“I know,” cried Lennox, forgetting himself again. “You’ve lowered it right down on to the poor fellow, and he’s above the water.”
“Mr—” began the captain angrily, but his words were drowned in the hearty cheer given by the men.—“Silence!” cried Captain Roby, and leaning over, he shouted down the horrible-looking pit.—“Unfasten the rope from the lantern,” he said, “and tie it tightly round your breast. Don’t be frightened now: we’ll soon have you out.”
There was no response.
“Tut, tut, tut!” went the captain again. “Some one will have to go down. Who’ll volunteer?”
“I will, sir,” cried Lennox excitedly, before any one else could answer.
The captain was silent for a few moments, and then, in a way that seemed to suggest that he had been trying to find some objection to giving his consent, “Very well, Mr Lennox,” he said.—“Here, sergeant, haul up the light again.”
This was rapidly done, the lantern set free, and the rope tied securely just beneath the young man’s arms.
“How will you have the lantern, sir?” said the sergeant.
“I will see to that, James,” said the captain. “Unfasten your belt, Mr Lennox, and pass it through the ring of the lantern so that it can hang to your waist and leave your hands free.”
“Just as if we didn’t know!” said the sergeant to himself as he helped in this arrangement.