Red In The Morning by Yates Dornford

Author:Yates, Dornford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Red In The Morning
ISBN: 9780755127207
Publisher: House of Stratus
Published: 2012-12-27T16:00:00+00:00

So far I have said nothing about the cold: but I make no shame to confess that, while I was still in the storeroom, I had been heartily frightened of courting again that evil which had nearly cost me my life the morning before. Whilst we had been in the kitchen, when I was placing the bar, all the way down the water, I strove to fight off all thought of this deadly foe, for if that stepped into the arena, then Mona and I were doomed. But now, when I left the water and had my own rope in my hand I realized with a shock that the awful chill of the place was already at work.

My rest had done little for me: my members were cold and clumsy: all effort seemed hard to make. And we had the water-slide coming and the chasm – ninety feet deep.

I sometimes wonder why I did not despair: but God, they say, tempers the wind to the shorn lamb. Be that as it may, I made up my mind to this – that it was the air of the cavern that was stealing away my strength and that if I could gain the chasm, before I was too far gone, the air from above would revive me and all my strength would come back.

If this were so, there was not a moment to lose.

I put my arm about Mona, sitting on the slope beside me, with the cord – my cord – in her hand and the lighted torch in her lap.

“Come, my lady,” I said. “We’re halfway home.”

She looked up at me and nodded: but when she endeavoured to rise, her legs gave way.

“Sorry,” she said, “I’m done. And I can’t hold the torch, Richard. My fingers won’t work.”

There was no time for explanation.

I stuffed the torch into my pocket and fastened the rope about her under her arms.

“Listen, Mona,” I said. “You must try and fight off this weakness as best you can. I’m going to pull you up, for it’s all straight sailing now and I know the way.”

“I think…you’d better leave me. Better that one should get out than that–”

I laid my cheek against hers and held her close.

“We’ve much in common,” I said. “I don’t do things by halves.”

Then I laid hold of my cord, surveyed my way for a moment, put away the torch and began to climb.

Although my strength was failing, I reached the waterslide with something to spare and, aware how futile it was to take any rest, I started to draw up Mona without delay.

I fear that she had a rough passage, but at least there was no obstruction upon that slope; and it cost me less to drag her those thirty paces than it had cost me to cover the ground myself.

I lodged her against a stalagmite, standing on the brink of the slide: then I lighted the torch and took her hand in mine.

“One more ordeal, great heart, and then you can take your rest.

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