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Brownsmith's Boy: A Romance in a Garden, a novel by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 26. "What Shall We Do?" |
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_ CHAPTER TWENTY SIX. "WHAT SHALL WE DO?" I seemed to be standing there some time, but Mr Solomon afterwards told me it was not a moment, before I looked up, and seeing him returning with the plumber, ran towards them swiftly, shouting for help. The two men started running directly, and as we reached the well together there was Philip lying upon the ground beside the path, face downwards, and with his fingers thrust into his ears. "Now, then," shouted Mr Solomon to the plumber, as Ike came running up straight across beds, bushes, everything. "Now, then, you said the well was safe; go down and fetch him up." The plumber went upon one knee, seized the top of the ladder, and got up again shaking his head. "I can't afford it," he said. "I've a wife and bairns at home." "I--I daren't go down," groaned Mr Solomon. "Man, man, what shall we do?" "It scares me," growled Ike hoarsely; "but I've got no wife and no bairns; and if Master Grant here says, 'Go,' I'll go, though," he added slowly, "it's going down into one's grave." "Can you see him, Grant?" cried Mr Solomon. "Yes; down on the wood," I said in a hoarse whisper; "he's lying across a beam with his head down. What shall we do?" As I asked this piteously I raised my head, to see Philip close by me kneeling on the gravel, his eyes half closed, his face of a yellowish grey, his hands clenched, and his teeth chattering. No one spoke, and as I looked from one man to the other every face was pale and stony-looking, for the men felt that to go down into that carbonic acid gas was to give up life. I felt horribly frightened, and as if I were sinking somewhere. I glanced round, and there was the beautiful garden all flowers and fruit, with the glorious sunshine over all. Below me that terrible pit with the falling whispering water, and a chill seeming to rise out of its depths. As I looked I saw Shock coming towards us at a run, as if he divined that something was the matter, and the sight of him made me think of Mr Brownsmith's garden and my happy life there, and I gave a low sob as my eyes filled with tears. I tell you I felt horribly frightened, and all this that has taken so long to describe seemed to pass in a flash--almost as I started from gazing down the well to my feet. "Tie the rope round me," I said huskily. "You can pull me up if I fall." "Well done, young un!" shouted the plumber, catching up the coil of rope. "I like pluck, I do." "You stand aside," cried Ike, snatching the rope from him and giving him a rough thrust with his elbow. "I'll do this here." He ran the rope rapidly through his hands, and secured one end about my chest. Then he made a running noose at the other end. "Look here," he cried. "You take this here noose in your hand, my lad; there's plenty of rope to reach down double. When you gets to him put it over his arm or his leg, or anywhere, and pull it tight. I'll take care o' you, my boy, and have you up again like a shot." "Shake hands, Ike," I said, all of a tremble. "Ay, I will, boy." "Go, and God help you!" groaned Mr Solomon; and the next instant, with the noose in my hand and just feeling the rope drag on my chest, I stepped on to the ladder, clasped it as Courtenay had done, and let myself slide down. As I went I looked up, and it seemed dark, for there was a ring of heads round the top; but below as I looked it was still darker. Down, down, with a curious catching of the breath, and a strange sensation of this not being real seizing me. Then I seemed to wake up and find myself where the water was dripping, and the well whispering, and still I slid down till I was on the slimy platform where the foot of the ladder rested, but young Dalton was not there, but some ten feet down, on the next crosspiece of timber. "Lower me down," I cried, and hanging by the rope I felt myself lowered more and more, and that I was slowly spinning round; but as I swung to and fro I caught at something I could dimly see, and found it was the great slippery pipe that went down into the water, and guided myself by that. Only about ten feet; but the distance in that curious state of dread that made me feel as if my breath was painful and difficult, seemed ten times as great. The rope seemed to be compressing the bones of my chest tighter and tighter, and twice over I felt that I was in amongst the foul air that I believed would kill me before I reached the crosspiece on which the lad hung. The next minute I was seated astride the slippery piece of oak with the water about half a dozen feet below me, and I saw that the least touch would send Courtenay off. I remembered my lesson though, and, forgetting my dread in the excitement, I slipped the rope over the hanging arm nearest to me, right up to the shoulder, and was in the act of drawing it tight, when, as I bent down, a curious choking sensation seized me, and all was blank. Ike told me what took place afterwards, for I knew nothing more till I opened my eyes, and found that I was lying down, and several people whose faces looked misty and confused were about me. I felt sick, and my head throbbed violently. There was a weight over me too, and a curious feeling of confusion, in the midst of which a cool hand was laid upon my fore-head, and I heard some one say: "He's coming round fast." I lay quite still for some time, and at last I exclaimed: "What's the matter--is anyone hurt?" "Lie still, my lad," said a strange voice. "I know," I cried excitedly. "Did you get him out?" "Yes, yes, he's all right, and so are you, Grant, my lad," said Mr Solomon; and just then the room seemed to be darkened, and I heard Ike's voice: "Is he coming to?" "Yes. He's all right." Then I felt that I was wrong about some one else, and that it was that accident with the cart tipping up at Old Brownsmith's, and it was I who was hurt. That all passed away like a cloud, and my full senses seemed to come back. "Did you get Master Courtenay out?" I said. "Yes, my lad, he is quite safe," said a quick sharp voice, which its