The Plunder Pit ebook

Contents

CHAPTER I. ON THE CRAG FACE

CHAPTER II. THE MAN ON THE MOTOR BIKE

CHAPTER III. THE PICTURE

CHAPTER IV. A STEP IN THE NIGHT

CHAPTER V. BROKEN GLASS

CHAPTER VI. BUTCH

CHAPTER VII. MIDIAN BRINGS A MESSAGE

CHAPTER VIII. A BID FOR FREEDOM

CHAPTER IX. TRAPPED

CHAPTER X. ALL FOR NOTHING!

CHAPTER XI. JIM GOES HOME

CHAPTER XII. A HAPPY ISSUE

CHAPTER XIII. THE CELLAR

CHAPTER XIV. TWO'S COMPANY

CHAPTER XV. THE MAN WHO WATCHED

CHAPTER XVI. STEPS IN THE NIGHT

CHAPTER XVII. MORE MYSTERIES

CHAPTER XVIII. WHY WORRY?

CHAPTER XIX. THE NEW P.G

CHAPTER XX. JIM IS JEALOUS

CHAPTER XXI. THE SECOND BLOW

CHAPTER XXII. AYLMER PROVES HELPFUL

CHAPTER XXIII. JIM'S BAD DAY

CHAPTER XXIV. A WASTED WARNING

CHAPTER XXV. CHING TELLS HIS STORY

CHAPTER XXVI. A MIDNIGHT MYSTERY

CHAPTER XXVII. THE BOLT HOLE

CHAPTER XXVIII. JIM'S PLAN

CHAPTER XXIX. THE PIT

CHAPTER XXX. JIM IS NO LONGER JEALOUS

CHAPTER I. ON THE CRAG FACE

A FAINT rumble of sound boomed through the hot, sunny air. Out to the north-west, in the direction of the Welsh coast, a dark cloud shadowed the sea, end from time to time a pale flash blinked in its heart. Jim Coryton hastily knocked out his pipe on the gunwale of the boat, and began to haul in his line.

‘Wake up, Pip,’ he said. ‘There’s a storm coming.’

No reply. Peter Paget, his plump legs stretched straight out, his bead propped comfortably against a couple of cushions, slumbered peacefully. Jim picked up the boat hook and prodded him gently, and Pip opened round blue eyes and gazed at his friend.

‘What’s up?’ he inquired sleepily.

Jim laughed. ‘“But it often appeared when the gale had cleared, that he’d been in the bunk below,”‘ he quoted.

Pip gave him a sorrowful look, mumbled something about letting ‘a chap sleep, damn you!’ and once more closed his eyes. But just then the thunder spoke again, and this time with no uncertain voice. Pip sat up with a start, and one glance at the ominous black cloud cleared every trace of sleep from his eyes.

‘Gosh,’ he said, ‘it’s going to be a buster. Get up the anchor, Jim. We’ve got to shift, and sharp about it.’

The little kedge was rather badly caught among the rocks at the bottom, and by the time Jim had freed it and got it up, the whole sky to the north-west was covered with a purple pall, and the thunder boomed incessantly.

‘Not a breath of wind,’ said Pip sharply. ‘Jim, we’ll have to pull for it.’

‘Back home?’ questioned Jim, doubtfully.

‘Great Scott, no! We must get to land as quickly as ever we can. There’s wind there, when it does come.’

‘But, my good Pip, we cant land on those infernal cliffs,’ remonstrated Jim, glancing at the grim granite rocks of the Cornish coast.

‘There’s a small cove just north of that point,’ Pip told him. ‘I’ve never been into it, but I know a stream runs out there. We can find some sort of shelter, and wait till this blows over. Pull, man! We haven’t got much time.’

Jim merely nodded. He had complete faith in Pip, who, as he was aware, knew the whole of this coast, from Bude to Newquay, as well as any, professional fisherman. He set to pulling vigorously and the stout little dinghy went surging across the calm water towards the land. But it was not going to be calm very long, for already Jim could see a line of white foam along the surface. Pip saw it, too.

‘I’ll set the sail on her,’ he said. ‘Keep her moving.’

Short and stout as he was, Pip could handle a boat with any man, and the speed with which he got the sail up and tied down the reef points was worth watching. As he finished, the great arch of cloud swept over the sun, wiping, out its bright light. Then with a roar the wind was on them.

‘Sit tight,’ Pip cried, as he took the tiller, and the little boat heeled and went racing through the short steep waves. Jim was not at all worried, for he had complete confidence in Pip. He obeyed orders, and sat tight while Pip headed for tho point of rock.

A brilliant flash lit the gloom, followed by an ear-splitting crack, then down came the vain with tropical fury, drenching them both to the skin.

‘Shan’t be long at this rate,’ bawled Pip, as the wind heeled them far over, and the water hissed whitely along the lee gunwale. ‘I only hope the channel’s clear.’

‘I’ll watch for rocks,’ Jim answered, and after that neither spoke until they were almost level with the great crag which marked the south entrance to the cove. Then Pip sang out: ‘All clear?’

‘Seems all right,’ Tim shouted back as the channel opened in front of them. He broke off short and stared suddenly. ‘Great Scott!’ he cried. ‘Look at that fool of a woman.’ He pointed to a figure which they could see dimly through the rush of rain, standing at the base of the cliff, about fifty yards to the right of the entrance to the cove.

