Part 38 (1/2)
Mike shook his head as they lay there upon their breasts, with their heads hidden behind tufts of heather; but Vince was right as to the old in to climb deliberately up to the level, look cautiously round, and then, bent of back, trudge slowly off in the direction of his home; while, as soon as he ell on his way, the boys crept doard till they were at the foot of the rocks, when Vince cried:
”Now then: lizards!” and began to crawl at a pretty good rate towards the way down to the natural dock, quite out of sight of the old ed way doas reached, and here they were able to rise erect and begin to descend in the nor off rapidly
”Come on!” he cried; ”old Joe will never know I say, we have 'sarcumwented' him, as he'd call it”
”Yes, it's all very well,” said Mike, whose conscience was pricking hihtn't to”
”Pooh!” cried Vince; ”this is nothing”
”Some one is sure to say he has seen the boat out”
”Well, I don't care if he does Joe ought to have lent us the boat; I'h for hiht co, and stop us”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
A RISKY TRIP
But the old fisherman did not return, and they took down mast, sail, oars, and boat-hook, cast the little craft loose, ju the channel, without startling any h, a good thrust or two given, and the boat glided out over the transparent waves, Mike thrusting an oar fro till they ell out from the shelter of the rocks, when he drew in his oar and helped to step the little liding swiftly along, with Vince cautiously holding the sheet and Mike steering
”As if we couldn't”Starboard a little, Ladle Rocks”
Mike knew the sunken rocks, though, as well as he, and carefully gave them a wide berth; while, as they reached out farther froht the full power of the soft south-westerly breeze, the boat careened over, the water rattled beneath her bows, and away they went, steering so as to clear the point and get well abreast of the Scraw before going in to investigate, and try if there was an easy way of reaching the sheltered rounded cove
For some time every rock and point was perfectly familiar; they knew every cavern and rift, and talked and chatted about the days when they had fished here, gone egging there, and clian to look strange
”Good job for us that Joe's place is on the other side of the island,”
said Vince cheerily ”I say, what a galass to try and make out what craft it was?”
”But he isn't this side,” said Mike ”I say, think there are any rocks out here?--because I don't know them”
”I don't think there can be,” said Vince ”Reo?”
”Yes,” said Mike; ”but ere half aabout the current”
”Well, of course I don't know,” said Vince; ”but the water looks s up if there were any rough rocks at the bottohtfully ”Now, look: oughtn't we to be seeing the ridge over the Scraw by this time?”
”Not yet,” replied Vince, as carefully scanning the coast now
”We've only just passed the point; and it ”
They both scanned the cliffs very carefully, but they all looked rand, as they towered up fro a place where any one could land