owner seemed to me trying to make gentle, and turning my head I saw Sir Francis. I tried to get up, but turned giddy. "Lie still, my lad," he said kindly. "Don't disturb him, Brownsmith. Good-bye, my lad! I'll see you again." He shook hands with me and went to the door. "Well," he said sharply, "are you going to shake hands with the brave fellow who saved your brother's life?" The next moment I saw young Philip at my side, and he took my hand in his, which felt cold and damp like the tail of a cod-fish. "If he seems to change in any way," said the voice I had heard before, "send for me directly; but I think he will be all right in an hour or two. I'm going up to the house." "Who's that?" I said sharply. "The doctor, my lad," said Mr Solomon. "But I'm not ill," I said. "What was it? Did I fall into the water?" "Foul air overcame you, my lad. How do you feel?" "Yes, how do you feel?" said Mrs Solomon gently, as she took my hand. "I'm all right," I said, sitting up, and this time I didn't feel giddy. "Only something seems to hurt my chest." "The rope cut you a bit, that's all. It will soon go off." Through the open door I could see Ike standing watching me attentively, and as soon as he caught my eye he began to jerk his arm in the air as if he were crying "Hooray!" Just then a head came slowly round the door-post, and I saw Shock staring in at me; but as soon as he saw that I was looking his head was snatched back. "How is he now?" said the plumber, coming to the door. "Oh, I am quite well," I said, in an irritable tone that was new to me, and I got up; "I'm going out now." "You're well out of it, my lad," said the plumber. "I knowed a case once where five chaps went down one after the other to save him as had gone first, and they all fell to the bottom and died." "There, for goodness' sake, man, don't talk like that to the lad after what he has gone through," said Mrs Solomon. "All right, mum," said the plumber; "but as I was going to say, I don't think I shall have the heart to go down today, but I'll see how the air is whether or no." "You're not going out," said Mrs Solomon. "Yes, please; it will do me good," I said; and the air did seem to refresh me, as I followed them back to the well, where the plumber tried it again by lowering down the lighted candle, to find it burn brightly till it was down by the cross piece on which young Dalton had lain, after which it went out directly. He tried it again and again, always with the same result. "It's got lower and lower," he said. "By to-morrow there won't be much in. That young gent couldn't have been overcome by the bad air," he continued. "It's my belief as he fell out of being frightened, and it's lucky for him that he stopped where he did. If he'd gone a foot lower, that doctor wouldn't have brought him round." "Well," said Mr Solomon rather impatiently, "what are you going to do?" "Kiver up the well for to-day, and come on tomorrow." "But we want water." "Can't help it; I couldn't go down and work there to-day. My nerves is shook." "Suppose we put a rope round you." "Bless your heart, Mr Brownsmith, sir, I couldn't go down if you put two ropes round me. I'm just going to lift out this here ladder, and then p'r'aps your man will help me put on the stone." Mr Solomon grunted, and I looked on, shivering a little in spite of the hot sunshine as I saw the ladder lifted out and laid down beside the path by Ike, after which Mr Solomon himself helped to put the stone back in its place before walking with the plumber towards the gate. "How was it all, Ike?" I said eagerly. "Oh, you'd better ask young Shock here." Shock, who was in a stiff suit of corduroys, looked at him sharply, spun round, and ran off. "Y'ever see the likes o' him?" said Ike chuckling. "Puts me in mind of a scared dog, he do, reg'lar." "But tell me," I said; "how was it? I don't remember." "Well, it were like this, you see," said Ike. "I were holding the rope tightly and watching of you, and I see you slip on the noose, and tightened it, and then all at once I shouted to the others, 'Hook on,' I says, 'it's got him.' "I was on the watch for it, you see, and ready, and hauled at once. Thank goodness, I am strong in the arm if I ain't in the head. So I hauled, and they hauled, and so had you both up a few feet directly, one at each end of the rope, and you two couldn't be civil to each other even then, but must get quarrelling." "Quarrelling! Nonsense, Ike! I was insensible, and so was he." "I don't care; you was quarrelling and got yourselves tangled up together, and the rope twissen round and round under one of them bits o' wood as goes acrost." "Yes, I know," I said excitedly, for the thought made me shudder. "Well, there you was; and the more you was pulled the tighter you was, just below the bottom of the ladder." "And what did you do, Ike?" "Well, I was going down, and was about handing the ropes to Old Brownsmith's brother, when young Shock hops in on to the ladder like a wild monkey a'most. Down he goes chattering like anything, and it was no use to shout to him to have a rope. Afore we knowed it a'most, he was down and lying flat on his stum. 'Lower a bit,' he shouts, and we lowered, and he untwisted you two and guided you both clear, and stopped till you were both out, when he came out whistling as if nothing was the matter." "A brave fellow!" I cried warmly. "That's what I said," cried Ike; "but the plumber said it was because he didn't know there was any danger." "Well, Ike, what then?" "Oh, there's no more to tell, only that Sir Francis come and a doctor was fetched, and the guv'nor said it would be a warning to them two boys; and young shaver who went down's up at home getting all right, and you've got all right, and that's all." That was not all, for I went down the garden--and found Shock, to thank him for what he had done, but he only turned his back on me and then walked away; while, feeling faint, I turned to go up to the cottage and lie down till the sick sensation had gone off. I had gone about a dozen yards, when, _thump_! a worm-eaten baking pear, half-grown, hit me on the back, and I did not need telling that it was thrown by Shock. _ |
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