You know, said Bill, taking his big torch from his pocket. You know, if this well-shaft is really the only way down to the entrance of the island passage, there should be a ladder. I can’t imagine people going up and down in buckets.
Well there isn’t a ladder, said Philip. I should have seen it if there was.
Bill flashed his torch down the well, examining the sides carefully. Look, he said to Philip, it is true there is no ladder but do you see those iron staples jutting out from the wall down there? Well, those are what would be used to help anyone wanting to descend this well-hole. They would use them as steps, holding on to the ones above with their hands, and going down bit by bit feeling with their feet for the next one.
Yes! said Philip, in excitement. You’re right! That’s the way that people went down in the olden days. I bet when there was fighting round about here, many refugees used this old well as a hiding-place, even if they didn’t know of the passage entrance down below. Come on, Bill let’s go down. I’m simply longing to get going.
Well, it’s time we did, said Bill. I’ll go first. Keep a watch-out for Jo-Jo, Dinah.
Chapter 24
A JOURNEY UNDER THE SEA
Bill couldn’t reach the first iron staples, so Philip had to fetch a rope. It was tied tightly to an iron post by the well, and then Bill slipped down it, and placed his feet on the first staples.
I’m all right, he said. You come along as soon as you can, Philip let me get down a few steps first and for goodness’ sake don’t slip.
The girls were not to go and, indeed, the thought of going down the steep, cold well-shaft with only insecure staples for a foot and handhold was terrifying to both of them. They watched the two disappearing down into the dark, and shivered.
It’s beastly to be left behind, but I honestly think it’s beastlier to go down there, said Dinah. Come on we can’t see or hear Bill and Philip now we’d better go back to the kitchen and do a few jobs. Isn’t Jo-Jo late!
They went back, wondering how Bill and Philip were getting on down the well. They were climbing down slowly but surely; the staples seemed to be as firmly in the wall as when they were first driven in.
It was tiring work, and would have been utterly impossible to tackle if it had not been for unexpected resting-places let into the well-wall every now and again. The first one puzzled Bill, till he guessed what it was. It was an opening in the well-wall, going back a few feet, big enough to crouch in and rest. At first Bill had half thought the first one to be the entrance to the passage and he was surprised to come to it so soon. But he soon realised what it was, and very thankfully he rested there a few minutes. Then Philip had a rest there, while Bill went slowly downwards, his feet always feeling for the next staple.
It seemed ages going down the well-shaft, and, in fact, it took the two of them nearly an hour. They used each resting-place, but in spite of that they became very tired. Then suddenly Bill’s torch, which he had stuck into his belt alight, gleamed on to dark water. They were at the bottom.
We’re there! Bill yelled up to Philip. I’m just going to look about for the entrance.
It was easy to find, for there, in the well-wall, was a round, gaping hole like a small tunnel. Bill slipped into it. It was dark, slimy and evil-smelling. Funny that the air is still fresh, thought Bill. But all the way down the well I could feel a current of air blowing round me so there must be some sort of through-draught to keep it pure.
He waited for Philip. Then the two of them set out on what must surely have been one of the strangest roads in the world a path under the bed of the sea itself. At first the tunnel was narrow and led upwards a little by means of steps, and the two had to crouch down to get along. But after a bit it widened out and became higher. It was still slimy and evil-smelling, but they got used to that.
Then the passage led downwards, at times rather steeply. There were rough steps made in the steepest part so that travellers might not slip too much. But they were so slimy that even a goat would have slipped. Bill came down with a bump, and Philip followed almost immediately.
Take your foot out of my neck, said Bill, trying to get up. My word, I am in a nice old mess!
They went on and on. Soon the passage stopped descending, and kept level. It was enclosed in the solid rock. There was no earth, no sand, no chalk all rock, quite black, and glinting with queer lights now and again.
Once or twice the passage narrowed so much that it was almost impossible to squeeze through, Good thing we’re not fat, said Philip, squeezing in his tummy to get by. Golly, that was a tight fit! Have the rocks come close together during the years, Bill or do you suppose the passage was always narrow there?
Always, I should think, said Bill. It’s a perfectly natural fissure in the rocky bed under the sea an amazing one though I have heard of others like this in different parts of the world. I believe this coast has a good many.
It was warm in the passage. Here and there the air was not good and the man and boy began to pant. There seemed to be pockets of airlessness. But on went the two, on and on, their torches gleaming on black, slimy walls, out of which still shone queer phosphorescent lights now and again. Philip began to feel as if he was in a dream. He said so.
Well, you’re not, came Bill’s reassuring voice. We’re in a queer place, but a perfectly real one. It’s no dream. Like me to pinch you?
Well, I think I would, said Philip, who really did feel rather queer after so much time in the dark narrow way. So Bill pinched him and it was a very hard pinch that made Philip yell.
All right! he said. I’m awake and not dreaming. Nobody would be silly enough to dream that pinch.
Suddenly Bill felt something running by his feet, and he looked down in great astonishment, swinging his torch downwards too. To his enormous surprise he saw a small mouse looking up at him. Bill stopped in astonishment.
Look here, he said. A mouse. A mouse down here! What does it live on? It’s a most incredible thing. I simply cannot imagine any animal living down in this passage under the sea.
Philip chuckled. It’s all right! It’s only Woffly, my pet mouse. It must have run down my sleeve and hopped out.
Well, it had better hop in again, if it wants to live, said Bill. No animal could last down here for long.
Oh, it will come back when it wants to, said Philip. It won’t leave me for long.
They had to have two or three rests, for the way was tiring and difficult. It went curiously straight for a time and then seemed to go in jerks, having little bits that went off at right angles for a few feet, only to come back to the straight again. Philip began to wonder how long his torch would last. He felt suddenly frightened at the thought of being left in the dark down there. Supposing Bill’s torch gave out as well?
But Bill reassured him. I’ve got another battery in my pocket, he told Philip, so don’t worry. We shall be all right. And that reminds me I’ve got a packet of boiled sweets somewhere. I can’t help feeling it would make this awful journey easier if we sucked one or two.
There was a pause whilst Bill searched his pockets. He found the sweets, and soon the two of them were sucking away hard. Certainly it made things easier, somehow, to have a nice big boiled sweet tucked away in his mouth, Philip thought.
How far do you think we’ve gone? asked Philip. Half-way?
Can’t tell, said Bill. Hallo what’s this?
He paused and shone his torch in front of him. The way appeared to be blocked. Gosh! it looks like a roof-fall, said Bill. Well, if it is, we’re done. We’ve got nothing to clear up the mess with, to see if we can get by.
But, to their great relief, the fall was very slight, and with the combined strength of both of them, the main rock that stopped their progress was removed to one side, and they managed to clear it.