Part 14 (1/2)
”Why, yer don't , do 'ee?”
”Yes, I do, Ness Going to finish the celery trench?”
”Yes, sir; but the ground'swi' the spy-glass?”
”Over yonder along the cliffs to look at the Eilyguggs”
”Eh?” cried theyonder, past the houses?”
”Yes”
”Nay, nay, nay, I wouldn't go that away Go east'ard It's a deal better and nicer that way, and there's o that way another time,” said the boy, surlily, and he hurried on ”A nasty old cheat,” he muttered; ”does he takewater, then I shouldn't a bit wonder if it was sin But, there, I won't tell tales”
”Ahoy there!” shouted the gardener ”Master Aleck, there's a sight s yon other way”
”Yes, I know,” cried the boy ”Another time” Then to himself, ”Bother his officiousness! Wants to be very civil so that I shan't notice about his being there with that bottle”
Theround he saw to his surprise that he was being followed, the gardener shuffling after hio the other way?” thought the boy ”I didn'tto be dictated to by him I know, he wants to co for an hour or two and chatter and babble and keep on saying things I don't want to hear, as well as question ive hiain, for the swollen face was stiff and the nerves and muscles about his eyes in no condition for s on for a few yards till he was hidden from his follower by the thick shrubs, he stooped down, ran off to his right, and reached the path on the other side of the depression, well out of the gardener's sight; and reaching a suitable spot he dropped down upon his knees, having the satisfaction of watching thetill he ca the chasood vieard, and the ht hand to scan the narrow shelf-like declivity for quite ahis head, while he looked round and behind before having another scratch and appearing thoroughly puzzled
”Wondering how I hed Aleck to hi turn to right and left, after looking forward, ending by staring straight up in the air, and then backward, before giving his leg a sounding rap, and taking off his hat to wipe the perspiration froet so hot as that over his work,” said Aleck to hi heartily; and he had another good laugh when, after one ardener shook his head disconsolately and turned to walk back
”Given it up as a bad job,” he said, o now in peace”
He waited till the coast was clear, and then, stooping low, set off at a trot, getting well down into the gorge-like rift Striking off gradually to his right, he attacked the great cliff wall in a perfectly fae till he reached the top, glanced back to see that the gardener was not in sight, and then strode away over the short, velvety, slippery turf, with the edge of the cliff soh, rocky slope that led up to the scattered cottages of the Eilygugg fisherht
He soon reached a somewhat similar chasm to that which ended in his own boat harbour; but this was far wider, and upon reaching its edge he could look right down it to the sea, where at its ers and about half a dozen rowboats of various sizes were es lay round and about the head of the creek, and partly natural, partly cut and blasted out of the cliff side, ledge after ledge had been fores to the boats
But there was not a soul in sight, and nothing to indicate that there were people occupying the ashed cots, save some patches of white neashed clothes which were kept fro cobble stones--smooth boulders--three or four of which were laid upon the corners of the washi+ng
There was not even one fisheres, where all looked quiet and sleepy in the extre on, Aleck hurried round the head of the narrow rugged harbour, and was soon afterwell inland so as to avoid the great gashes or splits which ran up into the land and had to be circumvented, where they ended as suddenly as they appeared, in every case being perfectly perpendicular, with the water running right up, looking in some cases black, still, deep and clear, in others floored with foaed masses of rock that had in stor could have appeared ashes or splits in the stern, rocky coast, for they were turfed to the sharp edge, where an unwary step would have resulted in the visitor plunging doard, to drown in the deep, black water, or be mutilated by the rocks amidst which the waters foamed
But ”familiarity breeds contempt,” says one proverb, ”use is second nature” another, and there was nothing that appeared terrible to the boy, alked quickly along close to the edge, glancing perhaps at its fellow, in so so exactly the counterpart of that on the near side that it seemed as if only another convulsion of nature was needed to coain so that it would be possible to here death was now lurking
But there was nothing horrible there to Aleck who in every case turned inland to skirt the chas-places of the sea-birds which covered nearly every ledge, each one being alive with screa their necks to ed auks and puffins that darted to and fro with newly-captured fish in their bills
Aleck had left the ashed cottages behind, along with the last traces of busy human life in the shape of boat, rope, spar, lobster-pot, and net, to reach one of the ed and inaccessible parts of the rocky cliffs--a spot all jagged, piled-up rift with the corresponding hollows--and at last selected a place which looked like the beginning of one of the chasood hundred feet in depth, though its darkened wedge-shaped bottom was still quite a hundred feet above where the waves swayed in and out at the bottom, of the cliff The sides here were not perpendicular, but with just sufficient slope to allow an experienced, cool-headed cliff-clie and rock to rock till a nook could be reached, where, securely perched, one who loved cliff-scanning and the beauties of the ever-changing sea and shore, could sit and enjoy the onders of the place
The spot was exactly suited to Aleck's taste; and as old practice and acquaintance with the coast hadin lowering hie Here he perched hih of satisfaction, and watched for a tiaze with curious watchful eyes at the intruder upon their wild does, with beaks pointed, web feet stretched out behind, and short wings fluttering so rapidly that they were alular birds looked like so onally to the sea, and gliding over it for soed like arrow-heads, to disappear and continue their flight under water till they eed far aith some silvery fish in their beaks