The Five Dollar Mail (Book 1: The Green & Book 2: Lynch's Boys)

154: Tall Drink of Water

Cover painting by Angela Taratuta. Chapter artwork made from a found image by me. All graphics by me.

Apparently, a couple earlier chapters did not publishe when they were supposed to. This has happened before. I don't know why. Lean On Me and Boys To Men have been published as well as this one.

If you all are reading and you see what looks like an obvious skip or gap, please let me know.

Bender was glad that his eyes had adjusted to the dimness inside the cavern. There was a great deal of sunlight pouring down the shaft he'd just come through, and he was pleasantly surprised to see that without torches to interfere with his night vision, the he could actually see fairly well. He knew as he progressed down the dark passageway the light would eventually fail, but so far, it was not completely dark.

He had realized early on that this cavern was not part of the mine. This area had not been made by dynamite or pickaxes, but by water eating away at limestone for eons. The walls were smooth and undulating, gleaming in polished, almost liquid curtains and folds. It was fascinating. As much as he hated the feeling of being closed in, his wonder at the natural artistry around him took his breath, made him glad to be able to see this hidden place.

He could hear water flowing away down some corridor. He had thought at first that it was the trickle of the mysterious rain falling down the shaft and spreading away over the floor among the rubble, but he realized as he walked that it was coming from somewhere else. And it was too loud to be just that little bit of water. Somewhere, there was a stream splashing among the rocks. Probably the stream that carved these tunnels, I'd wager. I could use a little cold water right now.

Dust and grit from the cave-in still coated his mouth and nose and face, and he realized he was extremely thirsty. Wonder how close I am to that? Last thing I want to buggering do is get lost.

He pressed his hand against one wall and walked into the deepening darkness, stepping slowly in case he suddenly found his foot hovering above space instead of rock. Keeping his hand firmly against the wall, he followed the curve of wall as it diverged, split, and rounded a soft corner. The soft hiss of water grew louder. Keep your hand to the wall, Guv'nor, that's it. You can't get lost that way. Just keep breathing, you can do this.

The passage narrowed and he took in a deep, steadying breath, shaking off panic. He could hear water ahead of him and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. The rock beneath his boots was covered with a thin pool of mud and water. In the heavy blackness ahead, he could see a faint glow.

What the hell?

The hiss of water had become a roar as he headed down the corridor, the darkness lifting. A million writhing ribbons of reflected sunlight sparkled over the undulating limestone roof. Glittering icicles of stone hung down like the teeth of a great beast, illuminated by the light pouring through a low opening in the rock ahead. Bender felt his breath leave him in an awed rush.

Ahead of him, the tunnel widened into chamber filled with clear, rushing water falling out of the edge of the pool, out of the chamber, and seemingly off the edge of the earth. The rush of water inside the chamber was deafening.

"Bugger me," Bender breathed. The sound of his own voice in his ears snapped him out of his trance. He shook off his stupor and stooped down, splashing the grit and dried blood from his hands and scooping the icy water up to drink.

It was clear and clean, so cold it made his teeth ache, and tasted of earth and rock and millennia. Bender sighed with pleasure. He leaned over and splashed his face clean, sucking in his breath as the icy drops shocked his skin. The cold eased the aching knot on his brow, the painful cuts and abrasions all over his hands.

So there's yet another way out. Bender stood up and clambered over the smooth rocks and that ran along the edge of the chamber, leaning heavily on the slippery limestone. He peered out through the opening, squinting in the bright light.

The water was pouring over the glassy lip of rock, falling down the dizzying rock face outside. He could see a boulder-filled, white-capped river far below, roaring away over the jagged landscape. Although...it isn't exactly an easy way out. Still, good to know it's here. Just in case. If it came down to it, I could probably rappel down if I absolutely had to.

He breathed a little easier knowing the waterfall was here. It made for a deadly dangerous exit...but if we have another cave in..it's a hell of a lot better than no exit at all, and that's the fair dinkum oil...

He made his way back across the rock edge, carefully finding the prints his boots had made in the mud before heading back down the corridor. The cold water had revived him, and the sight of the falls had helped him banish some of his fear of being trapped.

"Alright," he said out loud, scrubbing his wet hands across his thighs and fixing his palm back on the wall as a guide. "Like I said, Gov'nor. Piece of piss."

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