Читать книгу A West Point Treasure; Or, Mark Mallory's Strange Find онлайн

19 страница из 48

“Give me a ‘boost,’” he said. “I’m going in.”

“You!” echoed the six, in a breath. “Your arm!”

“I don’t care!” responded he, with decision. “I’m going to find out what’s inside, and I’m going to hurry up about it, too.”

“Do you mean you’re going to crawl through that hole?”

“That’s just what I do,” he said.

Texas sprang forward with an excited look.

“You ain’t!” he cried. “Cuz I’m not going to let you!”

And before Mark could comprehend what he meant his devoted friend had swung himself up to the ledge again, and was already halfway in through the opening.

The others stared up at him anxiously. They saw the Southerner’s arms and head vanish, and then, while they waited, prepared for almost anything horrible, they heard an excited exclamation. A moment later the head reappeared.

“Hello!” cried Texas. “Fellers, there’s a ladder in thar!”

“A ladder!”

“Yes, sah! That’s what I said, a ladder! A rope one!”

Once more the head disappeared; the body followed wriggling. Then with startling suddenness the feet and legs flew in, and an instant afterward, to the horror of the frightened crowd, there was a heavy crash.