But the next moment it came tumbling again down into the pit.
“I missed it that toime,” said Barney, in disgust, “but I’ll not do that again ye may be shure.”
Once again Barney made the cast.
This time the rope went over the beam.
The stone tied to its end brought the rope down to the ground again. Barney quickly knotted the ends together and cried:
“Shure it’s all roight now, Misther Frank, and shall I be the first to go an up?”
“If you wish, Barney.”
The Celt went hand over hand up the rope.
He had served his time on shipboard and well knew how to go up a rope.
In a few moments he had reached the cross beam and swung himself over into the passage.