Oliver looked at him wonderingly, and then turned and held out his hand to Smith.
“Thank you,” he said. “It was very plucky of you to come down and fetch me up.”
“Oh, I dunno, sir,” said the sailor in a half-abashed way. “Course I come down; anyone on us would. But it arn’t a nice place, is it?”
“Nice place!” cried Panton, who was full of eager interest as he examined the fine sulphur clinging to his companion’s clothes. “Why it must be one of the old vents of the mountain. You can smell the gases here.”
“You could smell ’em there, sir,” said Smith gruffly. “’Scaping orful. Thought they’d be too much for me. Felt as if I must let go.”
“I’m better now,” said Oliver, rising and drawing a long breath. “I say, Mr Rimmer, I’m very sorry to have given you all this trouble.”
“Don’t say a word about it, sir; but don’t go tumbling into any more of these holes.”
“Not if I can help it,” said Oliver, smiling. “But the serpent—what became of it?”
The mate laughed and shrugged his shoulders.
“We’ve got them both out here,” said Drew.