eavours during those perilous moments were
quite involuntary; for it was in a kind of desperation that I got my
toes upon a solid piece of the slippery rock and pressed myself against
the steep slope for a few moments, listening to the firing, some of
which sounded close, some more distant. Then, shouting to Denham to
hold on, I glanced at the lamp, which was flaring bravely and giving a
good light, but only at the expense of the rapidly melting fat. The
next minute I was climbing as quickly as I could by the rope, and
shuddering as I heard stone after stone go down, any one of which I knew
might crash full upon Denham.

There was no time to think--I was too hard at work; and, to my surprise,
I found myself just beneath the long bridge-like piece of stone which
had been laid across the opening to the shaft; while, by holding on to
the rope with one hand and, reaching up the other to grasp the stone, I
could see by the light which rose from below--reflected from the
glistening wall, for the lamp was out of sight--that the rope was one of
the strong tethering-reins, fastened round the stone as if for the
purpose of lowering a bucket.

The next minute I was seated on the stone, with my feet resting on the
side of the shaft-hole, and drawing up the raw-hide rope hand over hand.
After pulling up some feet of it I came upon a knot which felt secure,
and I then hauled again till I came upon another, also well made. With
the rope gathering in rings about my knees and behind me, I kept hauling
till I came to knot after knot, all quite firm. I found that the rope
was dripping with water, and knew that it had been just drawn out of the
pool below. The end of the rope came to hand directly; and, with
trembling fingers, my first act was to tie a knot a few inches up before
doubling the strong raw-hide plait and tying it again in a loop, which I
tested, and found I could easily slip it over my head and pass my arras
through so as to get it beneath the armpits.

I had the rope off again in a few seconds, held it ready, and shouted
down to Denham, who had been perfectly still.

"Now then," I cried; "can you hear what I say?"

"Yes," came in a strange, hollow tone.

"Look out! I'm going to lower you a rope with a loop all ready tied.
Slip it over your head and under your arms."

"Ah!" he said softly; and, as I rapidly lowered down the rope, though
the tone seemed only like an expiration of the breath, it yet sounded
firmer