akes you pine for the flesh-pots of Kllligwent Hall, old man,"
exclaimed Vernon laughingly. "Never mind, let's make a move. I vote
we get rid of these sweaters. It is frightfully hot."

Stripping off their woollen garments, and placing them for safety under
a gorse bush, the two lads made their way up the steep ascent to the
ruins, till, hot and well-nigh breathless in spite of being "in
training", they reached the summit of the island.

"What a jolly view!" exclaimed Vernon, turning and taking in the
panorama of rocky coast-line, an expanse of jagged, frowning, brownish
cliffs topped by the brilliant green of the Cornish moorland.

"Not bad," agreed Ross complaisantly, for the view was no stranger to
him. "See that cliff shaped like the head and shoulders of a bearded
man? That's Hidden Money Cove that I was speaking to you about last
night. We'll go there next week, all being well. You see, there's not
a sail in sight, so our chances of getting back to dinner are very
remote. What's more, unless I'm very much mistaken, there's a
rain-storm coming. See that dark cloud working up against the wind?"

"Yes," assented Haye. "What of it? A little rain won't hurt."

"It's the after effect," said Ross. "It's quite possible it may blow
hard before night, in which case we're done for. I've known it
impossible to approach Killigwent Cove for a week at a time."

Vernon whistled.

"Sounds lively," he remarked.

"Of course that is in the winter," his chum hastened to remind him.
"These summer gales don't last very long, but we'll be feeling precious
hungry by the time we get home, I guess."

"Look here," said Vernon after a while. "I vote we get those sweaters.
We don't want to be soaked."

"Very well," assented Ross. "But there's no great hurry."

Having retrieved the sweaters, the chums leisurely retraced their way
to the ruins. For half an hour or more they wandered around the
remains, descending into the dark crypt, and running considerable risk
in climbing to the summit of the tower. Since the spiral stone steps
had vanished long ago, the only means of getting to the top was by
climbing the gnarled stem of the ivy which grew profusely on the face
of the building. The tower was roofless, a low, partly demolished
parapet encircling it on three sides, while a couple of weather-worn
oak-beams supporting a few planks formed a kind of platform where the
roof formerly existed.

"Think it's safe?" asked