The Lost Middy Part 63

But they did not begin, for the idea that they really were about to make fools of themselves grew stronger, and as they dropped their hands to raise them again as fists, neither liked to strike the first blow.

Suddenly an idea struck Aleck as he glanced sidewise to see their shadows stretched out in a horribly grotesque, distorted form upon the dark water, and he smiled to himself as he saw his fists elongated into clubs, while he said, suddenly:

"I say, I don't want, you to think me a coward."

"Very well, then, you had better show you are not by fighting hard to keep me from giving you an awful licking."

"You can't do it," said Aleck; "but _I_ say I don't want to fight."

"Perhaps not; but you'll soon find you'll have to, or I shall call you the greatest coward I ever saw."

"But it seems so stupid when we are in such trouble to make things worse by knocking one another about."

"Well, yes, perhaps it does," replied the middy.

"Suppose, then, I do something brave than fighting you," said Aleck.

"What could you do?"

"Put the rope round me again and try to swim out. That would be doing some good."

"You daren't do it?"

"Yes, I dare," cried Aleck, "and I will if you'll say that it's as brave as fighting you."

"I don't know whether it's as brave," said the middy, "but I'd sooner fight than try the other. Ugh! I wouldn't try that again for anything."

"Very well, then, I will," said Aleck, stoutly. "You must own now that it's a braver thing to do than to begin trying to knock you about.

There, put down your hands, I'm not going to fight."

"You're beaten then."

"Not a bit of it. I'm going to show you that I'm not a coward."

"No, you're not," said the middy, after a few minutes' pause, during which Aleck ran to the rock and brought back the now dry rope in its loose coil.

To his surprise the middy took a step forward and caught hold of it tightly to try and jerk it away.

"What are you going to do?" said Aleck, in wonder.

"Put it back," said the middy.

"Why?"

"Because you're trying to make me seem a coward now."

"I don't understand you."

"Do you think I'm going to be such a coward as to let you do what I'm afraid to do myself?"

"Then you would be afraid to go again?"

"Yes, of course I should be. So would you."

"Yes, I can't help feeling horribly afraid; but I'll do it," said Aleck.

"To show you're not a coward?"

"Partly that, and partly because I fancy that perhaps I could swim out this time."

"And I'm sure you couldn't," said the middy, "and I shan't let you go."

"You can't stop me?"

"Yes, I can; I won't hold the rope."

"Then I'll go without."

"Why, there'll be no one to pull you back if you get stuck."

"I don't care; I'll go all the same."

"Then you are a coward," cried the middy, triumphantly.

"Mind what you're about," said Aleck, hotly. "Don't you say that again."

"Yes, I will. You're a coward, for you're going to try and swim out, and leave your comrade, who daren't do it, alone here to die."

"Didn't think of that," said Aleck. "There, I won't try to go now; so don't be frightened."

"What!"

Aleck burst out laughing.

"I say," he cried, "what tempers we have both got into! Let's go and do something sensible to try and work it off."

"But there's nothing we can do," said the middy, despondently.

"Yes, there is. As the lanthorn's alight, let's go and have a try at the zigzag."

The middy followed his companion without a word, and they both climbed up wearily and hopelessly to have another desperate try to dislodge the stones, but only to prove that it was an impossible task.

Literally wearied out, they descended, after being compelled to desist by the candle gradually failing, while it had gone right out in the socket before they reached the cave.

But their utter despondency was a little checked by the sight of the soft pale light which seemed to rise from the water more clearly than ever before; and Aleck said so, but the middy was of the opposite opinion.

"No," he said. "It only seems so after the horrible darkness of that hole."