said Scood.
They climbed on by patches of ragwort all golden stars, with the ladies"
mantle of vivid green, with its dentate edge, neat folds, and pearly dewdrop in the centre, and by patches of delicate moss, with the pallid b.u.t.terwort peeping, and by fern and club moss, heath and heather, and great patches of whortleberry and bog-myrtle, every turn and resting-place showing some lovely rock-garden dripping with pearly drops, and possessing far more attraction for Max than the quest upon which they were engaged.
"Ah, only wait till you"ve been here a month," cried Kenneth, "and your wind will be better than this."
"Don"t you get as hot as I am with climbing?"
"I should think not, indeed. Why, Scood and I could almost run up here.
Couldn"t we, Scood?"
"Ou ay; she could run up and run town too."
"Is it much farther to the top?" said Max, after a few minutes" farther climb; and he seated himself upon a beautiful green cushion of moss, and then jumped up again, to the great delight of his companions, who roared with laughter as they saw a jet of water spurt out, and noted Max"s look of dismay. For it was as if he had chosen for a seat some huge well-charged sponge.
"I--I did not know it was so wet."
"Moss generally is on the mountain," cried Kenneth. "You should sit down on a stone or a tuft of heath if you"re tired. Try that."
"I"m so uncomfortably wet, thank you," replied Max, "I don"t think I"ll sit down."
"Oh, you"ll soon dry up again. Let"s go on, then. We"re nearly up at the top."
Kenneth"s "nearly up at the top" proved to be another twenty minutes"
arduous climb, to a place where the water came trickling over a perpendicular wall of rock ten feet high, and this had to be scaled, Max being got to the top by Scood hauling and Kenneth giving him a "b.u.mp up," as he called it. Then there was another quarter of an hour"s climb in and out along the steep gully, with the stones rattling down beneath their feet, and then they were out, not on the top, as Max expected, but only to see another pile of cliff away to his right, and again others beyond.
They had reached the top of the range of cliff, however, and away to their left lay the sea, while, as they walked on along the fairly level cliff, Max felt a peculiar shrinking sensation of insecurity, for only a few yards away was the edge, where the face fell down to the sh.o.r.e.
"Don"t walk quite so near," he said nervously.
"Certainly not," said Kenneth politely. "Do you hear, Scoody? don"t go so near. It"s dangerous. Come this way."
As he spoke, he made his way, to Max"s horror, close to the verge, and, with a grin of delight, the young gillie followed him, to climb every now and then on the top of some projecting block right over the brink, and so that had he dropped a stone it would have fallen sheer upon the rocks below.
Max felt a strange catching of the breath, and his eyes dilated and throat grew dry; when, seeing his suffering, Kenneth came more inward.
"Why, what are you afraid of?" he said, laughing. "We"re used to it, and don"t mind it any more than the sheep."
"Tut it looks so dreadful."
"Dreadful? Nonsense! See what the sailors do when they go up aloft, with the ship swaying about. It"s quite solid here. Now, Scoody, aren"t we far enough?"
"Na. It"s just ahint that big stane where we shall gae doon."
"No, no; it"s about here," said Kenneth; and, going to the edge, he looked over.
Scoodrach chuckled.
"Can ye see ta nest, Maister Ken?"
"No; I suppose you"re right. There never was such an obstinate old humbug, Max; he"s always right. It"s his luck."
Scoodrach chuckled again, and went on about fifty yards to where a rough block of stone lay in their path, and as soon as they were by this, he went to the brink and looked down, bending over so much that Max shivered.
"There!" he cried, and Kenneth joined him, to look over as well, apparently at something beneath the projecting rock which was hard to see.
"Yes, here it is!" he cried, "Come and have a look, Max."
At that moment the party addressed felt as if he would like to cling to the nearest stone for an anchorage, to save himself from being blown off the cliff by some pa.s.sing gust, and he stood still, staring at his companions on the brink.
"Well, why don"t you come? You can just see where the nest lies--at least you can make out the bits of stick."
"I don"t think I"ll come, thank you," said Max.
"Nonsense! Do be a little more plucky."
"Yes," said Max, making an effort over himself; and he took a couple of steps forward, and then stopped.
"Well," cried Kenneth, "come along! There"s no danger."
As he stood there, with his gun resting on the rock beside him, Max could not help envying his cool daring, and wishing he could be as brave.
But he could not, and, going down on hands and knees, he crept cautiously toward the brink, and then stopped and uttered a cry, for something made a leap at him.
It was only Sneeshing, who had been forgotten, and who had been enjoying himself with a quiet hunt all to himself among the heather. As he trotted up, he became aware of the fact that his young master"s visitor was turning himself into a four-footed creature, and he leaped at him in a friendly burst of greeting.
"I--I thought somebody pushed me," gasped Max. "Call the dog away."
"Down, Sneeshing!" cried Kenneth, wiping his eyes. "Oh, I say, Max, you made me laugh so--I nearly went overboard."
Max gave him a pitiful look, and, from crawling on hands and knees, subsided to progression upon his breast as he came close to the edge of the rock and looked shudderingly down.
"See the nest?" said Kenneth, as he exchanged glances with Scoodrach.
"No, no. I can see a great shelf of stone a long, long way down,"
replied Max, shuddering, and feeling giddy as he gazed at the sh.o.r.e, which seemed to be a fearful distance below.
"Well, that"s where the nest is, only right close in under the rock.
Lean out farther--ever so far. Shall I sit on your legs?"
"No, no! don"t touch me, please! I--I"ll look out a little farther,"
cried Max, in alarm.
"D"ye think if ye teuk her legs, and she teuk her heat, we could pitch her richt oot into the sea, Maister Ken?" said Scoodrach, in a low, hoa.r.s.e voice.
Max shot back from the edge, and sat up at a couple of yards" distance, looking inquiringly from one to the other, as if fearing some a.s.sault.
"You"ll soon get used to the cliffs," said Kenneth. "I say, look, Scoody!"