Part 57 (1/2)

”Nonsense!” cried Archy angrily ”Absurd! Who ever heard of a phantom lobster-boat?”

dick shook his head, and then sat playing with the handle of his oar

”You dick,” cried Archy, ”you're a goose! There, it will not be safe to land, my lads Here, you two jump ashore as we back in Mind, just as the sea's off the ledge; and run up and have a good look round”

The boat was turned, backed in, and, seizing the right moment, the men jumped on to the rock just as the water was only ankle-deep, had a good search round, and cah the boat ithin an ace of being capsized

But they had seen nothing There was no boat, and they searched along soe and est, still without elucidation of the mystery; then they went as close under the cliffs as they dared go, in the hope of finding soh the rocks that escaped notice fronal now flying on the cutter, the boat was rowed back

”Well, Mr Raystoke, where's the boat?”

”Don't know, sir We never got sight of her”

”Then you rily ”There, breakfast, my lads, and be se of the cutter, while the lieutenant accoh cliff which contained the old quarry, and they rowed east for a couple of -point, and one four hundred yards under the cliff before the midshi+pman exclaimed excitedly,--

”There; that's the place: there!”

”Then why didn't you say so ere on deck? You could have seen it there”

”I could not tell without seeing it close in, sir; and besides it looks so different froht?”

”Oh yes, sir Look, that's the place--where there is that narrow rift, and if you look high up there is a hole There, I can see it plainly”

”Humph! Can you? Well, I cannot!”

”But you can see that broad ledge, sir, about two hundred feet up

That's where I clile--that boy and I”

”No, I can't see any ledges, Mr Raystoke There may be one there, but if you had not been upon it, I don't believe you would know that there was one”

Archy looked up at the towering pile of rock, and was obliged to own that he was right He shi+vered slightly as he swept the face of the cliff for the various points that had helped hiazed out there in cold blood, it seemed to have been an extremely mad idea to have attempted the descent

”Well, it is impossible to land here,” continued the lieutenant ”You are certain that this is the place?”

”Certain, sir”

”Good Then we'll go back to the cutter, and this evening a strong party shall land I'll lead them myself, and we'll try and surprise theht ht If so, we shall be on the spot”

”Won't you go at once?” Archy ventured to observe

”No, certainly not; ould be the good? We would be watched, of course, and the scoundrels would signal from hill to hill, and our every step would be known This evening, ive way”

The boat was rowed rapidly frohty cliff, and the midshi+pman could not repress a shudder as he noticed hoiftly the current ran right out to sea, and fully realised ould have been the consequences to any one who had tried to swied to descend in safety to the cliff foot