Another half minute or so might have been fatal, but Aleck had some little energy left, and, after a strangling fit of coughing, he was able to sit up.
“Take—the rope off!” he panted.
This was done, and in a few minutes he was breathing freely and able to talk.
“I didn’t get a fair start,” he said, hoarsely. “I slipped, and went in before I was ready; but I got on all right for a bit till I seemed to be sucked in between two pieces of rock, and felt myself going into black darkness. Then I signalled to you.”
“I hauled directly.”
“Yes, and it seemed to drag me crosswise so that I couldn’t pass through between the two rocks again. How did you manage then?”
“I did nothing, only let go so as to make a fresh start.”
“Did you?” said Aleck, quietly. “Ah, I didn’t know anything about that. I only knew that it was very horrible, and I thought it was all over. It was very near, wasn’t it?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” said the middy, coolly. “You say that you didn’t have a fair start?”
“No; it was that fall. But it’s queer work. You can’t make out where you are going, and the current grinds your head up against the weedy rock.”