Chapter 29
Above, the rescue party was still frantically trying to make contact with Jo and Lucy, as the men began roping up, preparatory to lowering themselves into the hole after the girls. Anne, Gillian, Marie and Simone found themselves shunted to one side and did not dare protest, lest Miss Wilson remember their presence and send them back to school. They huddled close together for comfort against a big rock and waited.
"Do you know how it happened?" asked Marie finally, more to break the dreadful silence, than anything else. Gillian stared down at her shoes and did not reply. Anne answered drearily.
"Lucy had wandered away from the rest; I think Jo had too. Anyway, somehow they ended up together. I don't really know how it happened, but we looked over and they seemed to be having some kind of argument. We were trying to wander over casually and get Lucy back to the others, but we didn't get to them in time. Lucy had turned her back on Jo and she was walking away and that's when it happened. Jo jumped at her and grabbed her arm and then they both seemed to vanish. It was like the earth came to life and just swallowed them both up."
Simone put a comforting arm around Gillian who was struggling to contain her tears.
"We must trust le bon Dieu to watch over them both," she said quietly, for her faith was real and very deep. Gillian nodded and looked up at the sky.
"I sort of feel like praying now," she said awkwardly, "I feel so helpless, just like when mummy was so sick a few months ago."
Huddled against the rock, the four girls joined their hands and began to pray for the safety of their friends, hoping against hope that they would be found safe.
Lucy opened her eyes. She was lying on soft earth, but she did not remember landing there. It was still dark, but light seemed to be coming from a direction somewhere to her right. Next to her she could make out a slim, still figure. It was Jo. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be not unconscious, but sleeping peacefully. As Lucy watched, she sighed, rolled over towards her and then opened her eyes. As was her habit when awakened, she woke up completely and sat up suddenly.
"Where am … Lucy!" as she suddenly caught sight of her. "Now I remember, we fell down that hole, didn't we? What happened? Where are we?"
"I have no idea," said Lucy composedly, "but there seems to be some light coming from that direction over there, so I suggest we head that way and perhaps we can get out of here."
Jo looked doubtful at this suggestion. She knew, as Lucy did not, that there was a system of subterranean passages underneath much of this area, and she was afraid of becoming hopelessly lost. However, she could see the light as well, and it certainly suggested the possibility of an outside opening not too far away.
"All right then," she said, getting up and dusting herself off. "Let's go then." She reached down and held out a hand to help Lucy up. Lucy took it, in some surprise and the two of them began walking towards to the light, hoping it would lead them to the outside world again.