metal trellis free. They dumped it on the grass by the Land-Rover.
The burly young men were from a carpentry firm in Congleton, and they had brought the new windlass. It was made of treated oak and extremely heavy, although Sadie assured them the well's original uprights could take it. 'It's been made to measure,' she said, 'according to the plans and the engineer's report. It's perfect.'
The burly young men were happy enough to deliver the windlass, but they didn't like the idea of helping to fix it in place – at least until Martha walked around from the far side of the Land-Rover. Then they were only too pleased, stripping off their shirts and arguing about which of them was going to take the heavier end of the windlass. Martha smiled shyly at them, which only urged them to greater efforts, while Angela, Sadie and the Doctor all watched with amusement.
It took nearly an hour to install the spindle and the men were perspiring by the end of the job. They collected their shirts and then looked for Martha, who smiled warmly at them and linked her arm through the Doctor's. The men glowered at the tall, skinny geek in the tight suit and then clambered wearily back into the cab of their lorry. Everyone waved as the engine started and the lorry drove off in a cloud of black exhaust.
'Right then,' said Angela, clapping her hands in triumph. 'Let's put it to the test!'
'Already?' Sadie asked.
'Why not? At the very least it might help us see how deep the well is.'
The Doctor and Sadie installed the rope on the spindle, and then Martha wound it on. Her arms were aching by the time all one hundred feet was coiled around the windlass. Then it was simply a matter of attaching a bucket.
'You won't bring any water up, that's for sure,' cautioned Sadie. 'You may not even reach the bottom of the well – the bucket may get caught up in some of the vegetation.'
'Let's find out!' said Angela.
They wound the bucket down and slowly the rope uncoiled. Martha and the Doctor peered down the well-shaft but the bucket soon disappeared into the shadows.
'It's a deep one,' said the Doctor as the rope continued to play out. Eventually it went slack as the bucket came up against something.
'The bottom, do you think?' asked Angela.
'Can't tell. We must be seventy feet down already, though.'
Suddenly the rope went taut again, as the bucket dropped a little further.
'Hang on,' said Angela. 'It must have got caught on something, and now it's free.'
Then the rope began to play out again, the windlass spinning on its own.
'It's falling,' said Martha as the winch handle spun faster and faster.
The windlass whirred in its sockets and then suddenly jerked to a halt as the rope reached its end. A loud twanging emanated from the well-shaft as it drew as taut as a violin string.
'Wow, that's deep,' said Martha with a nervous laugh.
'Hang on, something's wrong.' The Doctor peered down the shaft. The rope was humming, a ruler-straight white line disappearing into the depths. 'It's being pulled!'
'What?' Martha ran to join him. 'How?'
Suddenly the windlass gave a loud crack and the uprights shuddered.
'It's going to break the spindle!' yelled Angela as the solid oak beam began to creak under the strain.
The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the rope and the tip glowed blue. The rope instantly unravelled and snapped, whipping like a headless snake as it was yanked down into the well.
Then silence.
'What was that all about?' wondered Angela quietly.
'Something's down there,' said Martha, her voice shaking slightly.
'Nonsense,' said Sadie. 'There can't be anything down there. Probably the bucket dislodged some loose brickwork from the shaft on the way down and the weight did the rest.'
The Doctor exchanged a glance with Martha and then said, 'There's only one way to find out.'
'What's that?'
He grinned at her. 'I'll have to go down and have a look myself!'
Ben and Duncan had uncovered the entire skeleton, much to Nigel's annoyance. He
The burly young men were from a carpentry firm in Congleton, and they had brought the new windlass. It was made of treated oak and extremely heavy, although Sadie assured them the well's original uprights could take it. 'It's been made to measure,' she said, 'according to the plans and the engineer's report. It's perfect.'
The burly young men were happy enough to deliver the windlass, but they didn't like the idea of helping to fix it in place – at least until Martha walked around from the far side of the Land-Rover. Then they were only too pleased, stripping off their shirts and arguing about which of them was going to take the heavier end of the windlass. Martha smiled shyly at them, which only urged them to greater efforts, while Angela, Sadie and the Doctor all watched with amusement.
It took nearly an hour to install the spindle and the men were perspiring by the end of the job. They collected their shirts and then looked for Martha, who smiled warmly at them and linked her arm through the Doctor's. The men glowered at the tall, skinny geek in the tight suit and then clambered wearily back into the cab of their lorry. Everyone waved as the engine started and the lorry drove off in a cloud of black exhaust.
'Right then,' said Angela, clapping her hands in triumph. 'Let's put it to the test!'
'Already?' Sadie asked.
'Why not? At the very least it might help us see how deep the well is.'
The Doctor and Sadie installed the rope on the spindle, and then Martha wound it on. Her arms were aching by the time all one hundred feet was coiled around the windlass. Then it was simply a matter of attaching a bucket.
'You won't bring any water up, that's for sure,' cautioned Sadie. 'You may not even reach the bottom of the well – the bucket may get caught up in some of the vegetation.'
'Let's find out!' said Angela.
They wound the bucket down and slowly the rope uncoiled. Martha and the Doctor peered down the well-shaft but the bucket soon disappeared into the shadows.
'It's a deep one,' said the Doctor as the rope continued to play out. Eventually it went slack as the bucket came up against something.
'The bottom, do you think?' asked Angela.
'Can't tell. We must be seventy feet down already, though.'
Suddenly the rope went taut again, as the bucket dropped a little further.
'Hang on,' said Angela. 'It must have got caught on something, and now it's free.'
Then the rope began to play out again, the windlass spinning on its own.
'It's falling,' said Martha as the winch handle spun faster and faster.
The windlass whirred in its sockets and then suddenly jerked to a halt as the rope reached its end. A loud twanging emanated from the well-shaft as it drew as taut as a violin string.
'Wow, that's deep,' said Martha with a nervous laugh.
'Hang on, something's wrong.' The Doctor peered down the shaft. The rope was humming, a ruler-straight white line disappearing into the depths. 'It's being pulled!'
'What?' Martha ran to join him. 'How?'
Suddenly the windlass gave a loud crack and the uprights shuddered.
'It's going to break the spindle!' yelled Angela as the solid oak beam began to creak under the strain.
The Doctor pointed his sonic screwdriver at the rope and the tip glowed blue. The rope instantly unravelled and snapped, whipping like a headless snake as it was yanked down into the well.
Then silence.
'What was that all about?' wondered Angela quietly.
'Something's down there,' said Martha, her voice shaking slightly.
'Nonsense,' said Sadie. 'There can't be anything down there. Probably the bucket dislodged some loose brickwork from the shaft on the way down and the weight did the rest.'
The Doctor exchanged a glance with Martha and then said, 'There's only one way to find out.'
'What's that?'
He grinned at her. 'I'll have to go down and have a look myself!'
Ben and Duncan had uncovered the entire skeleton, much to Nigel's annoyance. He
Similar Books
