Mylor

Davina ran forward to take the rope from his hands. He looked at me as if I was some kind of freak as I made two central loops and wound them around the pole. I trailed the loose ends carefully and evenly to the cliff, playing them out until they found their way to the ledge and Miss jinks. The filly was beginning to recover her strength. Although still stunned and winded, her eyelids flickered as the dangling rope brushed her coat. Aziz said quietly, `Mylor cannot lift such a weight. It is asking too much.' `Mylor has the strength,' Angel stressed. `It's Alfie who'll be taking the risks.' I took a rope in each hand, turned my back to the cliff edge, and tried not to think about what I was doing. The ground was squashy underfoot, and the continuous drizzle of rain had plastered my cargo pants to my legs. Crusty layers of tiny shellfish bit into my knees and scraped my ankles as I scrabbled to get a footing. The smell of the sea drowned all other scents. Hearing the echo of the surf all around me was like lowering myself off the edge of the world. I hung suspended, dangling some five metres from Miss Jinks. The wind swung me about as I released first one hand and then the other, letting the rope slide wetly through my fingers as I slowly dropped. Davina leaned forward, speaking softly. `Are you all right, Alfie? It looks awfully dangerous.' `I'm okay,' I called back. `Is Mylor managing the strain?' `He's superb. I have to keep pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming.' It was more like a nightmare than a dream. My feet had found the ledge but they were slipping on the slime-covered moss. I dropped to my knees, clutching the ropes for grim death. Miss Jinks's eyes were fully open now, and she moved her head to look at me. `Easy girl,' I soothed. `Just lie still and I'll do my best to get you up from here.' Davina said brokenly, `How badly is she hurt - can you see?' I raised a soaking sleeve in an attempt to wipe some sweat from my eyes. `She's just dazed,' I replied. `I'm going to fasten the ropes to her saddle and then everything depends on Mylor.' The rain and wind were cold, and I could feel the stiffness of cramp creeping into my legs. I crawled towards Jinks and began threading one of the ropes under her saddle from her withers to her loins. It slid easily through the channel and I saw her plaited mane quiver as the rope made its way over her spine. After a lot of fumbling I'd secured both ends with a school-boyish clove-hitch knot and I reckoned we were ready for the lift. I dragged myself upright and gave Davina the best smile I could manage. `The lifeline's attached,' I called out. `Take Mylor back a couple of paces and we should be able to get Jinks to her feet.' Davina nodded eagerly and disappeared. I made sure the ropes were tangle free and waited for them to go tight. A minute passed. Sixty seconds of nail-biting stress. Nothing happened. `He won't move, Alfie!' Davina panted back into view. `I keep clicking my tongue and pushing against his chest, but he remains stubbornly still.' `Damn!' I cursed, guessing that Boff was being over cautious. `Try talking to him… tell him that Alfie wants him to take three strides backwards.' `W-what?' `Give him instructions. He understands vocal commands.' She flicked half-shed tears from her eyes and her lips tightened. `Oh, poo! You don't really expect me to believe -' `Trust me!' I shouted. `If you want to save Jinks then you'll do exactly as I say.' She opened her mouth as if she was going to argue further, thought twice about it, and closed it again. I breathed relief as she turned towards Mylor. A few seconds later the ropes began to move. Little chalky pebbles rained down on my shoulders as the slack was taken up. Miss Jinks seemed to know what was happening. As the ropes went tight and the saddle began to creak she made an attempt to get to her legs and stand. Her muscles were weak and her legs wobbled like rubber hoses, but with Mylor's support from above she managed to keep her balance and remain in an upright position. `She's on her feet!' I yelled. `Hold the ropes steady while I look for injuries.' I spent a couple of minutes running my hands over Jinks's flesh. There were no nicks or grazes and apart from a strained foreleg tendon she seemed surprisingly fit. Her strength was returning and she swished her tail in a what's-all-the-fuss-about manner, and gently nuzzled my hair. Davina, shivering, cried, `Are there any bones broken?' I shook my head. `None that I can see. She must have wrenched her near-fore when she fell. The tendon's hot to the touch and there's quite a swelling.' Davina pressed her hands to her mouth and nodded gratefully. `I'm coming back up,' I said. `I need to be on the surface for the lift.' I eased my foot into one of Jinks's stirrup irons and sprang for the ropes. The jerk brought down another little flurry of pebbles and I slipped back a couple of centimetres as my wet hands struggled for grip. I steadied myself, blinked the rain from my eyes, and tried not to notice the burning sensation in my shoulders as I began pulling myself up the incline. The last metre was the worst. I could to feel Davina's fingers closing around my wrists as she half dragged, half slid my body over the top. I fell on to my knees, gagging for breath and looked at the palms of my hands which were red and sore. Mylor's chestnut coat had darkened with the rain. The wetness showed off his muscles, making them stand out in hard shiny knots. The drizzle was now sweeping down in gusts and making life pretty miserable. Boff, I reckoned, was the only dry one among us. `Can he do it?' Davina's voice sounded thin and small as she glanced at Mylor. `Of course he can,' I reassured her. Keeping myself in line with Boff's vision, I whistled and waved Mylor back with my hands. His hooves dug deeply into the cliff's chalky surface and the ends of the pole seemed to bend with the strain of each stride. Miss Jinks was now well clear of the ledge. The girths were holding strongly and the filly remained calm as she dangled from the lifeline that would lift her to safety…