entleman made you do it."

"No; anybody who saw a person in danger would try and save his life; and
you would have tried to save mine."

"But I might have slipped and gone over the cliff."

"You wouldn't have thought about that," said Archy quietly. "You did
not think about the danger when you saw me trying to escape."

"No, I didn't, did I?" said Ram thoughtfully. "I knew how savage father
would be if you got away and fetched the sailors; and he told me I was
to see you didn't get out, so I come down after you."

"And you would have done as I said."

"Well, praps I should," said Ram, laughing; "but, as we didn't neither
of us go over, it's no use to talk about it. My! How it does ache!"

He turned himself a little, so as to plant his back against the rock,
and let his legs hang down over the edge.

"That's more comf'table. Bit of a rest. Hard work getting down here
and wrastling."

Archy was in so cramped and awkward a position, half kneeling, that he
followed his companion's example, shuddering slightly, though, as he let
his legs go down, and put his hands beside him to press his back firmly
against the rock.

"Frightened?" said Ram, who was watching him.

"I don't know about being frightened. It would be a terrible fall."

"Oh, I don't know," said Ram, leaning forward and gazing down into the
void. "Water's precious deep here. Such lots of great conger eels, six
foot long, 'bout the holes in the bottom. Jemmy Dadd and me's caught
'em before now. Most strong enough to pull you out of the boat.
Dessay, if you went down, you'd come up again, but you couldn't get
ashore."

"Why? A good swimmer could get round the point there, and make for the
ledge where I saw you and that man land."

"No, you couldn't," said Ram; "it's hard work to get round there with a
boat. You do have to pull. That's where the race is, and it would
carry you out to--oh?"

The boy was looking down between his legs as he spoke; and the
midshipman just had time to dart forward his hand, catch him by the
shoulder, and drag him back, or he would have gone off the rock.

Ram lurched over sidewise, his sun-browned face mottled and
strange-looking, as his head dropped slowly over on to the midshipman's
shoulder, where it lay for a good ten minutes, Archy passing his arm
round the boy, and supporting him as he lay there, breathing heavily,
with his eyes half-closed.

It was a terrible position; and a cold, damp perspiratio