the edge of the
cliff before it curves over and continues its furious journey over the
land, leaving at the brink a spot that is undisturbed.

These places were favoured always by the boys, who would generally be
the only living creatures visible, the birds having at the first
breaking out of the storm hastened to shelter themselves on the other
side of the island.

"Sea's pretty busy cave-making to-day," said Vince, on one of these
stormy mornings. "I wonder what it's like in the cave in front of our
place."

"All smooth, of course," said Mike. "It's on the other side, and it's
shut-in, so I daresay it doesn't make a bit of difference there. I say,
oughtn't we to go there again?"

"You want to open some of those packages," said Vince, as he reached his
head a little way over the side of the cliff to gaze down at an enormous
roller that came plunging through the outlying rocks a couple of hundred
feet below. "Well, what of that?"

"Phew! My!" cried Vince, drawing back breathlessly and wiping the
blinding spray from his face. "You can't do that, Ladle. I believe you
might try to jump down there and find you couldn't. The wind would
pitch you up again and throw you over into the fields."

"Shouldn't like to try it," said Mike drily. "But I say, why shouldn't
I want to open the bales and kegs and see what's in them?"

"Because they belong to somebody else, as I told you before."

"If they belong to anybody at all they belong to my father, and he
wouldn't mind my opening them."

"Don't know so much about that," said Vince stolidly. "I'll ask him."

"No, no; don't do that," cried Mike, in alarm; "you'll spoil all the
fun."

"Very well, then: you ask him what he thinks, then we should know."

"There's plenty of time for that. I never did see such a fellow as you
are, Cinder. What's the matter with you?"

"Wet," said Vince. "It was just as if some one with an enormous bucket
had dashed water into my face."

"Then you shouldn't have looked over. You might have known how it would
be. But look here: never mind the sea."

"But I do mind it. Hear that? Oh, what a tremendous thud that wave
came with!"

"Well, of course it did."

"Wonder how many years it will be before the sea washes the Crag all
away."

"What nonsense!"

"It isn't. I was talking to Mr Deane about it the other day, and he
says it is only a question of time."

"What, before the Crag's washed away? I should think it would