Peter, with her head just reaching over the edge of the car, saw the platform moving backwards, and then suddenly they were out in the evening sunshine. She glanced at Tom's exultant face a few inches from her own, and then looked down, and was only just able to check an involuntary scream. Deep, deep below them the tops of the trees were careering madly backwards and every second the speed of the car increased and the friendly earth seemed farther away. The car swayed violently and the pulley block over her head screeched as the wires tore through it. Macbeth cowered and whimpered at her feet, and she felt sick and dizzy and for a few seconds closed her eyes in terror.

When she opened them again it was to look ahead, and now she did call out as she saw the solid face of the cliff rushing towards them.

The tiny black hole through which the cables disappeared was now growing larger every second, and Peter turned to shout at Tom. But Tom's face was. white and glistening as he fumbled with the lever above him.

Peter saw his lips moving, but could not hear what he was shouting. It seemed like "The brake! Can't fix it... Sorry, Peter."

She screamed out something as the great jagged black hole in the rock rushed towards them: then she covered her face with her hands and ducked on to the floor of the car as it careered madly into the blackness.

10. The Handsome Stranger

The soft echoes of Dickie's whisper, "'Spect that was a trap really," died away in the darkness as Mary clutched at her twin with one hand and felt for Macbeth with the other. Then, "What have we done, Dickie?" she said shakily.

Dickie searched for his courage. Then he said loudly, "Pooh! it's quite all right really, Mary. We just happened to touch that old rock and it tumbled and we'll have to get out a different way... Let's just stop still for a minute and try an' find out what to do..."

"It's not quite pitchy dark, is it, twin? There's some light up there..."

They looked up and, sure enough, high above their heads was enough moonlight for them to see a scaffolding or gallery with some ropes and wire stretching away into the dim shadows.

"There's no roof, Dickie. It's hollow," Mary whispered.

From somewhere ahead of them in the darkness came a man's voice.

"Anybody there? Where are you?"

Mary was about to call back, but Dickie sensed what she was going to do and covered her mouth with his hand.