Close by? Yes."

"Well; bring a lapful of chips,--quick; and then any dry sticks you can find. We can get on twice as fast with a light; and then they will see from the house how we manage."

In a few minutes, there was a fire blazing near the tree. The rope must have come straight over from the house, without dipping once into the water; for not only were the flint and steel safe, but the tinder within, and the cloth that the box was done up in, were quite dry.

"Roger is a clever fellow,--that is certain," said Oliver. "Now for fastening the rope. Do you take care that the fire keeps up. Don't spare for chips. Keep a good fire till I have done."

Oliver gave all his strength to pulling the rope tight, and winding it round the trunk of the beech, just above a large k.n.o.b in the stem. It seemed to him that the rope stretched pretty evenly, as far as he could see,--not slanting either up or down; so that the sill of the upper window must be about upon a level with the great k.n.o.b in the beech-trunk. Oliver tied knot upon knot, till no more rope was left to knot. It still hung too slack, if it was meant for a bridge. He did not think he could ever cross the water on a rope that would keep him dangling at every move: but he had pulled it tight with all his force, and he could do no more. When he had tied the last knot, he and Mildred stood in front of the fire, and raised one more great shout, waving their arms--sure now of being seen as well as heard.

"Look! Look!" cried Oliver, "it is moving;--the rope is not so slack!

They are tightening it. How much tighter it is than I could pull it!

That must be Ailwin's strong arm,--together with Roger's."

"But still I never can creep across that way," declared Mildred. "I wish you would not try. Oliver. Do stay with me!"

"I will not leave you, dear: but we do not know what they mean us to do yet. There! Now the rope is shaking! We shall see something. Do you see anything coming? Don't look at the flas.h.i.+ng water. Fix your eye on the rope, with the light upon it. What do you see?"

"I see something like a basket,--like one of our clothes' baskets,-- coming along the line."

It was one of Mrs Linacre's clothes' baskets, which was slung upon the rope; and Roger was in it. He did not stay a minute. He threw to Oliver a line which was fastened to the end of the basket, with which he might pull it over, from the window to the tree, when emptied of Roger.

He was then to put Mildred into the basket, carefully keeping hold of the line, in order to pull it back for himself when his sister should be safely landed. Ailwin held a line fastened to the other end of the basket, with which to pull it the other way.

Oliver was overjoyed. He said he had never seen anything so clever; and he asked Mildred whether she could possibly be afraid of riding over in this safe little carriage. He told her how to help her pa.s.sage by pulling herself along the bridge-rope, as he called it, instead of hindering her progress by clinging to the rope as she sat in the basket.

Taking care not to let go the line for a moment, he again examined the knots of the longer rope, and found they were all fast. In a few minutes he began hauling in his line, and the empty basket came over very easily.

"How shall I get in?" asked Mildred, trembling.

"Here," said Oliver, stooping his back to her. "Climb upon my back.

Now hold by the tree, and stand upon my shoulders. Don't be afraid.

You are light enough. Now, can't you step in?"

Feeling how much depended upon this, the little girl managed it. She tumbled into the basket, took a lesson from Oliver how to help her own pa.s.sage, and earnestly begged him to take care of his line, that nothing might prevent his following her immediately. Then came a great tug, and she felt herself drawn back into the darkness. She did not like it at all. The water roared louder than ever as she hung over it; and the light which was cast upon it from the fire showed how rapidly it was shooting beneath. Then she saw Oliver go, and throw some more chips and twigs on the fire; and she knew by that that he could see her no longer.

She worked as hard as she could, putting her hands one behind the other along the rope: but her hands were weak, and her head was very dizzy.