NIGEL MAKES A NEW FRIEND

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 11, 13 January 1940, Page 2 (Supplement)

NIGEL MAKES A NEW FRIEND

Nigel Hollows was cycling with athletic vigour along the desolate cliff road, returning home from the Pangdon Quarry. He had had a stirring but not altogether pleasant day at the office. There had '"been a vacancy for a senior clerkship, and Nigel had '"been selected from amongst the juniors to fill it— that was the pleasant side. But the thing that troubled Nigel was the enmity of Joines, who had hoped for the promotion.

The desks of Joincs and Nigel were side by side. Ever since joines had been transferred to the Pangdon 'branch, some six weeks earlier, he had'somehow seemed jealous of his more experienced

fellow. And this particular day ho had •been most "bitterly irritable, doing every little thing that could, annoy Nigel.

The road was harsh and forbidding, lined with bare rocks and sometimes spattered by angry waves. It was almost entirely unfrequented except when the quarry opened and closed each day. And now Nigel was probably the last, for Oie had been detained half an hour at the office settling books for ihis new job. As ho raced along, wondering whether he would have time for a swim later on, his front wheel swayed with, 'bewildering unexpected? ness, and he knew that the tyre was punctured. And even before he could pull up a sharp hiss sounded and the back wheel, too, jerked down on to its rim. In great astonishment, ho sprang to the ground, and almost immediately the cause of Iris trouble was made plain. The middle part of the roadway was strewed for a couple of yards with white steel tacks—as if a packet had burst j there. j

Nigel stared at them ruefully, then began to scrape them together with his foot. He stooped to picH up a handful, and at the same instant (Wight a glint of metal behind a boulder fcwejity yards away. Nigel knew every inch of the const, and the shine of metal held his puzzled attention for a moment. Then he dropped his own bij>c InjrrjtKj along to the rock. He peered beneath it and saw, to his surprise, a bicycle lying in a sort of ditch that ran b3' the roadside.

And the peculiar handle-grips made Nigel recognise the machine instantly. It belonged to. Joines. The explanation of the whole thing flashed on to his

mind. Here was more of Joines*' enmity. For a few seconds ho felt wild >vltli anger, then, getting a better grip on himself, he looked around. Joines must : be near. "Hello!" Nigel called. "Where arc you, Joines?" reply came, ibut Nigel was not to •be baulked. There were no other boulders near, but an idea struck him, and Jie sprang to a near path which led 4own the cliff face to the sea's edge. -As Ni£ c * descended to the heaeh he saw that the incoming tide had left but a narrow strip, and that \yus quite bare. But it was not to the sand that Nigel looked-but towards a low cave

entrance fifty yards along. And what he saw made him forget his anger and sprint dowji with a great fear in his mind. If Joines had'hidden in th<lt very inviting cave he was in serious danger. Xiong before high water the cave • entrance was Hooded and all exit was cut off. And by the time the tide was right up water penetrated to every crevico inside; All this Nigel knew, and as he near he yelled again: "Hello!" Immediately he heard a faint, muffled reply: "Help! Help!" Nigel realised that he might be too late, for the water was already pouring, into the cave. This caye tunnelled back beneath the clifT for several hundred yards, though it was small (U)d regularly slipped. The floor near the entrance had such* a distinct dip that the tide in reaching a point five or six feet from the cliff opening Ijad merely to flpw downhill with growing torrent until tlie. Whole cavo was fllled. And Joines, Nigel' guessed, knowing, notljiug of .this, had concealed himself inside, awaiting, the result of his spiteful trjek, only to discover that his way of escape was now cut ofT. Alroad}', Nigel knew, the dip at tho front .part of the passage would be breast deep with swirling water. Nigel hesitated/110 /longer. With desperate haste lie flung' oft' his shoes and heavier clothes, then rushed into the boisterous water. ' Once in .tlio current lie was quite at ease, for he was a magnificent swimmer. As he swept into tho cavo entrance ho was glad to ■find tnat tho roof was high enough to alio-" 'him to use a swift stroke.

Again lie heard an echoing call from somewhere beyond, aaid sent back a cheery shout. * But he was feeling far from cheerhil. The. passage was only about five feet wide. -As Nigel progressed the light grew less, and by the time he had s\yum a hundred yards it was almost completely dark. Compelled to gQ iliore cautiously, Nigel reverted to breaststrpke. The water was everywhere too deep for wading, lie guessed tjiat Joines |iad retreated tp almost the end of the tunnel, being unable-to s\yim at all. For another hundred yards Nigel s>vam on, often rubbing against the unseen side of the. cave—then he suddenly- collided with something soft, which toppled back and shouted. "Is it you—Hollows?" said the unseen Joines. "I can't s\vim!" "Come 011!" exclaimed Nigel—who had completely forgotten the tacks. "Gc.t rid of your boots, quick! We've only a chance in a hundred of getting out in time—but we'll do it!" Joines fumbled be.neath the water, ; then hurried along towards the far entrance, keeping hold of his companion's arm. Just here they could >yade, though the water >vas almost to their armpits. "Quick! quick!" urged Nigel, in an agony of dread. Joines made no rcply> though the hissjng of his breath through clenched teeth betrayed his fierce endeavour. Suddenly the cave floor sloped downward, so that the water climbed to their chins. ' "I must tow you," gasped Nigel. "Just float 011 your back and keep calm. Stretch out straight. Leave yourself to me."

