I certainly shall not desert you, Ruthven, Frank said. You know as well as I do that Im not likely to find a boat on the shore till I get pretty near Walmer Castle, and long before we could get back it would be settled here. No, no, old fellow, we will see the matter out together. Jackson and Goodall can swim round if they like.
These lads, however, would not venture to take the risk alone, but said they would go if Frank would go with them.
Chuck off your boots and coats and waistcoats, Frank said suddenly, proceeding to strip rapidly to the skin. I will take them round, Ruthven, and come back to you. Run round the bay you and Childers, and see if you can find any sort of ledge or projection that we can take refuge upon. Now, then, come on you two as quick as you can.
The sea had already reached within a few feet of the foot of the cliff all round the bay.
Now, mind, Frank said sharply, no struggling and nonsense, you fellows. I will keep quite close to you and stick to you, so you neednt be afraid. If you get tired just put one hand on my back and swim with the other and your legs; and above all things keep your heads as low as possible in the water so as just to be able to breathe.
The three lads soon waded out as far as they could go and then struck out. Jackson and Goodall were both poor swimmers and would have fared very badly alone. The confidence, however, which they entertained in Frank gave them courage, and they were well abreast of the point when first Jackson and then Goodall put their hands on his shoulders. Thanks to the instructions he had given them, and to their confidence in him, they placed no great weight upon him. But every ounce tells heavily on a swimmer, and Frank gave a gasp of relief as at last his feet touched the ground. Bidding his companions at once set off at a run he sat down for two or three minutes to recover his breath.
It is lucky, he said to himself, that I did not try with Ruthven. Its a very different thing carrying fellows who can swim and fellows who cant. What fools weve been to let ourselves he caught here! I had no idea the tide came so high, or that it was so dangerous, and none of us have ever been round here before. Now I must go back to Ruthven.
Frank found it even harder work to get back than it had been to come out from the bay, for the tide was against him now. At last he stood beside Ruthven and Childers.
We can only find one place, Frank, where there is any projection a fellow could stand upon, and that is only large enough for one. See! he said, pointing to a projecting block of chalk, whose upper surface, some eight inches wide, was tolerably flat. There is a cave here, too, which may go beyond the tide. It is not deep but it slopes up a bit.
That will never do, Frank said; as the waves come in they will rush up and fill it to the top. Dont you see it is all rounded by the water? Now, Childers, we will put you on that stone. You will be perfectly safe there, for you see it is two feet above this greenish line, which shows where the water generally comes to. The tides are not at spring at present, so though you may get a splashing there is no fear of your being washed off.
The water was already knee deep at the foot of the rocks, and the waves took them nearly up to the shoulders. Ruthven did not attempt to dispute Franks allotment of the one place of safety to Childers. Frank and he placed themselves below the block of chalk, which was somewhat over six feet from the ground. Then Childers scrambled up on to their shoulders, and from these stepped onto the ledge.
I am all right, he said; I wish to Heaven that you were too.
We shall do, Frank said. Mind you hold tight, Childers! You had better turn round with your face to the cliff, so as to be able to grip hold and steady yourself in case the waves come up high. The tide will turn in three quarters of an hour at the outside. Now, then, Ruthven, lets make a fight for it, old man.
What are you going to do, Frank?
We will wade along here as far as we can towards the corner, and than we must swim for it.
Dont you think its possible to stay here, Ruthven said, if the tide will turn so soon?
Quite impossible! Frank said. I have been nearly taken off my feet twice already, and the water will rise a yard yet, at least. We should be smashed against the rocks, even if we werent drowned. It must be tried, Ruthven. There is no other way for it. The distance is a good deal farther than it would have been if we had started at first; but it isnt the distance that makes much matter. Weve only got to go out a little way, and the tide will soon take us around the point. Everything depends on you. I can take you round the point, and land you safely enough, if you will lie quiet. If you dont, you will drown both of us. So its entirely in your hands.
Look out!
At this moment a larger wave than usual took both boys off their legs, and dashed them with considerable force against the cliff. Frank seized Ruthven, and assisted him to regain his feet.
Now, old fellow, let me put you on your back. I will lie on mine and tow you along. Dont struggle; dont move; above all, dont try and lift your head, and dont mind if a little water gets in your mouth. Now!
For a moment Ruthven felt himself under water, and had to make a great effort to restrain himself from struggling to come to the surface. Then he felt himself lying on his back in the water, supported by Frank. The motion was not unpleasant as he rose and fell on the waves, although now and then a splash of water came over his face, and made him cough and splutter for breath. He could see nothing but the blue sky overhead, could feel nothing except that occasionally he received a blow from one or other of Franks knees, as the latter swam beneath him, with Ruthvens head on his chest. It was a dreamy sensation, and looking back upon it afterwards Ruthven could never recall anything that he had thought of. It seemed simply a drowsy pleasant time, except when occasionally a wave covered his face. His first sensation was that of surprise when he felt the motion change, and Frank lifted his head from the water and said, Stand up, old fellow. Thank God, here we are, safe!
Frank had indeed found the journey easier than that which he had before undertaken with the others. He had scarcely tried to progress, but had, after getting sufficiently far out to allow the tide to take him round the point, drifted quietly.
I owe my life to you, Frank. I shall never forget it, old fellow.
Its been a close thing, Frank answered; but you owe your life as much to your own coolness as to me, and above all, Ruthven, dont let us forget that we both owe our lives to God.
I shant forget it, Ruthven said quietly, and they stood for a few minutes without speaking. Now, what had we better do? Shall we start to run home?
I cant, Frank laughed, for he had nothing on but his trousers. These he had slipped on after the return from his first trip, pushing the rest of his things into a crevice in the rocks as high up as he could reach.
You had better take off your things, Ruthven, and lay them out to dry in the sun. The boat will be here in half an hour. I wonder how Childers is getting on!
I think he will be safe, Ruthven said. The tide will not rise high enough for there to be much danger of his being washed off.
I dont think so either, Frank agreed, or I would try and swim back again; but I really dont think I could get round the point against the tide again.
In half an hour a boat rowing four oars was seen approaching.