CHAPTER XXXVII
ROUND THE CLOCK
When the water had fallen so far that we could sit on the ledge, werested for a few minutes to relieve the long and terrible strain ofstanding, cramped and chilled as we were. But we soon felt the chill ofthe water and stood again till the rocky ledge was quite free. Then weenjoyed a rest, if the word "enjoyment" could be applied to our wearied,teeth-chattering, exhausted condition. I made Marjory sit on my lap, sothat we could get some warmth together, and that she might be saved fromthe benumbing coldness of the rock. We wrung out our clothes as well aswe could, and with braver hearts set ourselves down to the second spellof our dark captivity. Well we knew that the tide had risen higher thanthe tin box in the corner of the cave, and tacitly put off the moment ofassured knowledge. Presently when the chill had somewhat passed from herand she shivered less, she stood up and tried to get down the box. Shecould not reach it, so I rose and took it down. Then we resumed ourplaces on the ledge, and, with the box beside us, began to investigate.
It was a sadly helpless performance. In the dark everything seemedstrange, with regard to size as well as to shape. Our wet hands couldnot of themselves discriminate as to whether anything was wet or dry.It was only when we found that the box was quite full of water that werealised that there was no hope of light in this quarter, and that wemust have patience through the darkness as well as we could. I thinkthat Marjory cried a little. She covered it up for me in some womanlyway. But there are eyes in the soul that can see even through cimmeriangloom; and I knew that she cried, though my senses could detect no sign.When I touched her face, my wet hands and my own wet face could tell menothing. Still we were happy in a way. The fear of death had passed, andwe were only waiting for light and warmth. We knew that every minute,every breath we drew, the tide was falling; and we knew too that wecould grope our way through the cavern. We rejoiced now that there wasno labyrinth of offshoots of the cave; and we were additionally gladthat our clue, the cord which we had taken with us, remained. We couldeasily pick it up when we should begin to move, for there was no stir ofwater to shift it and draw it away.
When we thought that a sufficient time must have elapsed, even at thedeadly slow pace at which it crawled, we kissed each other and began ourfirst effort to escape.
We easily found the cord, and keeping hold of it, felt our way slowlyalong the rugged wall. I made Marjory keep close behind me, a little tothe right, for I was feeling way by the left hand alone. I feared lestshe should get bruised by the jagged rock which protruded here andthere. It was well I did so, for in the first dozen yards I got somesevere knocks that might have permanently scarred her tender skin. Theexperience made me careful, however, and after it I took care to feel myway all round before advancing a step. I found by experience that it wasthe cord which had misled me by straining where there was a curve or anangle, and so taking me close to the rock instead of in the middle ofthe passage where we had originally dropped it as we went along.
When we had passed the first two bends, the anxious time came; it washere that the roof dropped, and we did not know if the tide had fallenlow enough to let us through. We pushed on however into the deepeningwater, Marjory still keeping close behind me, though I wished to go onalone and explore. We found that the rock dipped below the water levelwhen we had gone some way into the tunnel. So we came back and waiteda good while--it seemed a long, long time. Then we essayed again, andfound that though the water was still high there were some inches ofspace between rock and water.
Joyfully we pushed on slowly; our hearts beat gladly when we could raiseour heads from the stooping position and raise them freely in the air.It only took us a few minutes to reach the pile of rocks; then holdingthe cord as a clue to the narrow opening we scrambled up as well as wecould. I helped Marjory as much as possible, but in this matter shewas as good as I was; nay better, for all her woman's instinct came toaid, and it was she who first got through the narrow hole. Then verycarefully we climbed down the other side, and, still holding our guidingcord, came at last to the tackle by which we had lowered ourselves intothe cave. It was rather a surprise to us when we reached it, for weexpected to see the welcome light through the opening before we had comeunder it.
At first, in the whirl of thoughts, I imagined that something had gonewrong, a rock fallen in, or some sort of general collapse. Then Ifancied that we had been tracked down, and that some one had tried tobury us in the cave. It is wonderful what strange thoughts come toone in a prolonged spell of absolute darkness; no wonder that evenlow-grade, violent, unimaginative criminals break down in the blackhole! Marjory said nothing; but when she spoke, it was evident from herwords that she had some of the same ideas herself. There was a tone ofrelief in her voice which was unmistakable, and which must have followedsome disconcerting thought:
"Of course not! It is only that the lamps and candles have burnedout. We have forgotten the long time which has passed; but the lightshaven't!" It was evident enough now. We had been so many hours in thecave that the lights were exhausted; and at no time was there a gleam ofnatural light in the cellar.
I found it a little difficult to work the tackle in the dark with mynumbed hands. Hope, however, is a paramount force, and very soon Marjorywas swinging up through the hole in the rock. I called to her to getlight as soon as she could; but she refused point blank to do anythinguntil I was beside her. When I got the rope round me, we both pulled;and in a very few seconds I too was up through the hole and in thecellar. I found the matches easily enough and oh! the glorious sight ofthe light even in this spluttering form. We did not linger an instantbut moved to the door, which I unlocked, and we stepped out and ranup the steps. The lantern on the roof which lit the staircase was allablaze with sunshine, and we felt bathed in light. For a second or twowe could not realise it, and blinked under the too magnificent glare.
