"Think he's dead, anyway. You come first, Jones. Now we'll try what we can do for him."
I heard them go to the niche next my own and work over the lad's ingenious contrivance.
"Hold him up!" I heard the Skipper say. "Push back! push back!" Then there was the sound of the working of tools, and finally I knew that they had released my companion. I was now sitting up, and watched all their motions. The Minion bent over young Trevelyan, pushing the Skipper aside, who as promptly kicked him halfway across the cave.
"When I want your help, I'll ask for it," remarked the Skipper, which I thought rather ungrateful. "You don't know anything about this devilish contrivance."
The Minion, not at all abashed, nodded violently.
"How do you know?"
"Saw 'em."
"When?"
"Me and the lady."
So it was "the lady's" shriek that I had heard as they were riveting my cage to the top of the arch.