"These rocks crumble off sometimes, Miss Montague," added Bobtail,
timidly approaching the spot.

"There isn't any danger," answered the wilful miss.

"Do you know what they call this place?" asked Bobtail.

"I'm sure I don't."

"Lover's Leap," laughed the young skipper. "The story is, that an Indian
girl came to this island, and jumped off this cliff, because her father
wouldn't let her marry the man she wanted."

"Where did she come from?" asked Miss Walker.

"I'm sure I don't know."

"Pooh! I don't believe any Indian girl leaped off these rocks. It
wouldn't hurt her any if she did," sneered Miss Montague.

"But she would drown in the water," suggested Bobtail.

"Well, I don't believe the story, because I think there are a thousand
just such cliffs, and some Indian girl leaped off every one of them,"
persisted Grace Montague. "I have seen ever so many 'Lover's Leaps'
myself, and the stories about them are nothing but stories."

"Perhaps this story is true," said Miss Walker, who was perchance more
sentimental than her companion.

"I don't believe a word of it. If the Indian girl wanted to drown
herself, why should she come way out here, when she could find deep
water enough near the shore?"

"Perhaps it was to get away from her friends," suggested Miss Walker.

"Perhaps it was, but I don't believe it. If I wanted to drown myself, I
could find a better place than this," said Grace, rising, and standing
on a loose stone close to the edge of the precipice. "If it were not for
getting wet, I should just as lief jump off here as not;" and she swung
her arms just as though she intended to take the leap.

"Grace! Grace!" shrieked her mother, in frantic tones, as she saw her
daughter demonstrating in this dangerous manner.

The young lady was evidently startled by the shrill tones of her mother.
She swung her arms back, as if she had lost her balance, and then went
head first over the cliff. The loose stone on which she stood rolled
back, and it was plain now that her foothold had been very insecure.

"O, mercy, mercy!" screamed Mrs. Montague, as Grace disappeared over the
precipice.

[Illustration]

The poor mother rushed towards the cliff, and in her agony would have
thrown herself off, if the ladies with her had not held her. Little
Bobtail was appalled as he saw Grace go over; but he believed in action
rather than words. Kicking off his shoes, and divesting himself of his
bobtail coat, he made a