ack, and routed about as
far as we could reach, there was no sign of a lobster large or small.

"Never mind," said Bob sourly, "they're rather out of season if you do
catch them now. I don't mind."

For another half hour or so, with the tide coming whispering and lapping
in, we went on prawning, getting a dozen fine ones.

Then Bob insisted upon bathing, and it was only by an effort we stopped
him from going into the water at so dangerous a spot.

It was Big who took off his attention at last, by telling him that he
could not scale the big rock and get on the top.

"Tchah!" cried Bob sneeringly; "why, I could almost hop on it."

We laughed at him, and he began to peer about for one of the surrounding
pieces to form a step to help him part of the way, but all were too
distant, the great stone lying quite isolated. There was one spot,
though, where the big stone was split, as if some gigantic wedge had
been driven in to open it a little way, and here, as it was encrusted
with limpets, there seemed to be a good prospect for us to climb up the
roughened sides.

As it proved it was like many tasks in life, it looked more difficult
than it really was, and by the exercise of a little agility and some
mutual help we contrived to get to the top, where there was a large
depression like a caldron, scooped out by the action of the sea upon a
heavy boulder lying therein, and which looked as if, when the waves
beat, it must be driven round and round and to and fro.

We all sat down with our legs in the hole, following Bigley's example as
he set himself to watch the coming of his father's boat, which was
growing plainer now every minute, and trying, by spreading all the sail
she could, to reach the Gap.

"I wonder how long she'll be?" said Bob, sitting there with his chin
upon his hands.

"About an hour," replied Bigley.

"What! Coming that little way? Why, she's close here."

"It isn't close here, and the boat's a good six miles away, I know,"
replied Bigley. "Distances are deceiving by the sea-side."

"Hark at the doctor," cried Bob; "he's going to give us a lecture. I
say, this isn't school."

It was very pleasant seated there on that smooth, warm platform of rock
in the glowing sunshine, and with the soft sea-breeze fanning our
cheeks. There was plenty of room, and before long we were all lying
down in various attitudes. Bob turned himself into a spread-eagle by
lying upon his back, and tilting his cap ove