Sappers and Miners Part 84

"No, my lad, I'll do that," said a familiar voice. "There's room to pa.s.s here. Think you can go on crawling up now?"

"Yes--yes, I'm all right. Did I faint?"

"I suppose so, sir. Wait a moment." There was a moment's pause, and then Gwyn heard the words bellowed out, "All clear! Got to them!

Coming now."

There was a murmur at a distance, and then Vores spoke again,--

"I'm coming by you now. Are the others strong enough to crawl?"

"Yes," said Gwyn, faintly, for his heart was beating strangely now just when he felt that he ought to be at his strongest and best.

"You, there, Ydoll?" came loudly.

"Yes; all right," cried Gwyn. "Where's Sam Hardock?"

"Crawling up after me," came more loudly.

"Then I must go back," said Vores. "P'raps I'd better lead, Mr Gwyn."

"Yes, yes, go on, and we'll follow," said Gwyn, more faintly; and he felt the man pa.s.s him again, there being just room.

"Must go very slowly," said Vores, "because there's no room to turn for another fifty yards or so. Going backward takes time. Now, then, come on, all on you."

Once more Gwyn's dizzy feeling came back, but he struggled on, conscious that his rescuer's face was close to his--so close that at times their hands touched. Then, after what seemed to be a long nightmare journey, the man's words sounded clearer on his ears.

"It's wider here. Goes zigzagging along with one or two close nips, and then we're out to the crack in the cliff."

Gwyn did not reply. He felt that if he spoke his words would be wild and incoherent, and that all his strength was required to crawl along this terrible crevice in the rock. He was conscious of a hand touching his foot from time to time, and of hearing voices, and of pa.s.sing over loose, small pieces of shattered rock which might have resulted from the explosion.

At last, after what seemed to be a terrible distance, a voice said, "Out of the way, dog," and directly after a cold wet nose touched his brow, and there was a snuffing sound at his ear, followed by a joyous barking.

Then gradually all grew more dense and dark in his brain, and the next thing he remembered was being touched by hands, and feeling the contraction of a rope about his chest followed by a burst of cheering which seemed to take place far away down in the mine; for the roaring and whistling of the wind had ceased, so that he could hear distinctly that hurrahing; and then he heard nothing, for, strong in spirit while the danger lasted, that energy was all used now, and of what took place Gwyn Pendarve knew no more.

CHAPTER FIFTY ONE.

IN THE LIGHT.

"Yes, what is it? Who's there?"

"Oh, Gwyn, my boy, my boy!" came piteously; and two soft arms raised him from his pillow to hold him to a throbbing breast, while pa.s.sionate lips pressed warm kisses on his face.

"Mother! You! What's the matter? Ah, I remember. You there, father?

Where's Joe? Where's poor old Sam Hardock?"

"Joe Jollivet's in the next room, sleeping soundly; Sam Hardock's at Harry Vores' cottage getting right fast."

"And Tom Dina.s.s? Where is he?" cried Gwyn.

"Dina.s.s? Great heavens! Is he somewhere in the mine?"

"No," said Gwyn, frowning. "I only want to know where he is."

"Never mind about him," said the Colonel.

Gwyn nodded his head and became very thoughtful.

"There, you had better lie in bed to-day, and the effects of your terrible experience will pa.s.s off. We have suffered agonies since the alarm was given."

"Did the lads all escape?"

"Every man," said the Colonel; "but some of the last up were nearly drowned, for the water had risen to their necks at the foot of the shaft when they reached the man-engine."

"Grip came and told you where we were?" said Gwyn, after a pause.

"Yes, and led us to the opening up which he had come."

"Where was it, father?"

"In the face of the cliff--a mile away."

"What, overlooking the sea?"

"Yes, my boy, and the air was rus.h.i.+ng out of it with tremendous force.

It was a mere crack, and took a long time to open sufficiently for a man to pa.s.s in. But there, don't talk about it. We have pa.s.sed through as terrible an experience as you, and it has nearly killed the Major."

Gwyn pa.s.sed the greater part of the next twenty-four hours in sleep, and then woke up, and was very little the worse. He rose and went to Joe, who s.n.a.t.c.hed at his hand, and then nearly broke down; but, mastering his emotion, he too insisted upon getting up; and soon after the two lads went on to the Major's, where the old officer was lying back in an easy-chair.

"Hah!" he cried, as he grasped the boys' hands; "now I shall be able to get better. This has nearly killed me, Joe, my boy; but I've been coming round ever since they found you."

"Tell us how it all was, father," said Joe, as he sat holding the Major's hand in his. "Colonel Pendarve always put me off when I asked him, and told me to wait."

"I'm ready to do the same, my boy, for it has been very horrible. But, thank heaven, only one life has been lost!"

"Has one man been drowned?" cried Gwyn, excitedly. "I thought everyone was saved."

"One man is missing, Gwyn--that man Dina.s.s. They say he was hanging about the mine that day, and he has not been seen since, and I'm afraid he went down unnoticed. Oh, dear; I wish we had not engaged in this wild scheme; but it is too late to repent, and the poor fellow will never be found."

"Not when the mine is pumped out again, father?" said Joe.

"Pumped out? That will never be, my boy. The water must have broken into one of the workings which ran beneath the sea, and unless the breach could be found and stopped it would be impossible."

"Don't leave me for very long," said the Major, after they had sat with him some time; "but go for a bit--it will do you good."

The two lads went straight away to the mine, where the engineer was busy cleaning portions of the machinery, but ready enough to leave off and talk to them.

"Want to get my engines in good order, sir, so that they'll sell well, for they'll never be wanted again. Nay, sir, that mine'll never be pumped out any more. Sea's broke in somewhere beyond low-water mark.

It's all over now."