“I guess I can,” was the answer from the boy above. “Can you climb a rope?”
“I can,” answered Andy quickly. “And if Pepper can’t perhaps the two of us can pull him up.”
“All right, here you are then. But wait till I tie the rope fast,” continued Bert Field.
Quickly the end of a stout rope dropped into the opening. Then came a pause, and then the boy above shouted out:
“All ready!”
Andy caught hold of the rope and now his ability as an acrobat stood him in good stead. Up the line he went, hand over hand, in a manner that would have done credit to a circus performer. Then Pepper tried it, and after a struggle came up, too, although much more slowly.
Up the line he went, hand over hand.
“How in the world did you get down there?” asked Bert Field, after the two cadets were safe. “I see you are pretty wet,” he continued, glancing at their soaked garments.
“It’s rather a long story,” answered Pepper, with a side glance at Andy, to keep the latter quiet. “By the way, Field, didn’t you say that you were looking for the old mill in this vicinity?”