we," said Bob. "He'll be sure to get it, and then--oh, I say, Sep,
it will be a game!"

Once more I began to feel misgivings as to whether it would be such a
game; but I said nothing, only looked on sometimes at Bob, who, in
imitation of what he had seen at the quarries, or the places where they
blasted out shelves in the cliff-side for houses to be built, was busy
driving in a hole right under the big rock by means of the bar, and
sometimes at where Bigley was shuffling and sliding down the side of the
Gap till he disappeared behind the shed.

"If he gets the powder I wouldn't put much in," I said.

"Why not?"

"Because it may be dangerous."

"There, get out! Just as if I didn't know what I'm doing. I've watched
the quarry-men lots of times."

"Will it split the rock?" I asked.

"All depends how you put your charge," said Bob very sagely. "I'm going
to make it lift the rock, and drop it down over the side, and then away
it'll go and sweep a lot of those big bits with it, just as if they were
skittles, and they'll all go down like a big clatter stream to the
bottom."

"Here's a better place here," I said, crawling down on the opposite side
of the rock.

"No, it ain't," said Bob in his opiniated manner, and without looking.
"It ain't half so good. This is the place. Now go and look, and see if
old Big's coming back."

I rose up again, and shading my eyes looked down to the cottage, beyond
which the sea was glittering in the sun.

"No," I said; "not yet. Yes, he is: here he comes."

"Has he got it?" cried Bob.

"I don't know," I replied, "he's so far-off; but he has got something.
He's waving his handkerchief."

"Here, hi! Stop! Don't do that!" cried Bob, jumping up and throwing
his arms about. "You'll spill all the powder. There's an old stupid.
He don't take any notice."

"Why, how can he at all that distance away? You couldn't make him hear
if he was only a quarter as far."

Bob did not reply, but sat down watching, and I did the same, while poor
old Bigley came panting and toiling up the slope in the hot sun.

"Oh, isn't he jolly slow," cried Bob. "I wish I'd gone myself. It'll
take him all day."

"You'd have lain down and gone to sleep before you were half-way up the
hill," I said maliciously, and Bob tightened his lips.

"Go on," he said sourly. "I know what you want. You want to fall out,
but I sha'n't. I hate a fellow who always wants to get up a fight. I
came here to-