"Why, it must be running five or six miles an hour." From where they sat the sea seemed perfectly calm, a level plain of deepest blue, with pale green streaks under the rocks and dark purple patches further out, its surface just furrowed with tiny wind-ripples, and underneath, a long slow heave like the breathings of the spirit of the deep.

But, smooth as the blue plain seemed, wave met rock with roar and turmoil, and between that outlying peak and the shore the waters tore and foamed with wild white crests--tumbling green ridges that were never two seconds the same.

While all along the great black base of the peak the white waves rushed like mighty rockets, flinging long white arms up its ragged sides and crashing together at the end in dazzling bursts of foam.
"Wonderful!" said Gard.

"I've lain here for hours watching it." "I've swum it," said Nance quietly.
"So've I," said Bernel.
"Never! You two?
I wonder you came back alive!" "On the slack it's not so bad, and at half ebb." "And what is there to see when you get there ?" "Oh, just rocks, and puffins and gulls.

You can hardly walk without stepping on them.