The Lost Middy Part 54

Aleck toiled up the slope again, reached the top, where the crack should have run in a fresh direction and at a different inclination, and carefully examined the place with his light, while his heart began to beat faster and faster from the excitement that was growing upon him rapidly. For as he ran his hands over the rock in front, which completely blocked his way, he noted that there were three great pieces--one which ran right into the angle, where the pathway should have made its turn; a second, which lay between it and the smooth wall at the bend; and another smaller piece, which lay over both, jammed tightly in between the two other stones and the roof, and carrying conviction to Aleck's mind as he now recalled the peculiar grating sounds he had heard soon after the smuggler left them the previous day.

He was brought out of his musings by his companion, who suddenly exclaimed:

"I say, look here; I'm not a puffin."

"Eh? No, of course not. What made you say that?"

"Because you seemed to think I was, keeping me perched up on a piece of rock like this. Now, then, are you going on?"

Aleck was silent, for he had not the heart to say that which was within.

"Are you going dumb? If you've lost your way say so, and let's begin again."

"It's worse than that," said Aleck.

"Worse? What do you mean?"

"Look here," said Aleck, holding the lanthorn up high with one hand, and pointing with the other.

"Well, I'm looking, and I can see nothing but stone--rough stone."

"Neither can I. We can go no farther."

"What! You don't mean to say that the roof has fallen in?"

"No; it's worse than that."

"Can't be," cried the middy.

"Yes, it is, for we could have dug the fallen stones away. Sailor, I'm obliged to say it--we're regularly trapped!"

"What! Who by? Oh, nonsense!"

"It's true enough, I'm afraid. The smuggler would not do as we did. We trusted him, but he would not trust us."

"You don't mean to say he has blocked us in?"

"I'm obliged to say so. I heard him forcing down the stones after he'd gone. Look for yourself. I can't move one."

"No," said the mids.h.i.+pman, quietly, as he reached past Aleck and tried to give the top one a shake. "He has been too clever for us. Think we can move these lumps? No; their own weight will keep them down. That's it, Aleck; the things here are too good to lose, and he has got us safe."

To Aleck's astonishment he had begun to whistle a dismal old air in a minor key after propping himself across the rough crack so that he could not slip.

"What's to be done?" said Aleck, at last.

"Done, eh?" was the reply. "Well, I'm afraid if I had been alone and found this out, I should have lain down, let myself slide to the bottom, and then set to and howled; but the old saying goes, 'Two's company, even if you're going to be hanged,' and you're pretty good company, so let's go back to the cave. We can breathe there. The heat here is awful. This shows that it doesn't do to be too c.o.c.ksure of anything.

Come on down."

"But we must have a thoroughly good try to move the stones," said Aleck, angrily.

"Not a bit of use. That brute has wedged them in and jumped upon them.

Why, we may push and heave till we're black in the face and do no good.

We're fixed up safe."

"And you're going to give up like that?"

"Not I," said the mids.h.i.+pman, calmly. "Show me what I can do, and if it's likely to be any good I'll work as long as you like; but it's of no use to make ourselves more miserable than we are. Come on down."

The young sailor spoke in so commanding a tone that Aleck yielded, and, following his comrade's example, he slid down slope after slope, and finally stood in the great open cavern, breathing in long deep breaths of the fresh soft air.

"Hah! That's better," said the mids.h.i.+pman. "I felt stifled up in that hole. Now I don't bear malice against anybody, but I think I should like to see that smuggling ruffian shut up here for a few days. Look here, Aleck; all he said was pretence--he never meant us to get out again."

"Oh, I don't know," said Aleck, pa.s.sionately. "He might, or he might not. Now, then, what's to be done--try and find some tools, and then get to work to chip those stones to pieces?"

"No, it would only mean try and try in vain."

"Here, what has come to you?" cried Aleck. "You take it all as coolly as if it were of no consequence at all. I don't believe you can understand yet how bad it all is."

"Oh, yes, I can," said the mids.h.i.+pman, coolly; "but I've got no more miserables left in me. I used 'em all up when I was chained up by myself in the dark. I feel now quite jolly compared to what I was."

"Nonsense. You can't grasp what a terrible strait we're in."

"Oh, yes, I can. We're buried alive."

"Well, isn't that horrible?" said Aleck.

"Pretty tidy, but not half so bad as being buried dead. It would be all over then; but as we're buried alive perhaps we shall be able to unbury ourselves."

"You must be half mad," said Aleck, angrily, "or you'd never talk so lightly."

"Lightly? I don't talk lightly. I'm as serious as a judge."

"But what are we to do?"

"Wait a bit and let's think. We can live down here for ever so long; that is, as long as the rations last. Then we shall have to try some other way out."

"Yes; but what way?"

The mids.h.i.+pman pointed towards the dimly-seen submerged arch.

"Can you swim?" he said.

"Of course. Pretty well."

"And dive?"

"Yes."