jest like goin up stairs, an git out of the
way of the heaviest surf an the highest tide that these shores ever
saw."

"It all depends," said Phil, "on whether he staid about here, or went
farther up."

"Course--an it's my opinion that he did stay about here. He was never
such an old fool as to go so far up as we did. Why, ef he'd a done so
over them rocks, he'd never have got the use of his legs agin."

"Strange we don't see any signs of him."

"O, wal, thar's places yet we hevn't tried."

"One thing is certain--we haven't found any signs of him. If anything
had happened, we'd have seen his basket floating."

"Yes, or his old hat."

"I should think, if he were anywhere hereabouts, he'd hear the noise;
we are shouting loud enough, I'm sure. As for your voice, why, he
ought to hear it a mile away; and the point down there doesn't seem to
be a quarter that distance."

"O, it's further than that; besides, my voice can't penetrate so easily
down thar. It gits kine o' lost among the rocks. It can go very easy
in a straight line; but when it's got to turn corners an go kine o'
round the edges o' sharp rocks, it don't get on so well by a long
chalk. But I think I'll try an divarsify these here proceedins by
yellin a leetle lower down."

So saying, Captain Corbet knelt down, and putting his head over the
cliff, he uttered the loudest, and sharpest, and shrillest yell that he
could give. Then he listened in silence, and the boys also listened in
breathless expectation for some time. But there was no response
whatever.

Captain Corbet arose with a sigh.

"Wal, boys," said he, in a mournful tone, "we must git on to the pint.
We'd ought to know the wust pooty soon. But, at any rate, I'm bound to
hope for the best till hope air over."

The little party now resumed their progress, and walked on towards the
point, shouting at intervals, as before.

From this place on as far as the point, the ground was clear, and there
was nothing to bar their way. They could go along without being
compelled to make any further detour, and could keep near enough to the
edge to command a view of the rocks below. They walked on, and shouted
without ceasing, and thus traversed a portion of the way.

Suddenly Captain Corbet's eye caught sight of something in the water.
It was round in shape, and was floating within a few feet of the shore,
on the top of a wave. As Captain Corbet looked, the wave rolled from
underneath it,