"Forward!" cried Captain Roby loudly.
"Forward!" said a wonderfully exact echo from the pit, and the cavern
chamber seemed to burst into strange, echoing repetitions of the
confused trampling and rushing and thundering of feet, as, with the
dancing lanterns, the men sprang forward to render help.
"He's down here," cried Lennox in excitement. "Silence, all of you!"
Captain Roby looked annoyed at the way in which his subaltern officer
seemed to take the lead; but he said nothing then, only stood frowning,
while in the midst of a breathless silence Lennox leaned over the
dangerous-looking place and hailed again.
"Corporal! Are you down there?"
There was no response, and once more he hailed.
"Corporal May!"
This time there was a piteous moan.
"Oh! there's no doubt about it," cried Lennox. "Tie a lantern to the
rope and lower it down. Let's see where he is."
"Thank you, Mr Lennox," said Roby coldly. "I will give the necessary
orders."
"I beg pardon, sir," said Lennox, drawing back; but as he glanced aside
he saw that the sergeant was busy with the end of the rope, fastening it
to the handle of one of the lanterns, and the man who had slipped it off
his shoulder was rapidly uncoiling the ring.
"Anybody got a flask?" said Dickenson. "We might send him down a
reviver with the light."
But there was no reply, flasks being rarities at Groenfontein, and such
as there were did not contain a drop. By this time the lantern was
ready, and Sergeant James glanced at the captain, who signed to him to
lower away.
Directly after, the descending lantern was lighting up the sides of the
gulf, which were not six feet apart; but how far the great crack-like
place extended they could not see, the light penetrating but a little
distance, and then all was black darkness, out of which, from far below,
there came up the murmuring, gurgling rush of the running water.
As for the lantern, as soon as it was lowered down it ceased swinging,
coming with a sharp tap against smooth rock which went downward in a
pretty regular slope, but so steep that the lantern lay upon its side
and glided down as fast as the men could pay out the rope.
"I sha'n't have length enough, I'm afraid, sir," said the sergeant, who
leaned over the edge.
"Then why didn't you bring more?" cried the captain angrily.
The sergeant was silent, and _grate! grate! grate_! the lantern went on
down over the rock face, which sparkled with moisture, for an
exceedingly thin sheet of water glistened and went on wearing it down as
it probably had from the time the great kopje cavern was formed.
But still there was no sign of the missing man--nothing but glistening
rock, and beyond that darkness.
"How much more rope have you?" said the sergeant in a whisper.
"'Bout a dozen feet," said the man who was passing it to him from
behind.
"Swing the lantern to and fro," cried the captain sharply.
"It won't swing, sir," replied the sergeant. "If I try, it will only
roll over on to its face."
"Never mind; you haven't tried. Now swing it," cried Roby.
"Bottom," cried the sergeant, for the lantern stopped short, and down
beneath it there was a flash and a quivering reflection, showing that it
was close to the flowing water.
"What is it resting on?" said Lennox eagerly, for he had forgotten the
snub he had received and was all eagerness to help. "I didn't hear it
click on rock."
"Just what I was thinking, sir," replied the sergeant, lifting the
suspended lantern again and letting it descend once more.
"I wish to goodness, Mr Lennox, that you would not keep on
interfering," cried Captain Roby angrily.--"Now, sergeant, what do you
make out?"
"Rests on something soft, sir. No; it's hit against something hard.
Why, it's metal--a buckle."
"I know," cried Lennox, forgetting himself again. "You've lowered it
right down on to the poor fellow, and he's above the water."
"Mr--" began the captain angrily, but his words were drowned in the
hearty cheer given by the men.--"Silence!" cried Captain Roby, and
leaning over, he shouted down the horrible-looking pit.--"Unfasten the
rope from the lantern," he said, "and tie it tightly round your breast.
Don't be frightened now: we'll soon have you out."
There was no response.
"Tut, tut, tut!" went the captain again. "Some one will have to go
down. Who'll volunteer?"
"I will, sir," cried Lennox excitedly, before any one else could answer.
