Part 1 (1/2)

The Adventure League

by Hilda T Skae

CHAPTER I

WHAT HAPPENED IN ERRICHA

It was very early on a bright sureen fields lay bathed in sunshi+ne; and round the shores of a s and splashi+ng, while in the distance the Highland hills raised their bare crests towards a cloudless sky

The sun had not long risen, and it see at this early hour; yet there was an unusual coh cliff The funny little puffins, with their red, parrot-like bills, were peering anxiously out of the crevices; while the curious little auks, standing erect in rows like black and white ly perturbed; and the kittiwakes flew screa their voices to the hoarser cries of the guille walls and pillars of rock

The cause of the birds' agitation was not far to seek Soe cliff, were crawling on their hands and knees upon the ledges, gathering eggs Tere boys; and the red cap and serge frock of another proclai between hi suspended by a rope, while the birds circled and screae ended in a sheer drop down to the sea; and putting so very carefully in his pocket, he rose to his feet and began to cli hold of the tufts of heather on the verge of the cliff, he swung hiround, and proved to be a boy of about ten years of age; thin and wiry, with a dark face and bright twinkling eyes His thin brorists had grown a long way out of the sleeves of his jacket; and he had torn a hole in the knee of each knicker

After rubbing his elbohich he had grazed against the rocks, he turned to speak to a little girl as sitting on a tuft of heather, looking so, yelloith a white ruffle round his neck, was lying i up at hiseyes

'Well, Tricksy,' said the boy; 'tired of waiting, eh?'

'Yes,' replied his sister, 'you've been a long tio down the cliffs with the rest of you

Laddie's tired of waiting too'

The collie rose upon hearing his na his tail and looking as though he would say, 'Co now, do; and tell the others to coh; let's all have a jolly scae of the cliff, followed i face frairl scraie! are you there already?' she said 'Howthe contents of his pockets; 'an auk's, two puffin's, and two kittiwake's Aren't they prettily s 'Better get Neil to blow them for you; he always does it the best I have only two, and another broke as I was getting it out; but oh, it was glorious down on these ledges! I'd like to have a scra!'

'I daresay,' broke in an exasperated little voice; 'fine fun for you others to get up at four in the o scras, saying that you'll only be five minutes, and then stay an hour!'

The child spoke in little rushes and gushes, and her eyes twinkled and looked pathetic by turns in her little dark, round face

'An hour, Tricksy! It can't have been so long as that!'

'Indeed it was, Marjorie, because I have Reggie's watch; he left it withhere, when you know I mayn't climb the rocks as you do'

'Poor Tricksy, what a sha you alone all that time Just wait until you are a year or two older, and then your mother will let you cliht that we had been away so long! Tis!'

She looked around with bright, fearless blue eyes; a tall, slight girl of fifteen, with a face so tanned by sun and wind as almost to have lost its extreme fairness, and with the quick, free movements which speak of perfect health and an open-air life