Even while- ho was speaking Nigpl had begun swimming on his buck, using legs 0n1y,,, and towing . Joines above him, gripped h y the firms just above the elbows, in the style kjtown as the second method of rescue.

11l this fashion they made good progress, despite the darkness. Nigel lay as flat as possible on the water, his chin high, and his cap pulled 011 tightly —he had retained this as a protection against tho rough walls. His elbows were pressed into his sides and his arms sharply bent, so that Joines was sup-

ported with his mouth clear of the. surface. .Occasionally, when Joines' legs sank so as to interfere with his rescuer's kick, Nigel jerked his knee up into the other's back and thus forced the drooping body once more to float horizontally. For perhaps fifty yards they went till Nigel, wearied by the strain and the frequent' bruisings o. : his shoulders against the rock wal], dropped his feet, intending to wade a little distance.

To his horror he could not touch bottom —and in attempting to he sank. Joines, feeling his support lessen, struggled violently, and, breaking loose, sank too, with tremendous splashing. Nigel immediately groped and gripped him, dragging him to the surface in the former towing position. "Listen," said NigeL when lie had regained his breath. "If you lose your head like that again we'll both drown. As it is our chances are slim enough. There's 110 other way but for 111 cto tow you out." Joines was obediently still as Nigel swam on. "Sorry!" Nigel heard him mutter. Still the cave was entirely dark. The force of the current was scaVcely noticeable now that the water was deeper, but this foct brought no comfort to Nigel, for he knew that there was correspondingly less space between tlje surface and the roof. Once lie" put up one hand and a cold shudder ran through' him as he found his fingers touching the roof of the- cave. The water had not much more to rise before his face would be pressed lip against ; that tough rock, and then swimming I would be impossible. I

Once more he caught words from the one he was towing. "I'm not worth saving. I've been a rotter to you!"

"Stick it!" gasped Nigel, TliPti f*siiijo n moment of unnerving horror, when Nigel felt 3iis head brush aguitisi the rocky roof. But the experience! ln-sted only a few seconds. Jfc sank |iis head still lower, so that Ilia nose and month were barely clear of the surface. Ho allowed his companion, too, to drop down a little. Nigel had changed the rescue method for the style commonly used for insensible persons. His hands were on either side of the drowning one's face, the palms covering his ears. By this means Nigel could "better keep Joines 5 'head low, and

by keeping his own fingers upwards he coultl ensure that they would protect the other's head from injury, if the roof should again be grazed.' The pwjmincr's backstroke was now a poor parody of his former stroke; every bit of vigour had departed from it and it seemed scarcely able to propel him against the steady current. Nigel blinked his eves. A pale light undoubtedly suffused the cave, so that now he could see the roof—dreadfully near to his face. He stirred a little, but almost immediately the new-born hope was utterly crushed out.

The roof had sloped down to -within two inches of the water —his head was wedged against it!

For a second he determined that the end had come, and was about to abandon further tortured effort. Then his lighting spirit bore down the despair. "A lighting—'finish!" he gasped, with broken breath, so that his companion might hear. "Take a big breath—and hold—an' hold!" • "Eight!" u said Joines steadily. "Thanks! Good-bye!" Nigel took a tremendous breath; thrust himself downward beneath the water, dragging his companion, and struck out with hjs last remaining strength. Slowly they forged ahead deep in the stream, which was here completely up to the roof. The light was stronger. Nigel could see the walls and steer straight in this desperate struggle. He did not think how near he might he to the cave entrance. There was |>ut one thought in his mind. Ho would die lighting. He could do 110 more than try to got himself and Joines out alive.

Then his head burst out of the water. JTc gulped in reviving air. Then there was light on his face . . . sunshine!

Nigel turned and towed his companion away from the cave entrance. Five minutes later Loth were safe up. 011 the road. Nigel lay exhausted against a boulder, the full realisation of his wonderful escape. coming to jiiir> slowly. He was dimly aware that Joines was on his feet.

"I say, Hollows," he said, and there was a strange hesitation in his voice. "I've been beastly, but could you forgive me?"

Nigel struggled to his feet and held out a friendly hand.

So, five minutes later, a cyclist might ■have been seen sprinting along the road,< ivitli another fellow on lijs .back step, and pushing a machine with punctured tyres by one hand. And both fellows were smiling like good friends.