The captain was silent for a few moments, and then, in a way that seemed
to suggest that he had been trying to find some objection to giving his
consent, "Very well, Mr Lennox," he said.--"Here, sergeant, haul up the
light again."
This was rapidly done, the lantern set free, and the rope tied securely
just beneath the young man's arms.
"How will you have the lantern, sir?" said the sergeant.
"I will see to that, James," said the captain. "Unfasten your belt, Mr
Lennox, and pass it through the ring of the lantern so that it can hang
to your waist and leave your hands free."
"Just as if we didn't know!" said the sergeant to himself as he helped
in this arrangement.
"Sure the knot will not slip, sergeant?" said Lennox.
"Oh, it won't come undone, sir. If it moves at all, it will be to get
tighter."
"That is what I meant. I want to breathe."
"Less talking there," said the captain. "Recollect that a man's life is
in danger. If you feel any compunction about going, Mr Lennox, make
way for one of the men."
"Ready, sir, and waiting for your orders," said Lennox quietly.
"Very well. Now then, lower away."
The sergeant took a firm hold of the rope, and whispered "Trust me,
sir," to the explorer, who nodded and looked calmly enough in the
sergeant's eyes, and gave way as he felt himself lifted off the stones
upon which he stood and gently lowered down till he was half-hanging,
half-sitting, against the sloping side of the rock. Then a few feet of
the rope glided through the sergeant's hands, and Lennox stiffened
himself out, to hang rigidly, feeling his back rest against the wet
rock, over which he began to glide slowly, and then faster and faster as
he was let down hand over hand, seeing nothing but the black darkness
lit up like a quaint halo in front of him, and going down what he felt
to be a terrible depth. He fought hard against one horrible thought
which would trouble him: should he ever be pulled up again? And no
sooner had he mastered this than another gruesome idea forced itself as
it were out of the darkness in front, the words to his excited
imagination seeming to be luminous: suppose the rope should break!
It is wonderful how much thought will compress itself into a minute. It
was so here, these ideas repeating themselves again and again before the
young man's feet touched something soft and yielding, and upon his
stretching his legs wide he felt slippery rock.
"Hold on!" he shouted, and there was what sounded like a mocking chorus
of "On--on--on--on!" beginning loudly and distinctly, and going right
away into a faint whisper.
Turning himself a little on one side, Lennox bent outward so that the
light of the lantern flashed from a narrow stream of water which, from
the bubbles and foam, he could see was rushing towards him, to pass down
under the ledge of rock upon which one foot rested; but now he was able
to see what he wanted, and that was the missing corporal hanging face
upward, but with head and neck over the edge of a block of stone which
had checked his rapid slide down into the gulf, while the next moment
the light showed that the poor fellow's legs were also hanging downward,
the ledge being exceedingly narrow.
"Well?" cried Captain Roby. "Found him?"
"Yes, sir. Seems to be quite insensible. I can get my arms round him
and hold him if you can haul us up. Will the rope bear us both?"
"No!" came in a roar from up above, every man, in his excitement,
negativing the proposal.
"Silence, men!" cried the captain angrily. Then he shouted down, "It
would be too risky. Here, I'll have the rope slackened, and you can
untie it and make it fast round May's chest. I'll have him hauled up,
and send the rope down again for you.--Slacken away, my lads."
The pressure on the rope ceased for a moment as it was slackened, and
then it tightened with a jerk, and there was a loud, echoing splash as
Lennox was plunged into rushing water to the waist, the sensation being
as if he had been suddenly seized and was being dragged under into some
great hole.
"Hold hard!" he roared, and the echoes seized upon the last
word--"Hard--hard--hard!"--running right away again till it was a
whisper.
"Why, what are you about?" cried Roby.
"Trying to save the light," panted Lennox. "There is no room to stand
on the ledge with the poor fellow. Haul up a little more. My face is
on a level with him now. Haul! haul! The water seems to suck me down.
Ha!" he gasped; "that's better," and he wrenched himself round, catching
at a piece of slippery rock that was against his waist, and looking for
foothold, for a few moments in vain, till he saw a way out of his
difficulty.
"How are you getting on?" cried the captain excitedly.
