THE ROARING PIT

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21256, 30 August 1934, Page 7 (Supplement)

THE ROARING PIT

OUR SHORT STORY

ff Mr Rattling had not acquired the habit of placing his watch and chain on his table during school hours, Harry Scarn might have been my enemy lor ever. The watch was a tiny gold one owned previously by Mr Rattling's mother. Naturally our master prized it, and when it disappeared one afternoon he was greatly upset. The chain was thick and heavy, and he always detached it trom the watch before placing both on the table before liim. Mr Rattling was a little man. middle aged and, for a schooltoucher, rather shabbily dressed. He habitually wore the one brown suit. We all liked him. but found him strange in some ways. For instance, he often did things without thinking, and later forgot that, he had done them. Our afternoon interval hud just concluded, and we had returned to the classroom for the linal lesson of the week. Before I took my seat, T glanced out through the window towards the waters of the Bay of Plenty. I had a glimpse of the horizon, on which I could see a tiny speck and above it. a puff of white. That was White Island. On Monday, which was a holiday, I would be one of a party exploring the sea-encircled and uncanny crater. Mr Rattling's angry voice reminded me that I was not on the island yet, He demanded information about his watch and chain. Both had been removed in his absence, he declared, and when no one spoke he ordered us to empty the contents of our bags on the desk tops. I left the window, and slid on to the seat beside my pal. Tun Brayne. As I pulled my bag from the ledge beneath the desk, something fell floor. I looked below me, and saw Mr Rattling's gold chain. I was astounded. After hesitating a moment in my surprise, I bent and picked up the chain to display it to Mr Rattling, who strode towards me. "Perhaps the watch is there, too," Mr Rattling said, dryly. "You will have to explain, Bunning, how the chain came to be in your desk." "I've no idea, sir," I replied flushing crimson, as I emptied my bag. A behind me made me turn. Harry Scarn had a triumphant smile on his long' thin 'face. He liked seeing me in trouble. We had been enemies as long as I could remember, and when I punched his nose and blackened his -eye a few days previously for hitting Tim Brayne, who was a good deal smaller than either of us. he vowed he would get even with me. It flashed across my mind that Scarn had stolen the watch, and had put the chain in my desk so as to get me into trouble, but I could not believe that he would! itoop to anything so mean. j "I did not think you were a thief, Burning," Mr Rattling said. "I'm not, sir," I denied hotly, turning to him. "I don't know how the chain came there." "It is suspicious." he replied. "I shall give you until Tuesday—Monday is a holiday—to return the watch to me. If you do not, I shall inform the police." I

I was dazed. History had no meaning thai afternoon. I did not see how I could prove my innocence. Throughout, the whole week-end I brooded over the affair, and I could not pet it of! my mind until we wore on the launch at sunrise on Monday, ready to leave for White Island. It. was a beautiful early-rummer morning, and the water was like glass as the large launch chugged away on its fourhour journey. Tim Brayne, Scam and I were the only school boys in the party. Mr Rattling wa.s also on board. He seemed to forget the watch incident. mid came to talk with Tim and me as if nothing had happened, but I knew 1 would hear more of it next day, unless the watch turned up in the meantime. Scarn dii not come near us. He was with his father. The island, as we drew near, appeared only a little more than a

mile long. scarred and barren purple rocks rose steeply trom the water's edce. then curved backwards to end abruptly at the crater's brim, nearly 1000 feet above us. Huge puff's of white steam hung lazily in the still air over the. crater, which opened out to the sea in two places. Ashore, in company with lim, Mr Rattling and my father, we lost no time in walking up the floor of the crater towards the steam clouds. Our feet sank in the mixture of pumice and sulphur, and tiny jets of steam came from our very footprints. As we proceeded, the rumble of escaping steam became so great that we had to shout to make ourselves heard. The noise came from the main blowhole, a mere hole in the earth about 20 feet deep, the same distance across at the top and from 30 to 40 feet long, tapering down to a little opening about a yard in diameter at one end of the pit. The ground trembled as the hot fumes gushed upwards. Mr Rattling took off his coat, for it was hot beside the belching

