“Coming down!” shouted Josh again at the end of a few seconds. “Where are you, lad?”
There was no response for a few moments, and then, hoarse and strange from many feet below, came up the word:
“Here!”
“Right!” shouted back Josh quietly enough; “and that’s where I’ll be soon. I wish I had one o’ the boat’s lanterns here all the same.”
The rope slipped slowly through his hands, checked as it was by the twist round his right leg, and he dropped lower and lower, turning gently round the while.
“Now, then! Where?” he shouted again.
“Here!” was the answer from close below now; and Josh took one look upwards, to see that the square mouth of the shaft seemed very small.
“I’m ’bout with you now, my lad,” he said as he still glided down. “Now, where are you?”
“Here!” came from below him: and he tightened his grasp, while the rope slowly turned till his face was opposite to the mouth of the shaft.
“Right, lad!” he cried, striking his feet against the side of the shaft. “I can’t see very well,” he added as he swung to and fro more and more, “but I’m ’bout doing it, ain’t I?”