THE OPENING IN THE CLIFF.
CECIL walked toward the door; Molly was following, when Matilda pulled
her back.
"You shan't leave me," she said, flinging her arms round Molly's knees.
"I won't be left alone in this awful, terrible black storm. You know
how wicked I am, Molly, and that I am not fit to die. You can't--you
shan't leave me! God will never forgive you if you do."
Molly hesitated for a minute; the thought of her vow in the cathedral
came back to her. She longed to fly out after Cecil, but after all,
she could do nothing in the fearful gale, and Matilda--wretched
Matilda--really needed her presence.
"All right; I will stay with you," she said. She dropped down on the
nearest chair and covered her face with her hands.
Meanwhile Cecil, having slipped on her waterproof cloak and tied a hat
on her head, ran out into the gale; the boys had long ago disappeared.
Cecil was a country-bred girl, but she had never been out in such
weather before. Her old waterproof cloak was not very waterproof, after
all, and in the space of a few minutes she was literally wet through.
The rain was running in rivers down the little street, the puddles were
pools, the pools were ponds, the ponds were small lakes.
"If this goes on, there will be a flood," thought Cecil. "How am I to
get to the caves? How am I to save Kate? Oh, what awful lightning! It
must be almost directly over our heads; there is not a second between
the flash and the peal of thunder. Poor Kate, is she alive now? Why did
she go to the cave where the skeletons are? We should have had none
of this terrible trouble but for Matilda. But why did Kate feel it so
much? Is Maurice's life to be sacrificed to Kate? I must find Maurice;
he mustn't go in the lifeboat. No, no, he shan't! What shall I do? How
am I to reach the coastguard station, in the teeth of such wind and
rain as this?"
Cecil struggled on, every nerve strung to the highest tension; every
faculty and force in her body stimulated to its greatest pitch to
enable her to win the day in this terrible battle with the weather.
She was buffeted and knocked about; her hat was torn from her head;
her hair was loosened and flew wildly about her in the gale; she was
so wet, too, that her heavy garments clung to her and impeded her
progress. Suddenly, as she ran, a thought occurred to her. To attempt
to put out to sea in such a gale as this was sheer and utter madness.
Such a storm had not been known on the coast for many years. Cecil in
all her life had never encountered such weather. If Mr. Danvers and
Maurice really persuaded the coastguard people to launch the lifeboat,
they would only cause their own death, and the death of the men who
went with them.
"I must stop them," thought Cecil. "I would do anything that human
being could do to save Kate, but she can't be saved that way. I know
what boys are in a moment of excitement; I know that my boys, at least,
have not a scrap of fear in them. Thank God, they are not cowards! and
I'd give them, yes, I would, if there were any chance of saving Kate,
after all; but to know that there isn't, and then to give them up--oh,
I can't do that! Stay, what have I heard? Is there not some way of
reaching the caves--some way from the top of the cliff? What was that
story Jimmy told us one night about a smuggler who hid treasures in the
cave and hauled up his goods by the cliff? I remember the night quite
well, and Jimmy's face, and how we begged and implored of him to stop
talking rubbish; but perhaps there is something in it, after all. Oh,
if I can only reach the coastguard station before the men have lowered
the lifeboat!"
Cecil battled on desperately and bravely. For some time she obtained
partial shelter by means of a high wall which guarded a certain part
of the road, but to reach the coastguard station she had to cross a
headland. There was not a scrap of shelter here; nothing whatever
to break the fury of the wind, and the lashing, biting power of the
rain. To add to her discomforts, it was turning bitterly cold, too;
the rain was changing into sleet, the great hailstones hit Cecil's
cheeks, lips, and forehead, causing her severe pain. She shut her eyes
for one desperate moment, and almost gave up all hope of reaching her
destination.
Suddenly the welcome sound of a human voice reached her ears.
"You'd best not go on, miss," said the voice; "the storm gets worse.
Don't you venture nigh to the edge of the cliff; it aint safe."
Cecil looked up; a big, burly Jack tar was standing within an inch of
her.
"I'm so glad I've met you," she said. "I _must_ get to the coastguard
station, without a moment's delay."
"Whatever for, miss?" said the man. "I don't believe you can," he
added, "the storm's that fierce."
"I must," said Cecil; "it is a matter of life or death. There is a
young lady drowning in one of the caves down by the sea, and my brother
and another gentleman have gone up to the station to ask your men to
lower the lifeboat."
"Whew!" said the sailor, drawing in his breath and emitting a long
whistle; "those that go out to sea to-day do it with their eyes open.
Why, no boat, lifeboat or not, would live in this gale half a minute,
miss. Is it to help or hinder you want to reach the station? I've not
been there for an hour or two. I say, miss, no lifeboat ought to put
out to sea to-day."
"It is to prevent it--to prevent it," said Cecil. "It is because of my
brother. I can't have him drowned. Oh, be quick! can't you help me to
get to the station? He is so fearless, and----"
"Take my arm, miss," said the sailor.
He turned without a word, pulled Cecil's hand through his arm, and,
turning to face the gale, walked quickly in the direction of the
coastguard station.
Cecil never remembered afterward how the end of that walk was
accomplished. They reached the station just in time to see Mr. Danvers
and Maurice helping two or three sailors to get the lifeboat out of its
shed.
"You can't do it!" said Cecil, rushing down into their midst; "it isn't
safe; it only means that several will be drowned instead of one."
"Then we must drown," said Maurice, with set teeth. "We must take our
chance; it is a desperate thing, I know, but we can't stand here and
do nothing, and let a girl die like a rat in a hole. I am surprised at
you, Cecil!"
"Don't look at me like that, Maurice," said Cecil. "I am desperate--I
don't pretend to be anything else. I'd let you go if there was any use
in it, but there isn't. No boat could live in such a gale."
"You are right there, miss," said one of the coastguard men. "We
couldn't refuse the gentlemen when they were so desperate earnest; but
such a gale hasn't been known on the coast for the last twenty years."
"Come here, Jimmy," said Cecil suddenly. "What was that story you told
us about a smuggler hiding goods in some of the caves?"
Jimmy, whose face was blanched with terror, brightened up considerably
at Cecil's words.
"What a goose I was to forget!" he said. "It is true, isn't it, Evans?"
he added, going up and standing in front of one of the tall coastguard
men.
"What is true, master?"
"That there's an opening at the top of the cliff, which leads right
down into one of the caves--the cave where the skeletons are?"
"Well, I've never seen it, sir, but my grandfather used to speak of it.
It's my belief it's closed up by now."
"Let us try and find it," said Cecil. "There is not a vestige of hope
of saving Kate by the sea. Even if the lifeboat could live in such a
gale, she would be dashed to pieces on the rocks by the caves. Let us
go to the top of the cliff and search for the opening."
"It is a sensible thought," said Mr. Danvers. "I will go, anyhow. I
hate giving up the lifeboat, but I don't believe she would live for a
moment in this storm. The other idea has but a glimmer of a chance, but
we may as well try it. Now, boys, start away. Evans, perhaps you will
come, too, and lend a hand."
"That I will, sir, and so will my mate, Sharp."
"And I too, sir," said a coastguard man of the name of Adams.
The little party was soon under way. They held each other's hands, and
in this manner were able to struggle against the ever-increasing storm.
The coastguard men had provided themselves with coils of rope and some
grappling-irons to fasten into the top of the cliff. The distance from
where they now stood to the cliff over the caves was nearly a mile;
but, after a fierce tussle with wind and weather, they reached the
spot; and then their desperate and forlorn search for the lost opening
began.