Part 15

"My rope! Well, if I ain't blowed! I knew one of them girls had stole it," said Jakes, suddenly aroused from contemplation; but Miss Rogers allowed him no time to develop the grievance.

"Will it be strong enough to hold their weight--properly tied?"

"Should hold six of 'em," he muttered sulkily, and Violet, feeling her way down by the notches, picked it up, and reappeared with it.

"I'm quite good at knots," she said to Sally. "Isn't it fortunate I was a Guide? We will fix it on to the chain. See?"

They did so, and let it hang down over the ledge, but only to find it could not reach within arm's length of the group below.

"Oh, dear!" whispered Sally suddenly. "Oh, dear!" Her excitement had died down, and she felt cold and miserable. A minute ago they had seemed in safety, and now it was as far off as ever.

"Courage, Sally!" called out Miss Castle, guessing dejection in her attitude. "Jakes will fetch his long ladder, and then we shall reach you quite easily. What about Tolly?"

Autolycus, in truth, had begun to bark, and then whined with pain, as he tried to drag himself on to his feet.

"I will put him in the rush basket, and tie it up in the rug, and then we will lower him first," said Violet. "But please take care, for he has broken his leg."

She felt her way down once more into the cave, and with the aid of Sally's belt, the rug and two handkerchiefs, made as comfortable a cradle as she could devise. Inside it she placed Autolycus, and steadying him with her hand, helped the other girl to pull him up on the ledge beside her.

The need of quieting him steadied Sally's nerves once more.

"Poor old Tolly! Lie still, sir!--no, lie still!" she whispered firmly, and held him tight in her arms till Jakes appeared with the ladder and some of the more intrepid of the kitchen staff, wrapped up in dressing-gowns and shawls.

It was an audience to be impressed, and the gardener, as he cut the barbed wire and placed the ladder against the sloping rock above, prepared to arouse applause and fear.

"'Tis a risky job, I would have you ladies know," he said, beginning slowly to take off his coat, and then Miss Rogers unkindly laughed.

"Mine be the risk," she said. "You and two of the others just hold the thing still," and she ran up the rungs as though she were climbing in the gymnasium. Balancing herself on the top, with one hand on the rock, she called to Violet:

"Now quick! Lower the dog," and Tolly, tied up as though he were a workman's dinner, was first suspended in space, howling miserably, and then landed in Miss Rogers's arms.

The ladder creaked against the cliff side, shifted on the shale, and was firmly propped up once more by the cook and Jakes, while Miss Castle, advancing, took the bundle, freed it from the rope, and proceeded to comfort its unhappy occupant.

"Next man! ... it had better be Sally," called Proggins, and Violet, when she had helped her out of the big coat, fastened the rope under the younger girl's arms.

"Good luck, Sally!" she whispered. "It is absolutely tight and safe. Just remember, if anyone asks, that I gave you leave to come to the caves and search."

"But you didn't!" Then, catching sight of the other's face, which had a strained look about the eyes and mouth, "Oh, right oh! If you like--though I don't see that it matters. But I say, have I got to lower myself now?"

"Yes--push off gently with your feet, while I hold the rope across my knees, to break the jerk. That's right."

It seemed to Sally that she shot into space--was nearly cut in half by a sudden pull under her arms, and then, just as the pain seemed unbearable, felt her feet on something solid. Miss Rogers was placing them on the top rung of the ladder.

As soon as the rope was unfastened, she descended step by step, until she fell in a little heap on one of the rocks, where someone had spread a rug. Her legs would support her no longer, and she felt ashamed of this weakness, until Miss Castle smiled, and gave her Tolly to hold, and Miss Rogers said approvingly:

"Good girl! You kept your head all right. Now for Violet."

"It ain't going to be an easy job for her--not nohow," said Jakes, loudly. (He had been silent a surprisingly long time.) "It's like this here--there ain't no one up there to stop the rope being cut against the cliff, soon as her weight comes on it--at least, that's as I see it."

"Yes," said Miss Rogers, "I realise that." Her face had gone quite white, but her tone was even and detached as she called out, "Put your thick coat, doubled, along the ledge, Violet, for the rope to come across."

The girl did so, and crouched, hesitatingly, on the ledge. She too had evidently realised the risk.

"I'm not going to try to tie myself up," she called out at last. "It will be safer hand under hand--as we do in gym.--not such a jerk."

Miss Castle gave an exclamation of horror, and Sally struggled to her feet, protestingly, but Miss Rogers turned and frowned at them both.

"Quiet!" she said abruptly, and then louder, so that the girl above could hear her, "Much safer, I think. I'll hold the rope steady--lower yourself slowly."

Sally will never forget--nor probably will any of the other watchers--the sickening anxiety of the next few minutes. First, the awful jerk as Violet's full weight swung out from the ledge of rock, and then her slow descent, hand under hand, with knees tight gripping the rope, until Miss Rogers could grasp her. She remained for some seconds, with her head bent over the ladder, and when she had descended a few rungs lower, Jakes put up his arms, and lifted her down.

"She's a rare plucked 'un, she is," he said. "Scraped her fingers and knees something awful--and never a squeal."

For once he had no grumble or criticism to make.

