of himself to tumble
us down the cliff; but there, as you are so nervous about me I will not
ride. Here, Bob, you ride the pony home, and I'll walk."

"Ride him home along the cliff path, father?" said Bob, looking rather
white.

"Yes, of course. Captain Duncan is afraid of losing his doctor, and you
are not so much consequence as I. Here, jump up, and ride on first.
Then we shall see where you fall."

Bob looked at me wildly.

"Not afraid, are you?"

"N-no, father," cried Bob desperately; and setting his teeth, he put his
foot in the stirrup, mounted, and rode on along the high path with the
rock on one side and the steep slope on the other, which ran down to
where the perpendicular cliff edge began, with the sea a couple of
hundred feet below.

"I don't think I'd do that, Chowne," I heard my father say in
remonstrance.

"Bah, sir! Give the boy self-reliance. See how bravely he got over his
scare. Haven't liked him so well for a week. Do you think I should
have let him get up if there had been any danger?"

"But there is danger," said my father.

"Not a bit, sir. The pony's as sure-footed as a mule. He won't slip."

No more was said, and in this fashion we walked home, with Bob in front
on the pony and me by his side, for I ran on to join him, my father and
Doctor Chowne coming behind.

Old Sam was outside as we came in sight of the cottage, and the old
fellow threw his hat in the air as he caught sight of us, and then came
to meet us at a trot, after disappearing for a moment in the house.

"I said you'd come back all right. I know'd it when they telled me
about the boat," he cried to me as he came up.

"Boat! What about the boat?" I said.

"One o' the fishermen picked her up, and as soon as I heered as her oars
and hitcher were all right, I said there was no accident. The rope had
loosed and she'd drifted away."

"But how did you know we had gone off in the boat, Sam?" I said
eagerly.

"How did I know?" he said. "Think when you didn't come back a man was
going to bed and forget you all?"

"Well, I hardly thought that, Sam," I said.

"Because I didn't, and I went right over to the mine and asked, and you
weren't there, and then I went to Uggleston's and heerd you'd gone out
in the boat, and that's how I know'd, Mast' Sep, sir."

"Here, Sam, run back and tell Kicksey to hurry on the breakfast," said
my father.

"Hurry on the braxfass, captain," said Sam grinning, "why, I told