Part 10 (2/2)

Then, to Ralph's astonishment, the lad began to hum over his song again about the ravens as, completely ignoring those above, he took hold of the bush again, and leaned forward to gaze down into the dizzy depths as if in search of an easy path, but really to try and make out, in his despair, what would be his chance of escape if he suddenly rose to his feet and boldly jumped outward. Would he clear all the trees and come down into the river? And if the last, would it be deep enough to save him from injury at the bottom?

Where he had crossed was only ankle deep, but there was a broad, still patch, close up under the cliff, for he had noticed it as he came; but whether he could reach it in a bold leap, and whether it would be deep enough to save him from harm, he could not tell; but he was afraid that if he missed it he would be broken upon the pieces of rock which had fallen from above.

That way of escape was too desperate, and the more repellent from the fact that the beech-trees below prevented him from seeing what awaited him.

He busied himself in pretending to examine the knot he had made about the birds' legs, and then, raising his sword-belt, he pa.s.sed one young raven inside, leaving the other out, so that they hung from his back, not in a very comfortable position for them, but where they would not be hurt. All the time though the lad was scanning the rocky face, first to right then to left, to seek for a way by which he could climb down, escape upwards being impossible; and he had quickly come to the conclusion that if unmolested he could manage, by taking his time, to get down in safety.

He had just decided this when Ralph, who had remained perfectly silent, exclaimed abruptly, ”Now then, come up.”

Mark took not the slightest notice, and the order was repeated.

”Hear what the young master says?” growled Nick. ”Come up!”

”Are you speaking to me, fellow?” cried Mark angrily. ”Be off, I tell you, before I come up and chastise you.”

”Going to stand this, Master Ralph?” growled the man. ”Shall I heave a bit o' stone down upon him, and knock him off?”

For answer, Ralph drew back out of sight, and the two men followed at a sign, leaving Mark alone, seated upon his perilous perch; but directly after Ralph's head reappeared, and Nick's close beside it, when Mark realised--rightly--that the other man had been sent on some mission-- what, he could not tell, but in all probability to fetch more help, so as to be sure of taking him.

”Now,” said Ralph sternly, ”are you coming up to surrender?”

”What!” said Mark sharply; ”why am I to surrender to you?”

”For trespa.s.s and robbery. This is my father's land, and those are our birds.”

Mark laughed scornfully to hide his annoyance, for conscience p.r.i.c.ked hard.

”Your land, indeed!” he cried. ”Wild moorland, open to anybody; and as to the birds, are all the crows yours too?”

Ralph did not condescend to reply, but lay there looking down at the young representative of his father's rival.

”I wish you good day, Master Owner of the land, and lord of the birds of the air,” said Mark mockingly. ”If you had asked me civilly, I might perhaps have given you a young raven. As it is, I shall not.”

”What are you going to do?” said Ralph sharply. ”Wait and see,” was the mocking reply. ”Shan't I heave this stone down on his head, Master Ralph?” said Nick in a low tone; but the words came plainly to Mark's ear, and sent a cold chill of horror thrilling through his nerves; but he felt better the next moment, and then anger took the place of dread, for Ralph said sharply, ”Put the stone down, sirrah! You know I want to take the wolf's cub alive.”

”Wolf's cub!” said Mark to himself. ”Never mind; I may meet him some day when it is not three to one, and then he shall find that the wolf's cub can bite.”

Then, conscious that his every movement was watched, he cautiously rose to his feet, made an effort to ignore the presence of lookers-on, and began to climb sideways along the ledge, by the route he had come.

Still he had no intention of going up, knowing full well that he would only be giving himself up to insult, and perhaps serious injury, taken at a disadvantage, as he felt that he must be; but calmly, and in the most sure-footed way, sidled along, with the ledge getting more and more narrow, but the hand-hold better.

In this way he pa.s.sed the spot where he had lowered himself down, and reached a slight angle, by which he expected, from long experience in cliff-climbing, to be able to descend to the next.

He was quite right, and it proved to be easier than he had expected; but a looker-on would have shuddered to see the way in which the lad clung to the rough stones, where the slightest slip would have sent him down headlong for at least three hundred feet before he touched anywhere, and then bounded off again, a mere ma.s.s of shapeless flesh.

Mark knew of his danger, but it did not trouble him, for his brain was too much occupied by the presence of young Darley; and as he descended he felt a slight flush of pride in doing what he was certain his young enemy dare not attempt.

In a moment or two he was standing safely--that is, so long as he held on tightly with his fingers in the crack above--upon the next ledge, a few inches wide, and his intention had been to go on in the same direction, so as to be farther from his watchers; but he was not long in finding that this was impossible, and he had to go back till he was well beneath Ralph Darley, and saw that he must go farther still before he attempted to descend to the next rest for his feet.

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