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awaiting release, and I know each moment is an eternity. Those
people always do something to pass the desperate moments. It s no
use our trying to tame spiders, because we shan t have time. '
 I HOPE not, ' said Jane, doubtfully.
 But we ought to scratch our names on the stones or something. '
 I say, talking of stones, ' said Robert,  you see that heap of stones
against the wall over in that corner. Well, I m certain there s a hole in
the wall there and I believe it s a door. Yes, look here the stones
are round like an arch in the wall; and here s the hole it s all black
inside. '
28
The Phoenix and the Carpet
He had walked over to the heap as he spoke and climbed up to it
dislodged the top stone of the heap and uncovered a little dark
space.
Next moment every one was helping to pull down the heap of
stones, and very soon every one threw off its jacket, for it was warm
work.
 It IS a door, ' said Cyril, wiping his face,  and not a bad thing either,
if '
He was going to add  if anything happens to the Phoenix, ' but he
didn t for fear of frightening Jane. He was not an unkind boy when
he had leisure to think of such things.
The arched hole in the wall grew larger and larger. It was very, very
black, even compared with the sort of twilight at the bottom of the
tower; it grew larger because the children kept pulling off the stones
and throwing them down into another heap. The stones must have
been there a very long time, for they were covered with moss, and
some of them were stuck together by it. So it was fairly hard work, as
Robert pointed out.
When the hole reached to about halfway between the top of the arch
and the tower, Robert and Cyril let themselves down cautiously on
the inside, and lit matches. How thankful they felt then that they had
a sensible father, who did not forbid them to carry matches, as some
boys fathers do. The father of Robert and Cyril only insisted on the
matches being of the kind that strike only on the box.
 It s not a door, it s a sort of tunnel, ' Robert cried to the girls, after
the first match had flared up, flickered, and gone out.  Stand off
we ll push some more stones down! '
They did, amid deep excitement. And now the stone heap was
almost gone and before them the girls saw the dark archway
leading to unknown things. All doubts and fears as to getting home
were forgotten in this thrilling moment. It was like Monte Cristo it
was like
 I say, ' cried Anthea, suddenly,  come out! There s always bad air in
places that have been shut up. It makes your torches go out, and
then you die. It s called fire-damp, I believe. Come out, I tell you. '
29
The Phoenix and the Carpet
The urgency of her tone actually brought the boys out and then
every one took up its jacket and fanned the dark arch with it, so as to
make the air fresh inside. When Anthea thought the air inside  must
be freshened by now, ' Cyril led the way into the arch.
The girls followed, and Robert came last, because Jane refused to tail
the procession lest  something should come in after her, and catch at
her from behind. Cyril advanced cautiously, lighting match after
match, and peerIng before him.
 It s a vaulting roof, ' he said,  and it s all stone all right, Panther,
don t keep pulling at my jacket! The air must be all right because of
the matches, silly, and there are look out there are steps down. '
 Oh, don t let s go any farther, ' said Jane, in an agony of reluctance
(a very painful thing, by the way, to be in).  I m sure there are
snakes, or dens of lions, or something. Do let s go back, and come
some other time, with candles, and bellows for the fire-damp. '
 Let me get in front of you, then, ' said the stern voice of Robert, from
behind.  This is exactly the place for buried treasure, and I m going
on, anyway; you can stay behind if you like. '
And then, of course, Jane consented to go on.
So, very slowly and carefully, the children went down the steps
there were seventeen of them and at the bottom of the steps were
more passages branching four ways, and a sort of low arch on the
right-hand side made Cyril wonder what it could be, for it was too [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]