Part 14 (1/2)
”Are you all right?” said Mike anxiously, for he was by far the ht?--yes; but I feel like a cow tethered to a picket, so that I can't reach the bit of grass sward Now then, loay”
Mike obeyed, with the pal very moist, as his companion drew closer to the brink
”Loay!” cried Vince
”No: that's close enough,” said Mike decidedly ”Look from where you are, and come back Now then, what can you see?”
”A bit of moss and a patch of sea-pink just under e if you hold ht up like this? Ah!”
”What is it?” cried Mike, holding on to the rope with all hison the rock, over which it had slowly glided
”Only a loose stone gave way underto hear the fragment rebound and strike somewhere, but he listened in vain The fall of the stone, however, had its effect, for a wild chorus of whistling and screas caht, and were spread to right and left
”Hadn't you better come back now?” said Mike anxiously
”If I do it will be to make you come down instead Why, you're worse than I am, Mike! Now then, loay! I only want about a fathoht”
”Very well, then,” said the lad: ”I'll give you just six feet, and not a bit more Then you shall come up”
”Say seven,” cried Vince merrily
”No: six That's what you said; so make much of it”
”Loay, then!” cried Vince; and he carefully descended, after a glance over his left shoulder, creeping cautiously down, and edging to his left till he was just over the block at the edge which he had oal
”That's four feet, mind!” cried Mike: ”only two more”
”Good little boy!” said Vince merrily ”Four and two dothe other day about the ebra”
”You look after your cliebra,” said Mike huskily
”Now, Mikey!” cried Vince; ”hold on--tight as you can”
”Yes Don't you want the other two feet?”
”Of course I do; but I' to turn over”
”No, no, I say--don't!” cried Mike ”Do think where you are! Have a good look, and then come up”
”Here, I say, you'd better come down instead of me I can't see out of the back of my head if you can Now, no nonsense This is what I want to do: I' to turn over, with my back to the cliff, and then shuffle down that other two feet, with s on each side of that piece of stone”
”But it's at the very edge,” said Mike ”Good boy again! Hoell you can see, Ladle! It is just at the edge; and, once I'm there, I can see down either way”
”But it isn't safe, Cinder I can't help being anxious Suppose the stone's loose, and gives way?”
”Why, then it will fall down and frighten oes, you'd still hold on by the rope, and I should be left sitting there all the same I shouldn't do it if I didn't feel that I could I'm not a bit nervous, so hold on”