Aaron Trow by Anthony Trollope - A complete eBook in pages (22 / 29)

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Aaron Trow by Anthony Trollope
Book, page 22 / 29

struck, or whether he were wounded?

"I will get to him," said Morton, speaking with a low dogged voice,
and so saying he clambered up to the rock to which Danny Lund had
pointed. Many voices at once attempted to restrain him, and one or
two put their hands upon him to keep him back, but he was too quick
for them, and now stood upon the ledge of rock. "Can you see him?"
they asked below.

"I can see nothing within the cavern," said Morton.

"Look down very hard, Massa," said Danny, "very hard indeed, down in
deep dark hole, and then see him big eyes moving!"

Morton now crept along the ledge, or rather he was beginning to do
so, having put forward his shoulders and arms to make a first step
in advance from the spot on which he was resting, when a hand was
put forth from one corner of the cavern's mouth,--a hand armed with
a pistol;--and a shot was fired. There could be no doubt now but
that Danny Lund was right, and no doubt now as to the whereabouts of
Aaron Trow.

A hand was put forth, a pistol was fired, and Caleb Morton still
clinging to a corner of the rock with both his arms was seen to
falter. "He is wounded," said one of the voices from below; and
then they all expected to see him fall into the sea. But he did not
fall, and after a moment or two, he proceeded carefully to pick his
steps along the ledge. The ball had touched him, grazing his cheek,
and cutting through the light whiskers that he wore; but he had not
felt it, though the blow had nearly knocked him from his perch. And
then four or five shots were fired from the rocks into the mouth of
the cavern. The man's arm had been seen, and indeed one or two
declared that they had traced the dim outline of his figure. But no
sound was heard to come from the cavern, except the sharp crack of
the bullets against the rock, and the echo of the gunpowder. There
had been no groan as of a man wounded, no sound of a body falling,
no voice wailing in despair. For a few seconds all was dark with
the smoke of the gunpowder, and then the empty mouth of the cave was
again yawning before their eyes. Morton was now near it, still
cautiously creeping. The first danger to which he was exposed was

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