Read Online The Battle for Duncragglin by Andrew H. Vanderwal - Free Book Online

far he was climbing, but it seemed like a long way. From far above, Craig's torch shonedown on him, helping him find grips. Dimly, he heard Craig's shouts of encouragement. A few times, he thought he might slip, but each time, he managed to stabilize his hold and shift to a more secure position.
    At long last, the top came into view. Alex wriggled over the edge, feeling Craig pull on his harness.
    Arms and hands still trembling from exertion, Alex rolled onto his back. A great sense of relief flooded through him. He'd made it! Now all they had to do was wait for the tide to go out … and everything would be alright.

7
T RAPPED
    F lat on his back, gasping from his climb, Alex vaguely heard Craig calling for him to take off his harness. “Annie needs it – hurry!”
    Alex waved him away. “Annie's gone back out to let people know where we are,” he said. “The tide is coming in.”
    “If she's gone, what's that light then?”
    “Light? What light?” Alex rolled onto his stomach and peered over the edge. Something was flashing at them from below.
    Alex squirmed out of the harness and lowered it with the rope. Soon the rope started gliding in fits and stops through the pitons.
Could it really be Annie climbing up the shaft?
She was going to leave the cave the moment he had started climbing. But if it wasn't Annie climbing, who or what was it?
    Alex cautiously looked down the shaft. The top of the dark form coming up from below had brown hair. If it was a nasty creature from the deep, it sure was doing a good job of disguising itself as Annie.
    Suddenly Annie's head and shoulders appeared. Shehoisted herself up and plunked down on the edge. She was soaked.
    “I tried to get out,” Annie said, picking miserably at the knot on her harness, “but the water's too high.”
    Craig started to take off his sweatshirt. “Here, have this.”
    “No need.” Annie pulled up the rope, lifting three packs from the shaft. She zipped one open and raked around. “Good thing I listened to Willie about bringing extra clothes.”
    She started unbuttoning her shirt. “Okay, you two, turn around. I need to get changed here.”
    Alex obligingly turned his back, using the time to have a look around. Remarkably, the wall near them was straight and the ceiling above them flat. It looked more like they were in the ruins of a man-made chamber than a natural cave.
    He shone his light into the far reaches. They were so full of fallen rock, it was hard to see where they went. Spotting something blue, he trained his light on it. There, in a neat coil, was more of that rope they had seen earlier. Alex went to investigate. To his surprise, he found, partially hidden in a hollow next to the rope, several cylinders with gauges and straps.
    “Hey, guys. I found scuba tanks.”
    The others quickly joined him, Annie still buttoning her shirt. There appeared to be a full set of gear for two divers.
    Alex cupped his hands to his mouth. “Hello,” he called loudly.
    “Hello, hello, hello …” came echoing back.
    “Anyone here?”
    “Anyone here, here, here …” The echo slowly died away.
    They listened breathlessly, but there was no answering call. If one or two people
were
here, they were far away either that, or they were keeping very quiet.
    Alex tried to shake off his feeling of dread. He shone his light on the rock basin containing the tanks. “This looks like it could have been a bathtub,” he said. “Do you think this chamber was once a bathroom?”
    Craig trained his light back to the opening of the shaft. “I hope not,” he said, “because if it was, do you know what we climbed up?”
    “The toilet?” Alex offered.
    “Yes!” Craig hooted. “Move your backside, please – we're coming through!”
    Alex chuckled. “Dodge any missiles on your way up?”
    Annie put her hands to her head. “I can't believe it,” she moaned. “Here we are, stuck in the worst of predicaments, and all you guys do is mess about….” She flung