And now how were they to secure this, so as to descend? Something was needed which might bear their weight. At first they thought of tying the upper part of the rope to one of the planks which formed the staying of the sides of the pit; but this did not seem strong enough. They then went off to hunt up something. In the house there was a crowbar, which was strong enough, yet not long enough, to satisfy them. But outside of the house there was a large beam, fully twelve feet long and eight inches thick. This seemed to be the very thing. It was apparently sound and strong, and, as far as they could see, was quite able to support ten times the weight to which it would be subjected. This beam therefore was chosen without the slightest hesitation, and Bart and Pat, taking it up in their arms, carried it to the mouth of the pit; then they laid it across, and tied the rope about it as securely as possible.
All now seemed perfectly safe, and nothing remained but to make the descent. Bart went first. The planks used for staying around the sides of the pit were far enough apart to offer here and there interstices in which the feet might be inserted, though in many of these places the earth bulged through so as to prevent a foothold. They thus afforded assistance; and Bart, as he began his descent, availed himself of it. As he went down, Pat watched him anxiously from above. Before his head had disappeared, he said,—
“O, by the way, Pat! throw down that pickaxe.”
For Pat had brought a pickaxe from the hut, in order to make his tunnel; and it was now lying on the ground, close by.
“Sure, but I was goin to wait till you got down.”
“What! and throw it on my head! No, thank you.”
“Sure an I niver thought of that at all at all,” said Pat; “and it’s lucky for you that you thought of it just now.”
With these words Pat dropped the pickaxe into the pit, and it fell with a dull thud far down at the bottom.
Bart now continued his descent, and Pat watched him all the way. At length a voice came up from far below,—
“All right! Come along!”