[Cormorant Crag by George Manville Fenn]@TWC D-Link book
Cormorant Crag

CHAPTER EIGHT
3/13

It's the sort of thing that makes men go out in lifeboats, or swim off through the waves with ropes, or, as I've read, go into burning houses to get people out." Mike nodded, and they went on very thoughtful and dreamy over the purple heather and amongst the golden furze till they reached the edge of the scrub oak wood, where they stopped short and looked in each other's eyes again.
"What do you say?
shall we go and have another look at the place ?" "I feel as if I should like to," replied Mike; "and at the same time I'm a bit shrinky.

You won't do anything risky, will you ?" "That I just won't," said Vince decisively.
"Then come on." They plunged into the wood eagerly, and being more accustomed to the way they got along more easily; and decided as they walked that they would go to the southern end of the slope and then try and get up to have a look over the ridge from there, while afterwards they would make their way along the landward side of the jagged serrations of weather-worn granite points right to the northern end if they could get so far, and return at the bottom of the slope.
"That'll be more than any one in the Crag has ever done," said Vince, "and some day we'll bring Mr Deane, and see what he'll say to it." Little more was said, but, being of one mind, they steadily went on fighting their way through the difficulties which beset them on all sides, till, hot, weary and breathless, they neared the slope some considerable distance from the spot where they had approached it first.
Then, after a short rest, they climbed up, over and among the fallen rocks, with nothing more to startle them than the rush of a rabbit or two, which went scuttling away.
Half-way up they saw a couple of those fast disappearing birds, the red-legged choughs, and startled a few jackdaws, which went off shouting at them, Mike said; and then the top was won, and they had a long survey of the cove from another point of view.
But there was nothing fresh to see; all beneath them was entirely hid from view, and though they looked again and again as they continued their course along the ridge their patience and toil were not rewarded, for, save that they were from different standpoints, the views they obtained of the rocks and rushing waters were the same.
They continued along the ridge by slow climbing for a considerable distance, and then as if moved by the same spirit they stopped and looked at each other.
"I say," said Mike, "it don't seem any good to go any farther." "No," was the reply, given in a very decisive tone.

"The only way to see that place down below is to get there in a boat." "And old Joe Daygo says it's not right to go, and we should never get back; so we shall never see it." "I don't believe that," said Vince shortly.
"Well, I don't want to, but it seems as if he's right, and the more one looks the more one believes in him." "I don't," said Vince.

"The more I look the more I seem to want to go and have a thorough good search, and I can't help thinking he knows why." "Shall we try him again ?" Vince thoughtfully shook his head, as he gazed down once more from between two pieces of granite that the storms of centuries had carved till they seemed to have been set upon edge.
"Might offer him some money." "I don't believe he'd like it, and you know Jemmy Carnach once said that, though he always dressed so shabbily and never spent anything, he always was well off." "Well, then, what are we to do?
I want to see the place worse than ever.

It looks so tempting, and as if there's no knowing what we might find." "I don't think we should find anything about it but that it would be a good place for fishing.


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