The Toll-Gate Read online

  Chirk brought Mollie up alongside, and stared keenly at an unmistakable track, winding through the undergrowth towards the hill. They had reached the big gorge John had seen from the pass; it ran back into the hill, deeply undercutting it; and the rank grass and fading clumps of willow-herb had been trodden down on the rising ground which led into it.

  John touched Beau with his heel, saying briskly: ‘We will tether the horses round the next spur. Come on!’

  A few minutes later, as they dismounted, out of sight of the big gorge, Chirk drew his pistols out of their holsters, slipped one into the capacious pocket of his coat, and thrust the other into the top of his breeches. John, unfastening the lantern from his saddle, noticed this, and said instantly: ‘If you start a cannonade with those damned barking-irons, I’ll murder you! You’re too fond of pulling out a gun! I thought, moreover, that you were sure we should find nothing in the cavern?’

  ‘I daresay we won’t,’ replied Chirk, setting the second lantern on the ground, and throwing his greatcoat over the mare. ‘But, if it’s all the same to you, Soldier, now I’ve seen that track I’ll be easier in my mind if I have my pops handy. If that pair from the Manor was to visit the cavern while we’re there, maybe they’ll save our groats for us!’ He waited while John loosened Beau’s girths, and covered him with his cloak, and then led the way back to the gorge, steering wide of the bushes until he reached the path through them. He had not gone far along this before he stopped, drawing John’s attention to some confused but deep footprints in a patch of softer ground. His face had sharpened, and his quick, frowning eyes glanced about, at the beaten grass, and the bushes encroaching on the track. ‘Seems to me, Soldier, there’s been several coves here.’

  ‘Several coves,’ agreed John, ‘and they were carrying something heavy, from the look of these marks. What’s more, one or two of these brambles have been lopped back. See?’

  Chirk nodded, but said nothing. They went on, the ground steadily rising as it approached the back of the gorge. The hill now towered above them, its rocky face seeming almost to overhang them; and the gorge narrowed rapidly. A tangle of dead gorse lay ahead, and when they drew nearer to it they saw that it had been arranged to hide a rude fence. As soon as the gorse had been pulled away, the fence was seen to cover an opening in the rock, perhaps six foot high, and almost as broad. Closer inspection revealed rusted iron staples driven into the rock on either side of the opening. To these the rude fence was secured with lengths of twine.

  ‘Fresh,’ Chirk said, a little grimly, pulling the knot apart. ‘If you ain’t had the sense to bring your own pistols, Soldier, you’d better have one of mine!’

  ‘You can give it to me, if we’re followed,’ replied John. ‘That there’s no one inside at least we know: you couldn’t tie the fence to the staples from inside that hole.’ He dropped on his knee as he spoke, setting the lantern he carried down within the cave-mouth, and taking his tinder-box from his pocket.

  Both lanterns alight, and burning fairly, Chirk said: ‘One of us ought to stay and keep watch.’

  ‘Well, if you’ve a fancy for sentry-duty, you stay and do so!’ recommended the Captain light-heartedly.

  ‘Danged if I will!’ said Chirk.

  ‘Then come on!’ John said, and, stooping, entered the cavern.

  Twelve

  Almost immediately, he found himself able to stand upright, and holding the lantern high saw that he was standing in a roughly vaulted chamber of considerable size. Chirk, entering behind him, and looking around, said, with a certain amount of satisfaction: ‘Well, there ain’t nothing here, that’s certain! Queer sort of a place to find in a hill! Was it made natural?’

  ‘Quite natural. Have you never been inside a limestone cavern before?’

  ‘No, I can’t say as I have. I’ve heard tell of them, though. Big, ain’t it?’

  ‘Bigger than you think, I fancy.’ John walked forward, still holding up the lantern. ‘Yes, I thought as much! This is only the antechamber, Jerry.’ He walked to the back of the cave, where a narrow opening, like a rude Gothic doorway, led into a passage through the rock. This ran slightly downwards into dense darkness. The lantern-light showed the uneven rock-face gleaming damply; underfoot the ground was soft, mushy with moisture; and the air felt dank. John heard Chirk draw in his breath sharply, and said, amusement in his voice: ‘Have your nerves enough steel for this adventure?’

  ‘What you’ve got bottom for, I have!’ Chirk answered through his teeth. ‘Go on!’

  John went forward, easily at first, but was soon obliged to duck his head, and, in a very few moments, to bend almost double. He could hear Chirk breathing hard behind him, and said: ‘Careful! The roof’s devilish low ahead: we may have to crawl!’

  They were not actually obliged to do this, but by the time they had reached a loftier space they were thankful to pause, and to stand upright. Something grazed John’s head as he straightened his aching back, and he directed the lantern’s beam upwards, running it over the roof of the chamber. ‘By Jupiter!’ he said softly. ‘That’s something to have seen, Jerry!’

  ‘What are they?’ asked Chirk, staring upwards. ‘They look like icicles to me, and the lord knows it’s cold enough!’

  ‘Not icicles: stalactites. They’re formed by the dripping of the water – thousands of years of it! I told you this would be a capital go!’

  ‘I don’t know when I’ve enjoyed myself more,’ said Chirk sardonically. ‘If this was where young Stornaway came, I’m not surprised he caught a chill! Look, Soldier! The walls are streaming wet! What makes ’em so?’

  ‘Water, of course. What’s more, it’s Carlton House to a Charley’s shelter there’s a river somewhere below us. There’s one in the Peak cavern, and a boat on it: Miss Nell told me about it. Are you ready to go on?’

  ‘I’m within ames-ace of going back!’ replied Chirk, with mordant humour. ‘Howsever, if we’ve got to go on, let’s cut line and go!’

  John had moved cautiously forward, peering ahead. ‘Take care!’ he said suddenly. ‘We’re dropping down fast now, and there’s a damned lot of loose rubble! Hell and the devil confound it, I wish I hadn’t put these boots on! Lord, it’s a regular stairway! Look!’

  The passage had widened considerably. Chirk, who was standing with his lantern directed on to the rock-face above his head, withdrew his fascinated gaze to glance down the steep descent. Fragments of jutting rock did indeed form the semblance of a stairway, but the drop from one to another was sometimes of several feet, and for the most part the ground was littered with rubble, and treacherously loose stones, some of them of great size. It was not difficult to perceive how Henry Stornaway’s father had broken a leg in the cavern. Chirk said so, with some asperity. He then begged the Captain to pause. ‘Just you cast your ogles over this devil’s work!’ he adjured him, keeping the beam of his lantern fixed on the rock. ‘Don’t you tell me that wicked face came there natural, Soldier!’

  It took John a moment to perceive what was holding Chirk chained to the spot. Then he laughed, and said: ‘Good God, it’s only the weathering of the rock that’s done that! If we had the time to waste, I daresay we could pick out a dozen weird faces!’

  ‘Thank ’ee, I’d as lief go on!’ said Chirk. ‘But for the lord’s sake take care how you set your feet down!’

  The descent, though it was not very long, took time, but close to the walls the rocks were reasonably firm, and after perhaps thirty feet the staircase became a slope, down which it was easy to walk. Occasionally the roof dipped suddenly, making it necessary for them to stoop, and once a long stalactite knocked Chirk’s hat off. The cold was intense, and a faint sound of rushing, steadily increasing, did nothing to add to Chirk’s enjoyment.

  ‘Hear that noise?’ John said, in a satisfied voice. ‘I told you there would be a river! Now what have we come to?’

  The ground had ceased to slop