(liy V. IS. Murray)

pit. Then he removed his waistcoat. As he did so, something like a little yellow disc fell to the ground and rolled down the sloping side of the pit until it was caught by a little ledge about six i'eel down. "My watch!" shouted Mr Rattling above the roar, as he felt hastily in all his waistcoat pockets. "It must have slipped into the lining," he yelled again. He turned out one of his lower pockets in which there was a hole large enough for the tiny watch to slip through. The lining, 100, was frayed away. The watch .must have been in the point of his waistcoat all through the week-end without his knowing. The discovery did not exonerate me in ihe matter of the chain, but Mr Katlling did not mention that then. His mind and eyes were fixed on the watch, which lay on a little ledge of soft earth as if mocking its owner.

Just then, I saw Harry Scam approaching with his father. My father was just moving away, .so I joined him. and Tim came with me. Mr Scarn put; his hands to his ears, and turned away, 100. leaving Harry and Mr Rattling staring down at the watch. We climbed the steep slope towards a lakelet tucked away ai the l'ar end of the crater. Tim and I stopped, and turned round to look down at the crater as it stretched out towards the: beach. The men went on, disappearing over the top of the rise. Between the clouds of steam, wc could occasionally glimpse the blowhole. Suddenly, I stared in surprise. "Great Scot!" I ejaculated. "Old Rattles is going after his watch." During the brief moment when there was a rift in the steam clouds, I saw Mr Rattling lowering h.'niself feet first down the sloping side of the pit. Scarn was helping him, Tim and I looked at each other. "The silly owls!" Tim muttered. "Tim!" I exclaimed. "Go f'r your

life, and get my father and Mr Scam —anyone you can find. Those two asses down there will be in trouble. I'll go and watch them. Run!" We parted. I rail downwards as fast as I could, stumbling over the uneven ground. When I reached the blowhole, I saw Scarn stretched on his stomach and leaning well down, over the edge. Then I caught a glimpse ol Mr Rattling frenziedly clutching Scarn's wrist, the man's feet at the same time working frantically to secure a foothold oil the slippery side. Scarn, with his free hand, was trying to slop himself being drawn further over the edge. But Iherc: was nothing to cling to, and all ho could do was 1o press hard against the crumbling cart h. The pair slipped a felv inches before 1 could come close enough to be of any use. Then I dug my heels into the ground, and clung desperately to Scarn's legs, praying that Tim would come back with help before the three of us were dragged to a horrible death. Scarn was slipping further and further over the edge, and my heels were gradually ploughing the soil earth in my attempt to save my enemy and our teacher. Every moment I was dragged ft few inches forward until I could look over into the small hole that emitted the thundering roar. Mr Raltling's feet were moving up and, down, searing the moist side of the pit. Just then, I was conscious of Tim beside me, holding one of Scarn's legs. Then 1 saw men flattening' themselves on the ground and. stretching downwards. Mr Rattling was hauled out. and Scarn was rolieu away from danger. Mr Rattling collapsed after ihe great strain. Scarn sat down and covered his face with his hands. 1 felt a bit groggy myself, so 1 staved, half lying, where I was, breathing hard after my exertions and listening to the lerrifying roar. 1 paid little attention to the congratulations of the men and the r praise at the way we three b< > •■> had acquitted ourselves. J" was »»-l happy. I knew that, nor.', Mr Rattling would say nothing furt.lv. r about his chain, but 1 would be always regarded as a thiol. After a few minute.'-, Scam leaned over to me. holding his chaled wrist to which Air Rattling had clung a little while before. "Bunny." he shouted above t- 1, roar. "You're goi : hate mt more. Bid I've got to tell J 1 " 1, and I'm going to tell old Rattle.--, too. It was I who put. Ihe chain in your desk--to gel even Willi you.'' . , 1 looked at his solemn laee ana downcast eyes. It must have cos. him something to tell J tie, and J. admired him for it. I admired him. also, for the way he had assisted Mr Rattling. Harry, of course, was grateful ior what 1 luid clodo. He was about to turn away. v. hen I yelled back: 1 "Harry! Lei's lurget. and o - friends." His fes brightened. "Let's," he said, eagerly., r.« »" grasped my outstretched hand. Our friendship still lasis.