"I'm obliged to kneel right on the poor fellow," said Lennox; "there's
so little room. He's alive--I can feel his heart beating. Keep the
rope tight for a few minutes."
"Tight it is, sir," shouted Sergeant James.
"Look here, Lennox," cried Roby hoarsely; "can you unfasten the rope and
tie it to the corporal? We can see nothing from up here."
"That's what I'm trying to find out, sir," replied Lennox.--"Yes, I
think so."
"Think! You must be sure," cried Dickenson, whose voice sounded husky
and strange. "Look here, I'm going to slide down to you."
"Silence!" roared the captain. "You will do nothing of the kind.--Look
here, Lennox."
"I'm all attention, sir."
"If you can't do as I say I must send for another rope."
"No, no, it would be horrible to leave the poor fellow; he'd slip off
the rock."
"Then you must stay with him."
"Very well, sir," said Lennox after a short pause.
"Ha! I think I can do it now I've found room to kneel."
"Bravo!" shouted Dickenson.
"Will you be silent, Mr Dickenson?" cried the captain.--"Now, Lennox,
what are you doing?"
"Trying to get this knot undone, sir; it's so tight." At the end of a
minute he cried, "I can't move the knot. I'm going to pass it over my
head, and then make a noose and slip it round the corporal."
"Can you do that?"
"Yes, sir, I think so. Now slacken away all you can, but keep a tight
hold in case I have to snatch at it again."
"Oh yes, they'll keep a tight hold.--Do you hear, Sergeant James?"
"Oh yes, sir, I hear," growled the sergeant, whose face glistened with
the perspiration that streamed down from the gathering-place--his brow.
"How are you getting on?" cried the captain.
"Don't talk to me, please," panted Lennox. "I'm doing my best." There
was a pause, and then, "I've got it off, and I'm going to pass it over
his neck and shoulders now. It will compress his chest, but I can't
help it."
"Don't study that; only get it fast. Ready?" continued the captain
after another pause.
"Not quite yet. It is hard to get the loop over. I have to bend down
to reach with one hand, and hold on with the other."
"Go on," said the captain.
A strange rustling sound came up, and then it seemed as if the rope was
being flapped against the rock.
"Can't you do it?" shouted the captain.
"Not yet. I'm obliged to rest a minute."
"Oh dear! oh dear me!" panted Captain Roby in a tone of voice that
seemed to suggest other words which indicated his idea that the young
subaltern was very awkward.
"Got it at last!" came up. "I think so. Yes, I have him tight--right
past his arms; he can't slip. Now, haul!"
"Haul!" echoed Captain Roby. "Quick!"
But Sergeant James knew better than that. The rope had to pass through
his cautious hands, and he raised it gently.
"All right, sir?" he asked.
"Yes; haul," cried Lennox. "You have him now. Right; you're lifting
him right off. I'll hold on to the rock. Be sharp, for it's a very
awkward--"
The young subaltern's words were cut short at that moment by a most
horrible, unearthly-sounding yell; for the tightening of the rope about
the unfortunate corporal, and the steady strain as he was lifted from
where he had lain so long, had the effect of arousing his dormant
energies. Not realising that he was being helped, he had no sooner
uttered his cry of horror than, as if suddenly galvanised into life, he
began to struggle violently, tearing, kicking, and catching at something
to hold on to for dear life.
Unfortunately, and consequent upon the slow way in which the rope was
being drawn up, the first thing his right hand came in contact with was
one of Lennox's arms, round which his fingers fastened as if they were
of steel. The next moment his right hand was joined by his left and he
clung desperately, dragging the young officer from the slippery edge of
rock, and before Lennox could raise a hand to help himself and hold on
in turn, and cling desperately in the hope that after all perhaps the
rope might bear them both, the corporal's spasmodic clasp ended as
quickly as it came. Those at the top felt the strain on the rope less,
and those who were gazing down unoccupied saw the light suddenly
extinguished, heard a terrible, echoing splash, followed by suckings and
whisperings that seemed as if they would have no end.
For Lennox did not rise again, the rush of water bearing him rapidly
down into the very bowels of the cavernous mass of rock.