The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1939-02-16
CHAPTER X-Continued
Q Dornford Yatss
-2l-

m not quite ready. tell you
when to begin" I called up to Eliza
beth.
With that, pulled the screw-driv-
er out of the crack in the wall and
splashed my way to beneath the lad
der of dogs. And there, with a
frightful effort, scratched away the
filthy jacket of slime, in search Of
another interstice between the
stones. / had not the strength to
reach as high as I wished, and for
two or three desperate moments I
could not discover a joint; but at
last my trembling fingers encoun-
tered the ghost Of a crack and l
managed to put up the blade and to
push it little way in.
I hardly hoped that it would hold
me, but I could do no more: and
I sank down and let the steel take
my weight.
When I had rested moment, I
was able to push it further into the
crack.
Are you ready, my darling?"
Eyes. I'm ready" I said, and
hoped for the best.
AS will have been guessed, my
primitive plan was this-to drive the
tire-levers between the stones of the
well and so climb up by them to the
foot of the ladder above.
watched my lady's stocking pass
out of the light of the lamps, with
the levers iingling within it to tell
me how far they had come, and
three or four seconds later, guided
them into the pocket adjoining the
breast of my coat. As I felt for
the head Of the stocking, to cast it
loose, I found that it had been tied
TO piece of flexible wire.
At once I lifted my voice.
That's enough. How much cord
have you left?"
About eight feet, my darling"
''What is it made of, Elizabeth"
1.-TWO pieces of cord, the strap
and some flexible wire. The last
was in the tooI-box, on an inspec-
tion-Iamp."
I could have cried out for Joy.
Flexible wire will bear a consider
able weight.
Again I addressed my lady.
81 want you to move the car: so
that one of its wheels is directly In
line with the ladder-say, five feet
away from the well. Before you do
this, hitch the cord round a statue,
so that it doesn't fall"
VERY we'll"
Whilst she was doing my bidding,
] Unfastened the end of the ''fiex"
Then with a shaking hand I got it
about my body, under my arms. As
made it fast, I heard Elizabeth's
voice.
''Yes, Richard? The car is there"
''Take your end of the cord and
thread it between the spokes and so
round the tire. Then, very slowly,
draw It as tight as you can. When
you hear me shout, make it fast by
taking two or three turns"
Very we'll
A moment later the "fex'' be-
gan to move.
! dared not ask too much of so
frail rope, and directly it took the
strain, called to my lady to stop;
but though it could not have borne
me, it held me up and, what was
thousand times better, it freed my
hands. Before she was back at the
head Of that cursed well, had ham,
mered one of the levers into the
wall.
Now ! was not out of the wood by
a very long way, but knew that the
lever would bear the whole of nv
weight: and this meant that, if
could manage to plant my other lev
ers as rungs, could emerge from
the water which threatened me.
After working the matter out,
called upon my lady to loosen the
cord
Somehow I planted lever be-
meath the water-line.
Since had but three, this seemed
q terrible waste, but I simply had
not the strength to drag myself clear
of the water without some support
below. And when the business was
done and the slack of the cord taken
up, it was all I could do to reach
the first lever drove. And there
] hung, like man cast up on some
shore, who knows what still lies be-
fore him If he is to save his life
and doubts that he has the strength
to get to his feet and stagger land
ward cut of the reach of the waves.
For I had to set one of my feet on
the lever below, and, when it was
there, had to haul myself up-a
terribly difficult movement, at any
time.
Stand at the foot Of a ladder of
seven rungs-of which all are miss
ing, except the second and fourth.
Then take hold of the second and
mount the fourth And / was
not standing, and I was very tired.
Of course, the trouble was this
that my levers were much too close.
And yet / could not plant them far
Their apart: for without some foot
hold could not work higher up, and
IN my exhausted condition could
not work lower down.
It was very near thing.
! never could have done it, with
out Elizabeth's help: for she han
died the cord with such skill, al
ways just taking the strain, but new
er taking my weight, that depend
ed upon her from first to last. When
after a frightful CONFUSION I got a
foot on to the lever, to hang, bent
Ho,7bIa balf ~ ,nd b.IS oY,T Of The
flood: when the water chung to my
body, as though reluctant to let go
its lawful prey; when I made my
last desperate effort to heave myself
clear Of its clutches and, keeping
my foot on the lever, to straighten
INV knee r-tan I 1rr,s LIZ, and ur,s