A great sharp-winged bird came over the cliff from landward, and was about to glide down to the shelf of rock, when, seeing the boat and its occupants, the bird uttered a piercing shriek, and swept away northward.
"That"s the c.o.c.k," cried Kenneth. "No mistake about the young ones, Scood. Now, then, how shall we get "em?"
Scood was silent.
"Do you hear, stupid?"
"Ou ay, she can hear, Maister Ken."
"Well, how are we to get them?"
"Aw"m thenking," said Scood, as he stared up at the beetling crag, which was for the most part absolutely perpendicular.
"Hit him on the head with that oar, Max, and make him think more quickly."
"She couldna get up anywhere there," said Scood slowly, as he scanned every cranny of the cliff face.
"Oh yes, we could, Scood."
"Nay, Maister Ken, an" ye see, if we was to tummle, it wouldn"t be into the watter, but on to the rocks."
"Oh, we shouldn"t tumble. You could climb that, couldn"t you, Max?"
"No, not without a ladder," replied Max thoughtfully; "and I never saw one long enough to reach up there."
"No, I should think not. Look here, Scoody, one of us has got to climb up and take those young ones."
"She couldna do it."
"You"re afraid, Scoody."
"Na, she isna feared, but she couldna do it."
"Well, I shall try."
"No, don"t; pray, don"t! It looks so dangerous."
"Nonsense!"
"She couldna clamber up there fra the bottom," said Scoodrach slowly, "but she could clamber up it fra the top."
"No, you couldn"t, stupid; it hangs over."
"An" we could tak" a rope."
"Come on, then," cried Kenneth, seizing the tiller; and Max felt his hands grow damp in the palms as he looked up at the top of the precipice, and saw in imagination one of his companions dangling from a rope.
"Which will be best--forward or backward?"
"Yonder where we landed to get the big corbies," said Scoodrach; and the boat was run on for about a quarter of a mile, to where a ravine ran right up into the land, looking as if a large wedge had been driven in to split the cliff asunder.
The boat was steered in, the sail lowered, and Scood immediately began to set free one of the ropes.
"Think that"ll be strong enough, Scoody?"
"Na."
"Then why are you casting it loose?"
Scoodrach gave his companions a cunning look, and made the rope fast to a ring-bolt, and then leaped out and secured the other end to a ma.s.s of rock.
"That"ll hold her," he said. "Unto the ither."
"Oh, I see what you mean now," cried Kenneth, unfastening the mooring-rope from the ring in the bows. "Yes, that"ll do better."
"She"ll holt twa laddies hanging on at aince," said Scoodrach. "Na, na, ton"t to that."
"Why not?"
"Because she"ll want ta c.r.a.pnel."
"Scood, you"re an old wonder!" cried Kenneth; "but you"ll have to carry it."
"Ou ay, she"ll carry her," said the lad coolly; and, getting on board again, he lifted and shouldered the little anchor, so that one of the flukes hung over his shoulder and the coil of rope on his arm.
"She"s retty," he said.
"All right. Come on, Max, and we"ll send you down first."
"Send me down first?" said Max, looking wildly from one to the other.
"To be sure. You can"t fall; we"ll tie the rope round you and let you down, and then you can turn round gently and get roasted in the sun."
Scood laughed.
"You"re bantering me again," said Max, after a few moments.
"Ah, well, you"ll see. Stop back if you"re afraid."
"I"m not afraid," said Max firmly, but his white face spoke to the contrary. All the same, though, he drew a long breath, and jumped out of the boat to follow Scoodrach, who took the lead, tramping st.u.r.dily over the rough rocks of what proved to be a very stiff climb, the greater part of it being right down in the stony bed of a tiny torrent, which came gurgling from stone to stone, now dancing in the sunshine, and now completely hidden beneath the debris of ruddy granite, of which a d.y.k.e ran down to the sea.
"Hard work for the boots, Max, isn"t it?" said Kenneth, laughing, as he came along behind, active as a goat, and with his gun on his shoulder.
"Yes," said Max, perspiring freely. "Isn"t there a better path than this?"
"No; this is the best, and it"s beautiful to-day. After rain this is a regular waterfall."
"Ou ay, there"s a teal o" peautiful watter comes town here sometimes,"