"I"m afraid so," said Aleck, "and all the outside of the flour mouldy."
"Very likely," said the middy. "But never mind; if the outside"s bad we"ll eat the in."
"Look at the crack over yonder now!" cried Aleck, after a time, during which the only sounds heard were those of two people eating.
"What for?"
"It look"s so light; just as if the sun was shining upon it outside. I must try if I can"t dive down and swim out."
"With a rope round your waist," said the middy, eagerly, "so that if you stuck--"
"You could pull me back," said Aleck.
"And if you got through safely--" cried the middy.
"You would tie the other end round you," said Aleck, "ready for me to haul and help you out in turn."
"Oh! What"s the good of a fellow being grumpy?" cried the middy. "Why, we"re enjoying ourselves. This is one big adventurous game. I"m getting to be glad those women took me prisoner. I don"t believe there ever were two who dropped in for such an adventure as this. But, I say, I don"t think we"ll try the diving trick to-day. We ought to be rested and fresh."
"Yes," replied Aleck, "and we ought to have another good try up the zigzag first."
"Yes, it might be as well. I say, just ring for the people to clear away. I want to have a nap now. What time is it?"
"Oh, I don"t know. Why?"
"Because I want to know what to call it. You see, I don"t know whether I"m going to have a siesta or a genuine snooze."
"Have both," said Aleck, laughing, "and I"ll do the same."
"And it doesn"t matter, does it, for night and day seem to be about the same? Put out that candle, and mind where the tinder-box is."
"Here, you see where it lies," was the reply, and then there was silence, both lying thinking deeply before once more dropping fast asleep, many hours having been taken up by the hard toil and suffering they had gone through.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT.
The next morning, as it seemed from the beautiful limpid appearance of dawn that rose from the surface of the waters, to become diffused in the soft gloom overhead, the lads lit a candle and set off manfully to try as to the possibility of making their way out through the zigzag pa.s.sage, Aleck trying first and dragging and pushing at the stones which blocked his way, till, utterly exhausted and dripping with perspiration, he made way for his comrade to have a try.
The latter toiled hard in turn, and did not desist till he found that his fingers were bleeding and growing painful.
"It"s of no good," he said, gloomily; "that scoundrel has done his work too well. Let"s get down to where we can breathe. I say, though," he added, cheerily, "I"ve learned one thing."
"What?" asked Aleck.
"That I was never cut out for a chimney-sweep. This is bad enough; I don"t know what it would be if there was the soot."
They slid down, and as soon as they were back in the comparatively cheerful cavern, where they could breathe freely, Aleck proposed that they should look out amongst the sails and ships" stores for a suitable rope for their purpose.
There was coil upon coil of rope, but for the most part they were too thick, and it seemed as if they would be reduced to venturing upon their dive untrammelled, when, raising the lanthorn for another glance round, Aleck caught sight of the very piece he required, hanging from a wooden peg driven in between two blocks of stone.
"Looks old and worn," said the middy, pa.s.sing the frayed line through his fingers. "Let"s try it."
The means adopted was to tie one end round a projection of the rocky side, run the line out to its full length, and then drag and jerk it together with all their might.
Satisfied with the effects of this test, the rope was untied, the other end made fast, and the dragging and s.n.a.t.c.hing repeated without the tough fibres of the hemp yielding in the least.
"Looks very old," said the middy, "but wear has only made it soft. If it stands all that tugging with the weight of both of us on the end it will bear one of us being dragged through the water, where one isn"t so heavy. Now, then, are we going to try this way?"
"Certainly," said Aleck.
"Very well; who"s to go first?"
"I will," said Aleck.
"I don"t know about that," replied the middy. "You"re only a sh.o.r.e-going fellow, while I"m a sailor. I think I ought to go first."
"It doesn"t much matter who goes first, but I spoke first and I"ll go."
"Look here," cried the middy; "if I give way and let you have first try, will you play fair?"
"Of course. But what do you mean?"
"You won"t brag and chuck it in my face afterwards that you got us out of the hole?"
"Do you think I should be such a donkey?" cried Aleck. "Why, look here, I"m going to try and chance it, but I don"t believe I shall get through.
Never mind about who"s to be first. Let"s do all we can to make sure of escaping. Now, then, shall we try now, or wait till the water"s at its lowest? It"s going down now."
"If we wait till the tide"s at its lowest it will be slack water, and we shall get no help. It"s running out now, and we can see the shape of the arch."
"Yes, and how rugged and weed-hung it is. I say, I don"t like the look of it. You"d better go first."
"Very well," said the middy, promptly, and he began taking off his jacket.
"Hold hard," cried Aleck, hurriedly stripping off his own. "Come along."
He led the way to the edge of the water where, though not the nearest, the best leap off seemed to present itself, and then stood perfectly still, gazing down into the softly illuminated water, quivering and wreathing as it ran softly out, and looking dim and blurred through being kept so much in motion by the retiring waves.
"Then you still mean to go?" said the middy.
"Of course. But what shall I do--strip, or try in my clothes?"
"Strip, decidedly," cried the middy.
"I shall get scratched and sc.r.a.ped going under the rocks."
"You"ll get caught by them and hung up if you keep your clothes on.
Have "em all off, man; you"ll slip through the water then like a seal."