And then, with inconceivable rapidity, we came back to the serenity andconfidence which comes with daylight. In less than a second we wereagain in the realities of life; and the whole long night of darkness andfear was behind us like a dream.
I hurried Marjory into the room where she had dressed, and where werea store of her clothes; and then I proceeded to make up a fire. Thechimney place in the dining room was made after the old fashion, wideand deep, and had in the back a beautiful old steel rack with bracketson which to hang pots and kettles. I thought this would be the bestplace for a fire, as it was the biggest in the house. So I got fromthe fuel house off the kitchen an armful of dry furze and another ofcut billets of pine which I dumped on top of it. A single match wassufficient, and in an instant, there was a large fire roaring up thechimney. I filled a great copper kettle with water and slung it in theblaze, and then, when I found myself in a cloud of steam from my wetclothes, ran into my own room. After a hard rub down which made my skinglow, and a wash which was exquisite, I put myself into dry clothes.When I came back to the dining room I found Marjory busy getting readya meal--supper, breakfast, dinner, we did not know what to call it.One glad moment in each other's arms, and then kneeling together wethanked God for the great mercy which He had shown us. Then we resumedpreparations to eat, for we were ravenous. The kettle was beginning tosing, and we soon had hot delicious tea, which sent a glow through us.There were plenty of cooked provisions, and we did not wait to warmthem: such luxuries as hot food would come into our lives later. It wasonly when we had satisfied our appetites that we thought of looking atthe time. My own watch had stopped when I had first tried the entranceto the great cave and had been waist high in water, but Marjory had lefthers in her room when she had changed her dress for the expedition. Itwas now one o'clock and as the sun was high in the heavens it was--P. M.Allowing for the time of dressing and eating, we must have been in allin the caves some twelve hours. I looked amongst my books and foundWhittaker's Almanach, from which I gathered that as the tide was full athalf past six o'clock we must as the normal rise of the tide was betweeneleven and twelve feet have been immersed in the water some
four hours.The very thought of it made us shudder; with an instinctive remembranceof our danger and misery we drew close together.
Then a heavy sleepiness seemed all at once to settle on us. Marjorywould not leave me, and I did not wish her to. I felt, as she did, thatwe could not sleep easily if separated. So I got great armloads of rugsand cushions and made up two nests close to the fire which I built upwith solid logs. I wrapped her in a great, warm plaid and myself inanother, and we sank down on our couches, holding hands and with herhead upon my shoulder.
When I woke it was almost pitch dark; only for a slight glow which camefrom the mass of red embers on the hearth the darkness would have beenas complete as that of the cave. It is true that the sunblinds were downand the curtains drawn; but even so, when there was light outside somegleams of it even, if only reflected, found their way in. Marjory wasstill sleeping as I stole softly to the window and looked out.
All was dark. The moon was hidden behind a bank of cloud, only the edgesof which tinged with light showed its place in the heavens. I looked atMarjory's watch which she had laid upon the table, having wound it upinstinctively before the sleepiness had come upon her. It was now a fewminutes past one.
We had slept right round the clock.
I began to make up the fire as softly as I could, for I did not wish towake Marjory. I felt that sleep and plenty of it was the best thing forher after the prolonged strain and trial which she had undergone. I gotready clean plates and knives and forks, and put on the kettle again.Whilst I was moving about, she woke. For an instant or two she lookedround in a dazed uncomprehending way; and then all at once the wholeremembrance of the night swept across her. In a single bound, with theagility of a young panther, she sprang to her feet, and in an instanther arms were round me, half protectingly and whole lovingly.
We had another hearty meal. It was pic-nic-ing _in excelsis_, and Idoubt if the whole world held two happier beings. Presently we began totalk of the cave and of the treasure, and I was rejoiced to find thatall the trial and anxiety had left no trace on Marjory's courage. It wasshe herself who suggested that we should go back to the cave and takeout what she called those dear little boxes. We put on once more ourcave clothes, which were dry again but which had shrunk lamentably, andlaughing at each other's grotesque appearance we went down into thecellar again. Having renewed the lamps and made all safe for our return,we took lamps and torches and matches and set out on our quest. I thinkwe both felt a little awed--we were certainly silent--as we creptthrough the hole over the moraine and took our way up the treasure cave.I confess that my own heart sank within me when we saw the ledge, withthe San Cristobal and the infant Christ seeming to keep guard upon it;and I felt a pity, which I had not felt before, for the would-be thief,Olgaref. Marjory I think felt the same way as I did, for she kept veryclose to me and now and again held on to me; but she said nothing. Welit a torch and renewed our search. Whilst I stooped over the box andtook out other caskets containing gems, Marjory held the light with onehand whilst she gathered the little heap of rubies from the first boxand put them in the pocket of my jacket. Her feminine care was shownin her searching for the box and the rubies which had fallen into thewater so that none might be lost. There were not many of the littlecaskets--it is astounding what a small space will contain a manyprecious gems. They easily fitted into the bag which I had brought forthe purpose. Then we took our way back to the house.
When we had ascended, we put out the lights and locked the cellar. Wechanged our clothes again, Marjory putting on her livery; it was nownearly four o'clock in the morning, and it was time to be getting backto Crom.