o find the way in?"

"No," said Mike shortly: "I wouldn't go through what we did yesterday
for all the smugglers' caves in the world."

"Well, I don't think I would!" said Vince thoughtfully. "I'm sure I
wouldn't. I don't want all the smugglers' caves in the world. But it
was risky! Every time I went to sleep last night I began dreaming that
the boat was sinking from under me, and then I started up, fancying I
must have cried out."

"I got dreaming about it all, too," said Mike, with a shudder. "It was
very horrible!"

They sat thinking for some time, and then Vince tried to rouse himself.

"Come on," he said.

"No; I want to sit still."

"But you might walk half-way home with me."

"No," said Mike; "I feel too tired and dull to stir. Besides, if I come
half-way with you, I shall have as far to walk back as you have to go.
That's doing as much as you do. I'll come with you as far as the
corner."

"Come on, then," said Vince; and they started, after groaning as they
rose. "I feel stiff all over," sighed Vince, "and as if my head
wouldn't go."

They parted at the corner, with the understanding that they were to meet
as usual after dinner, and at the appointed time Vince came along the
roadside to where Mike lay stretched upon the soft turf.

But there was not the slightest disposition shown for any fresh
adventure, and the only idea which found favour with both was that they
should stroll as far as the cliff known to them as Brown Corner, and sit
down to go over the seascape with their eyes, and try and make out their
course on the previous afternoon.

Half an hour later they had reached the edge of the cliff, sat down with
their legs dangling over the side, and searched the sea for the rocks
they had threaded and for signs of the swift current.

But at the end of some minutes Vince only uttered a grunt and threw
himself backward, to lie with his hands under his head.

"I can't make anything of it, Ladle," he said impatiently; "and I'm not
going to bother. It looked horribly dangerous when we were in it
yesterday, but it only seems beautiful to-day."

"Yes," said Mike; "it's because we're so far off, and things are so much
bigger than they look. But it was dangerous enough without having the
boat leak."

"Horribly," said Vince. "I wonder we ever got back. Won't try it
again, then?" he added, after awhile.

"No, I won't," cried Mike, more emphatically than he had spoken that
day.

"Well