"Oh, I'm all right," said Violet, feebly; but she put her hands behind her back as Sally looked at her, and let Miss Castle and one of the maids support her towards the steps.

Miss Rogers picked up Tolly and smiled at the younger girl.

"Violet will be all right before long," she said. "It's only she has scraped herself rather badly, and it was a nasty kind of climb to tackle. I must say you are a pair of scamps, though--both of you."

"It wasn't Violet's fault, but mine."

Proggins smiled. "It's not my place to scold either of you now," she said. "But if I were you, I should lay the blame on Tolly when questions are asked. Now, don't talk any more. Here are Matron and Mademoiselle waiting for us at the steps, and they will help you up to bed."

Once more Sally slept in the sanatorium, and again because she had broken bounds. At first, the likeness to her previous stay there did not strike her. She was so cold and tired that her only thought was to snuggle down amongst the clothes, with a hot-water bottle, and drink the milk that was brought her as fast as she could.

"Are you sure Violet is all right?" she had demanded.

And Matron answered--"Tired out, like you, but she'll be right as rain to-morrow. Now go to sleep and don't think any more about things. Miss Castle tells me to say she is seeing to the dog." And then the lights were put out.

She did not sleep long: for, with a nightmare jerk, she sat up, saying the words, "I shall be expelled," and found herself trembling all over. Of course she would be expelled, for in spite of her promise to Miss Cockran last term, she had run away. It was true she had not, this time, set out deliberately to break school rules for the fun of the thing; but nothing could do away with the fact that once she had begun to think of Tolly she had thought of no one else.

While she sat--still upright--considering the enormity of her offence another horrid thought came to her: Would Violet Tremson be expelled too? Expelled just because she had gone to a friend's rescue--not a friend's,--but to help someone who had been persistently horrid to her?

Sally turned over, and hid her face in the pillow, but she could not be still. She was hot now--and not cold. Getting quietly out of bed, she put on her slippers and dressing-gown and stole to the door. Perhaps she could find Violet before she fell asleep, and talk things over.

Violet had said, before she let her down on the rope, to remember she had given her leave to go to the caves, and she had wondered why at the time; but now she realised in a flash--it was to take part of the blame, and that couldn't be allowed, of course.

As she opened her door she saw there was still a light in the passage, so it could not be very late--besides, the servants were talking downstairs. Beyond the head of the stairs there was a door ajar that might be Violet's.

Closing her own door to avoid suspicion, she pattered quietly along and peered into the half-open room. Yes--there was Violet, propped up against some pillows. Sally could see how white her face was, but what struck her next, with a quick stab of horror, so that she forgot everything else, was the bandaged hand, suddenly raised to her head.

"Oh, Violet!" she said. "Violet! I can't bear it. Are you badly hurt?"

"No, Sally, I'm not--but do go back to bed at once."

Violet's tone was urgent, and the younger girl, turning abruptly at its note of warning, saw on the hearth-rug--not Matron, as she had expected--but Miss Cockran.

"You!" ... she said. "It's you, Miss Cockran."

"Yes, I have returned," said Miss Cockran quietly. "But why have you come in here, when you were told to go to sleep?"

She closed the door as she spoke, and going over, took Sally's hands between her own. Her voice was grave--but not so stern as the culprit expected--and Sally suddenly, for no reason at all that she could afterwards remember, burst into tears.

"Tolly's safe," she sobbed, "and I'm so sorry, and it's all my fault. Violet never gave me leave--she just came to help me."

Miss Cockran had drawn her by this time down on the bed, with Violet's eiderdown over her legs, and her own arm round her.

"Perhaps you had better tell me everything," she said, with a look at the girl's flushed face. "Only then, you must go to sleep."

The story was told piecemeal, chiefly by Violet, and when it was finished, and Miss Cockran remained silent, the elder girl broke in:

"Please don't expel Sally. It wasn't naughtiness."

"It was disobedience--an offence against discipline," said the Headmistress quietly.

"It was saving life."

Miss Cockran nodded. "I know that--but it's not a first offence. You begged me not to expel Sally, as well as Trina Morrison, at the end of last term, Violet ... and I listened."

"Did you, Violet? I didn't know.... I have been a pig to you----"

Sally could not resist the interruption. Now she knew why Violet had been to Miss Cockran--not to sneak--but to save her.

"Violet is a treasure," she said. "She's wonderful, isn't she?"

The elder girl grew red, and muttered "Oh, rot!" while Miss Cockran smiled.

"She has been a good friend to you, Sally; but she can't save you from your own wilfulness. You are not a good influence to have in a school."

Sally hung her head, while Violet said, "She will be, if she stops; and you don't mean to expel her, do you, Miss Cockran?"

The Headmistress rose, and bending suddenly, kissed the younger girl.

"No!" she said. "Subject to real amendment, not pie-crust promises, I don't mean to expel either of you. After all, I'm very fond of Tolly, and he is my dog--and I'm proud of the courage you both have shown. Now Sally, back to bed with you--and sleep."

They were neither of them expelled. Autolycus was, but as his leg recovered completely, and he went to live at Violet's home, where rabbiting was easy, and not dangerous, he did not seem to mind. Perhaps he missed the society of Sally and Miss Cockran; but the loss was fully compensated by not having Jakes to bath him every week.