low that they decided they might as well cross the sands,
instead of keeping close under the cliffs; they made a bee-line,
therefore, for the opposite headland, jumping over the narrow channels
that intercepted their path. On the flat sandbank they found at least a
dozen large jellyfish, left stranded by the tide. Aldred insisted upon
picking up some of these and restoring them to their native element; and
she kept poking about in so many heaps of seaweed, and investigating
such a number of species, that the other girls began to despair of ever
getting her back to Birkwood.

"We shall be all in the dark if we don't mind!" remonstrated Phoebe.
"We've been sauntering along as if we had the whole day before us."

"And as if there were no tide! Just look behind you!" exclaimed Myfanwy.

Phoebe turned round uneasily. What she saw was enough to make her
shout wildly to the others, and set off running as fast as she could
towards the cliff in front. All the time they had been amusing
themselves with the jellyfish, the water had been creeping stealthily
and silently up, and had flowed in an ever-widening channel between them
and the land. Except for a narrow space, which led to the rocks at the
end of the promontory opposite, they were entirely cut off; and unless
they cared to swim it was utterly impossible for them to reach the
beach.

Most of them were good runners, and could do well enough at the school
sports; but it seemed quite a different matter to race with the tide,
and much too risky a performance to be appreciated. They just reached
the rocks before the sands were entirely covered, and were obliged to
splash anyhow through pools, getting their feet horribly wet, for there
was no time to stop and take off their shoes and stockings.

Once on the promontory they were safe enough, and they began to make
their way back towards the mainland, scrambling over the rocks, which
were slippery and slimy with seaweed, and becoming extremely draggled in
the process. There were several claps of distant thunder, and rain,
which had been threatening for some time, suddenly descended in a
drenching stream. The tide came thundering in, dashing great waves
against the rocks, and sending showers of spray to join the rain.

The girls plodded steadily on, hoping that they would soon regain the
beach; but it was hard walking, and they were getting wetter every
minute. All at once they came to a full stop. In front stretched a
channel