Part 24 (1/2)
As he spoke the boat shot past one of those bold promontories of red sandstone which project along that coast in wild picturesque forms, terminating in some instances in detached headlands, elsewhere in natural arches. The cliffs were so close to the boat that they could have been touched by the oars, while the rocks, rising to a considerable height, almost overhung them. Just beyond this a beautiful bay opened up to view, with a narrow strip of yellow s.h.i.+ngle round the base of the cliffs, which here lost for a short distance their rugged character, though not their height, and were covered with herbage. A zigzag path led to the top, and the whole neighbourhood was full of ocean-worn coves and gullies, some of them dry, and many filled with water, while others were filled at high tide, and left empty when the tides fell.
”O how beautiful! and what a place for smugglers!” was Minnie's enthusiastic exclamation on first catching sight of the bay.
”The smugglers and you would appear to be of one mind,” said Ruby, ”for they are particularly fond of this place.”
”So fond of it,” said the lieutenant, ”that I mean to wait for them here in antic.i.p.ation of a moonlight visit this night, if my fair pa.s.senger will consent to wander in such wild places at such late hours, guarded from the night air by my boat-cloak, and a.s.sured of the protection of my stout boatmen in case of any danger, although there is little prospect of our meeting with any greater danger than a breeze or a shower of rain.”
Minnie said that she would like nothing better; that she did not mind the night air; and, as to danger from men, she felt that she should be well cared for in present circ.u.mstances.
As she uttered the last words she naturally glanced at Ruby, for Minnie was of a dependent and trusting nature; but as Ruby happened to be regarding her intently, though quite accidentally, at the moment, she dropped her eyes and blushed.
It is wonderful the power of a little glance at times. The glance referred to made Ruby perfectly happy. It conveyed to him the a.s.surance that Minnie regarded the protection of the entire boat's crew, including the lieutenant, as quite unnecessary, and that she deemed his single arm all that she required or wanted.
The sun was just dipping behind the tall cliffs, and his parting rays were kissing the top of Minnie's head as if they positively could not help it, and had recklessly made up their mind to do it, come what might!
Ruby looked at the golden light kissing the golden hair, and he felt--
Oh! you know, reader; if you have ever been in similar circ.u.mstances, you _understand_ what he felt; if you have not, no words from me, or from any other man, can ever convey to you the most distant idea of _what_ Ruby felt on that occasion!
On reaching the sh.o.r.e they all went up to the green banks at the foot of the cliffs, and turned round to watch the men as they pulled the boat to a convenient point for re-embarking at a moment's notice.
”You see,” said the lieutenant, pursuing a conversation which he had been holding with the captain, ”I have been told that Big Sw.a.n.kie, and his mate Davy Spink (who, it seems, is not over-friendly with him just now), mean to visit one of the luggers which is expected to come in to-night, before the moon rises, and bring off some kegs of Auchmithie water, which, no doubt, they will try to hide in d.i.c.kmont's Den. I shall lie snugly here on the watch, and hope to nab them before they reach that celebrated old smuggler's abode.”
”Well, I'll stay about here,” said the captain, ”and show Minnie the caves. I would like to have taken her to see the Gaylet Pot, which is one o' the queerest hereabouts; but I'm too old for such rough work now.”
”But _I_ am not too old for it,” interposed Ruby, ”so if Minnie would like to go--”
”But I won't desert _you_, uncle,” said Minnie hastily.
”Nay, la.s.s, call it not desertion. I can smoke my pipe here, an'
contemplate. I'm fond of contemplation--
”`By the starry light of the summer night, On the banks of the blue Moselle,'
”Though, for the matter o' that, moonlight'll do, if there's no stars.
I think it's good for the mind, Minnie, and keeps all taut.
Contemplation is just like takin' an extra pull on the lee braces. So you may go with Ruby, la.s.s.”
Thus advised, and being further urged by Ruby himself, and being moreover exceedingly anxious to see this cave, Minnie consented; so the two set off together, and, climbing to the summit of the cliffs, followed the narrow footpath that runs close to their giddy edge all along the coast.
In less than half an hour they reached the Giel or Gaylet Pot.
CHAPTER NINETEEN.
AN ADVENTURE--SECRETS REVEALED, AND A PRIZE.
The Giel or Gaylet Pot, down into which Ruby, with great care and circ.u.mspection, led Minnie, is one of the most curious of Nature's freaks among the cliffs of Arbroath.
In some places there is a small sc.r.a.p of pebbly beach at the base of those perpendicular cliffs; in most places there is none--the cliffs presenting to the sea almost a dead wall, where neither s.h.i.+p nor boat could find refuge from the storm.