‘How the devil did she get there?’ demanded Pip in dismay.

‘Don’t know, but she won’t stay there long,’ said Jim. ‘The waves are breaking over that ledge already. She’ll be drowned for a certainty if we don’t get her off.’

His words were whipped away by a sudden gust of wind which roared down on them, and he had to yell to make himself heard. Pip did not waste breath. He saw at once that Jim was right, and that there was no time to lose.

‘All right,’ he answered. ‘Get the oars out, Jim.’

Taking advantage of a momentary lull, he put the boat round with her head to wind, then while Jim steadied her with the oars, he swiftly got the sail down. The little craft bobbed wildly in the rapidly-rising sea, but Jim managed to keep her steady until Pip had finished stowing the sail.

‘Let her drift in stern foremost,’ he directed, as he picked up a coil of rope, ‘but don’t let her get too close, or she’ll be smashed to bits. The only chance will be to chuck a rope to the woman and tow her off.’

As the boat drew closer to the cliff foot, Jim saw that the woman was a mere girl, and that she was standing on a fairly wide ledge, which was constantly hidden by spouts of foam from the breaking waves. He had not, however, much time to watch her, for it took all his strength to hold the boat against the furious drive of wind and sea, and prevent her from falling off into the trough.

Tho girl had seen them now. She had turned, and was facing them with her back against the cliff, which rose sheer behind her. Pip had scrambled past Jim, and stood in the stern with the rope in his hand. ‘That’ll do, Jim,’ he cried. ‘We daren’t go in any further. Try and hold her now.’

The boat checked, and Jim wrought till his muscles cracked In the effort to keep her clear of the raging turmoil at the foot of the cliff. Pip steadied himself in the stern and waved the coil of rope.

‘You must catch it,’ he shouted to the girl above the roar of the surf. ‘We can’t land. We must tow you off.’

‘I understand,’ the girl answered in a high, clear voice. ‘I shall be all right. I can swim.’

‘She’s a cool customer,’ was Jim’s thought, and just then came disaster. With a sharp crack one of the oars snapped off short, and in an instant the wind caught the boat and swung her round broadside into the surf.

‘Jump!’ roared Pip. A wave picked up the boat, tossed it high on the crest, and both men jumped for dear life. They sprawled on the ledge, just as a loud crash behind them announced the end of the boat. A small, but capable hand helped Jim to his feet, and he looked round to find Pip already scrambling up, apparently little the worse.

‘Boat’s done for,’ he said. Jim turned round painfully, for his knees had suffered, and was just in time to see a mass of broken planks disappearing in a welter of foam.

‘Oh, I am sorry!’ cried the girl.

‘So am I,’ said Jim ruefully; then as he looked at the girl his face cleared a trifle, for even in that unpleasant moment he was quite sure he had never seen a prettier or more charming person. And the girl for her part was looking at him with an interest that’ surprised him.

Pip cut in. ‘Jim, the tide’s rising. We shall be washed off this ledge inside ten minutes.’

‘I can’t help that,’ said Jim. ‘What are we going to do about it?’

Pip had no suggestion to make, and indeed their plight seemed, perfectly hopeless, for the cliff rose like a wall behind them, and the ledge was under water in the direction of the cove.

The girl came to the rescue. ‘There is only one thing to do. Climb the cliff. No, I am not crazy.’ she added with a quick smile. ‘There is a way up and I had just found it when I was caught by the storm. Follow me and hold on tight.’

It was no joke working along the ledge, for every wave broke over them. Luckily the rocks were covered with tough sea-weed which gave them something to cling to. Presently the girl stopped and pointed to a narrow ledge some eight feet up.

‘That is the way,’ she explained, ‘but it is out of my reach. If one of you would lift me?’

A wave breaking waist-high cut her short, and for a moment they all had to cling like limpets. When it passed Pip spoke. ‘Give me a back, Jim. I’ll go up first, then you can help Miss–?’

‘Tremayne,’ she put in. ‘Nance Tremayne.’ Pip was more active than he looked, and he scrambled rapidly on to Jim’s shoulders, grabbed the ledge and hauled himself up.

‘All right,’ he sang out. ‘Now you, Miss Tremayne.’

Miss Tremayne made no bones about it, she was on Jim’s shoulders quicker than Pip, and Pip helped her to the ledge.

‘Big wave coming,’ he sang out. ‘Here, catch this, Jim.’ Ha dropped one end of the rope which, luckily, he had managed to bring ashore with him, and it was only this that saved Jim, for the wave washed him clean off his feet, and but for the rope would have carried hint back into the sea. He was thankful, indeed, when, very breathless and battered, he found himself alongside the other two.

‘That’s splendid,’ said Nance Tremayne brightly. ‘Now we can go straight ahead.’

Jim looked up at the towering rock wall. ‘Are you not a bit optimistic, Miss Tremayne?’

‘I do not think so,’ she answered with a smile. ‘I have studied all this cliff face with glasses from the sea and planned a way up. It may be a stiff climb, but I believe it is possible.’

‘Is cliff climbing your hobby?’ Jim asked, but she shook her head.

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