Free The Mystery of Smugglers Cove (The Mystery Series, Book 1) by Paul Moxham

right, trying to get the momentum of swinging back and forth happening. Once he did, he released one hand and tried to reach over to grab another bush, which was a few feet away.
    While it wasn’t as sturdy as the one that he had been holding onto, if he could succeed in grabbing it, he could repeat the manoeuvre until he came to the next one, which was sturdier. Plus, there was a slim ledge that he might be able to put his feet on once he had a hold on the far bush.
    On the third try, he was successful. He quickly released his other hand and started swinging again. He needed to be successful, and he had to be quick. There were already signs that this new bush would soon give way.
    This time, it only took him two tries before he succeeded. As he latched both hands onto the bush, he looked down and managed to get his feet onto the small ledge.
    For this, he was thankful. Even if it took ages for Amy to arrive, he would still be all right. There was no chance of him falling now with the ledge supporting him. Looking up, he yelled to Sarah and told her what was happening.
    ~
    Sarah leapt to her feet as she saw Amy and Mr Spencer run towards her. “Thank goodness you’re here. I was beginning to think something had happened to you since you were so long.”
    “Show me where Will is,” Mr Spencer said. “I need to assess the situation. Hopefully, we shan’t need anything else besides the rope. We don’t want him hanging down there any longer than is necessary.”
    Sarah quickly showed him the spot and Mr Spencer peered down.
    “Is that you, Dad?” Will shouted.
    “Yes. Hold on. I’ll be there in a jiffy. Sarah told me your feet are on a ledge, and you’re hanging onto a bush. Is that correct?”
    “Yes,” Will replied.
    “Okay. I’ll try to get directly above you, but not too close, and then I’ll throw the rope down. See if you can catch it. If so, tie it around your waist and give me a shout. Then the three of us can try to pull you up.” Taking the rope, Mr Spencer made sure that he had a grip on the other end before he threw down the rest.
    Will was quick to release one hand from the bush and grab the rope as it fell past. Using the ledge to support himself, he carefully released the other hand and used both to tie a knot. He was just about to make sure it was secure, when part of the ledge crumbled and fell.
    Caught unbalanced, he quickly made a grab for the bush, but it was too late. He had already started falling.
Chapter 13: Hanging By A Thread
     
    Mr Spencer was caught unprepared as Will’s weight on the rope pulled him towards the edge. He tried to dig his feet into the ground to stop the momentum, but it was no use. Slowly but surely, more and more rope was going over the edge. Unless he did something soon, the rope would snap and his son would plummet to the rocks below.
    If they were to succeed, they needed to attach the rope to something solid. A tree would do the job. As luck would have it, there was a strong tree not too far away. But unless they attached it soon, there wouldn’t be enough rope to reach it since, as every second passed by, the rope got shorter.
    Sarah grabbed the end of the rope and raced back towards the tree while Amy helped Mr Spencer. After reaching the trunk, she quickly went around it and tied two knots in the rope.
    Finally, the rope stopped moving. They were just in time. Mr Spencer’s legs were almost over the edge. He released the rope from his grasp and collapsed. It had taken every muscle in his body to stop the rest of it from going over the edge.
    Breathing heavily, he staggered to his feet. His arms were tired, but the danger was not over yet. He peered over the edge. He let out a sigh of relief. Will was still tied to the rope.
    But he was hanging in mid-air. They had to haul him up quickly. There was no knowing when the rope would break.
    Mr Spencer looked at the girls. “We all need to hold onto the rope and pull Will up. It will be hard, but if one person