to their ears. Evidently Tim was there somewhere. The children looked at one another.
"Well, there's only one thing to do," said Julian, "We must get our spades now and dig out the hole of the well. Then maybe we can let a rope down or something and get Tim."
They set to work with their spades. It was not really difficult to uncover the hole, which had been blocked only by the spreading roots of the big gorse bush, some fallen masonry, earth, sand and small stones. Apparently a big slab had fallen from part of the tower across the well-hole, and partly closed it. The weather and the growing gorse bush had done the rest.
It took all the children together to move the slab. Underneath was a very rotten wooden cover, which had plainly been used in the old days to protect the well. It had rotted so much that when Tim's weight had been pressed on it, it had given just there and made a hole for Tim to fall through.
Julian removed the old wooden cover and then the children could see down the well-hole. It was very deep and very dark. They could not possibly see the bottom. Julian took a stone and dropped it down. They all listened for the splash. But there was no splash.
Either there was no longer any water there, or the well was too deep even to hear the splash!
"I think it's too deep for us to hear anything," said Julian. "Now— where's Tim?"
He shone his torch down— and there was Tim! Many years before a big slab had fallen down the well itself and had stuck a little way down, across the well-hole— and on this old cracked slab sat Tim, his big eyes staring up in fright. He simply could not imagine what had happened to him.
There was an old iron ladder fastened to the side of the well. George was on it before anyone else could get there! Down she went, not caring if the ladder held or not, and reached Tim. Somehow she got him on to her shoulder and, holding him there with one hand, she climbed slowly up again. The other three hauled her out and Tim jumped round her, barking and licking for all he was worth!
"Well, Tim!" said Dick, "you shouldn't chase rabbits—but you've certainly done us a good turn, because you've found the well for us! Now we've only got to look around a little to find the dungeon entrance!"
They set to work again to hunt for the dungeon entrance. They dug about with their spades under all the bushes. They pulled up crooked stones and dug their spades into the earth below, hoping that they might suddenly find them going through into space! It was really very thrilling.
And then Anne found the entrance! It was quite by accident. She was tired and sat down to rest. She lay on her front and scrabbled about in the sand. Suddenly her fingers touched something hard and cold in the sand. She uncovered it— and lo and behold, it was an iron ring! She gave a shout and the others looked up.
"There's a stone with an iron ring in it here!" yelled Anne, excitedly. They all rushed over to her. Julian dug about with his spade and uncovered the whole stone. Sure enough, it did have a ring in it— and rings are only let into stones that need to be moved! Surely this stone must be the one that covered the dungeon entrance!
All the children took turns at pulling on the iron ring, but the stone did not move.
Then Julian tied two or three turns of rope through it and the four children put out their full strength and pulled for all they were worth.
The stone moved. The children distinctly felt it stir. "All together again!" cried Julian.
And all together they pulled. The stone stirred again and then suddenly gave way. It moved upwards— and the children fell over on top of one another like a row of dominoes suddenly pushed down! Tim darted to the hole and barked madly down it as if all the rabbits of the world lived there!
Julian and George shot to their feet and rushed to the opening that the moved stone had disclosed. They stood there, looking downwards, their faces shining with delight.
They had found
"Well, there's only one thing to do," said Julian, "We must get our spades now and dig out the hole of the well. Then maybe we can let a rope down or something and get Tim."
They set to work with their spades. It was not really difficult to uncover the hole, which had been blocked only by the spreading roots of the big gorse bush, some fallen masonry, earth, sand and small stones. Apparently a big slab had fallen from part of the tower across the well-hole, and partly closed it. The weather and the growing gorse bush had done the rest.
It took all the children together to move the slab. Underneath was a very rotten wooden cover, which had plainly been used in the old days to protect the well. It had rotted so much that when Tim's weight had been pressed on it, it had given just there and made a hole for Tim to fall through.
Julian removed the old wooden cover and then the children could see down the well-hole. It was very deep and very dark. They could not possibly see the bottom. Julian took a stone and dropped it down. They all listened for the splash. But there was no splash.
Either there was no longer any water there, or the well was too deep even to hear the splash!
"I think it's too deep for us to hear anything," said Julian. "Now— where's Tim?"
He shone his torch down— and there was Tim! Many years before a big slab had fallen down the well itself and had stuck a little way down, across the well-hole— and on this old cracked slab sat Tim, his big eyes staring up in fright. He simply could not imagine what had happened to him.
There was an old iron ladder fastened to the side of the well. George was on it before anyone else could get there! Down she went, not caring if the ladder held or not, and reached Tim. Somehow she got him on to her shoulder and, holding him there with one hand, she climbed slowly up again. The other three hauled her out and Tim jumped round her, barking and licking for all he was worth!
"Well, Tim!" said Dick, "you shouldn't chase rabbits—but you've certainly done us a good turn, because you've found the well for us! Now we've only got to look around a little to find the dungeon entrance!"
They set to work again to hunt for the dungeon entrance. They dug about with their spades under all the bushes. They pulled up crooked stones and dug their spades into the earth below, hoping that they might suddenly find them going through into space! It was really very thrilling.
And then Anne found the entrance! It was quite by accident. She was tired and sat down to rest. She lay on her front and scrabbled about in the sand. Suddenly her fingers touched something hard and cold in the sand. She uncovered it— and lo and behold, it was an iron ring! She gave a shout and the others looked up.
"There's a stone with an iron ring in it here!" yelled Anne, excitedly. They all rushed over to her. Julian dug about with his spade and uncovered the whole stone. Sure enough, it did have a ring in it— and rings are only let into stones that need to be moved! Surely this stone must be the one that covered the dungeon entrance!
All the children took turns at pulling on the iron ring, but the stone did not move.
Then Julian tied two or three turns of rope through it and the four children put out their full strength and pulled for all they were worth.
The stone moved. The children distinctly felt it stir. "All together again!" cried Julian.
And all together they pulled. The stone stirred again and then suddenly gave way. It moved upwards— and the children fell over on top of one another like a row of dominoes suddenly pushed down! Tim darted to the hole and barked madly down it as if all the rabbits of the world lived there!
Julian and George shot to their feet and rushed to the opening that the moved stone had disclosed. They stood there, looking downwards, their faces shining with delight.
They had found
Similar Books
