nion's face for a few
moments, and then the smuggler turned round, took another step, spread
out his arms to grasp the rocky sides, and the next minute there was a
low rustling sound and a puff of wind struck the lad in the face,
followed by silence.

"Are you there, Eben?" said Aleck, softly.

"Right, my lad. Now, then, you don't want no more teaching. Do as I
did, and come down."

"How far is it?" said Aleck, hesitating.

"Eight or nine fathom, my lad. Never measured it. Ready?"

"Yes," said the lad, and setting his teeth hard he pressed his hands
against the wall on either side, felt about with one foot, drew the
other up to it, and then let go and began to slide down a steep slope,
the passage taking away his breath, so that he was panting hard when his
heels met with a sudden check and the smuggler's voice, sounding like a
hollow whisper, said:

"Bottom o' this bit."

"What, is there any more?" faltered Aleck.

"Lots," said the man, laughing. "It's only a great ziggery-zag crack
running right through the rock from top to bottom. There's nothing to
mind, as you'd see if we'd got the lanthorn. They were so close after
me that I hadn't time to get the one I left up yonder in the cliffs.
Now, then, I'm going down again. It's quite dry, and worn smooth with
all sorts of things coming up and folk like us going down. Just the
same as before, my lad. I calls it Jacob's Ladder. Natur' made a good
deal on it, and my grandfathers, fathers, and us lot finished it a bit
at a time and made it what it is."

There was a rushing sound directly after, and the smuggler's voice next
time he spoke came from a lower stage.

Aleck followed again with more confidence that he would not plunge into
some horrible well-like hole full of water with he knew not what
horrible, eel-like creatures waiting to attack him. This time the slide
down felt comparatively easy, while at another angle of the zigzag, as
he followed his unseen guide, Aleck actually began to think that such a
way of progression must be bad for the clothes.

"You'll have to ease yourself down this next one," said Eben, as he was
starting for the next descent; "it's a bit steeper. Let your hands run
along the wall over your head, just touching it, and that'll be enough.
Don't shove hard, or you'll be taking the skin off."

"I'll mind," said Aleck, rather hoarsely.

"What's the matter?" said the man.

"I've hurt my head a little against the roof."