He grasped my wrists with a strength which I had no conception the
little fellow possessed. There was a moment's breathless struggle, and
I squirmed through the opening, and lay panting on the flat slabs which
composed the foot of the great funnel. To afford me more room Bungay
had gone up a little, finding foot-lodgment upon the uneven stones of
which the chimney was constructed. For a moment we rested thus
motionless, both breathing heavily and listening to the music and
shuffling of feet now almost upon a level with our heads.

The noise, which was strong and continuous, rendered discovery from any
misstep highly improbable, and as delay was dangerous neither of us was
disposed to linger long.

"Be ye all ready, Cap?" questioned Bungay, bending his head down. "Fer
if ye be, I'm a goin' up."

"All right," I answered, struggling to my knees in the narrow space;
"only take it slow, Jed. I 'm a trifle bigger man than you, and this is
rather close quarters."

"Wal, yes, maybe a matter of a poun' er two," he retorted, and the next
moment I could hear him scraping his way upward, feeling for foothold
upon the irregular layers of stone. I followed, pressing my knees
firmly against the rough wall, and trusting more to my hands than feet
for security against falling. There was evidently a fireplace of some
kind on the first floor, with a considerable opening leading from it
into the chimney we were scaling, for as Jed slowly passed, I could
perceive a sudden gleam of light streaming across his face from the
glare of the lamps within. He glanced anxiously that way, but did not
pause in his steady climb upward.