Of the twenty-two men who had plunged, only nineteen foregathered at the far side.
"'Twas bravely swum," said Ludar, "and though it has cost McDonnell three brave sons, it has won him Dunluce.

I promise you, we shall go back by land." I asked him, where next?
and he pointed up to what seemed a rock as sheer and threatening as ever we had met on the other side.

Nay, on this side, the castle itself seemed to hang clean over the edge.
"There is a path, I remember," said he, "by which in old days the McQuillans came down to the cave.

I went up it myself as a boy.

See here." And he led us a few steps round, as if back towards the cave; where was an iron spike driven into the smooth rock a little above the edge of the water.
He reached forward at this, and swung himself out over the water till his feet rested on a narrow ledge beyond, scarce the width of his boot, at the water's edge.