th, red, clampy sides to it. What call
has the rocks to be red? I'm thinking when God made the rocks black,
and maybe white, it's black and white he meant them to be and no red. I
wouldna say but what there's something no just canny about a cave with
red sides to it higher than a man can stretch. Eh, but you've the chiney
white feet, Miss Una. Mind now you dinna scrab them on the wee shells.
Bide now, bide like a good lassie, till I spread the sheet for you to
tread on. You will no be for going right intil the cave? Would it no
do you to shout when you got to the mouth of it? I dinna like that cave
with the red sides till it. I'm thinking maybe there was red sides to
the cave where the witch of Endor dweft. Are you no sure that there isna
something of that kind, something no right in the gloom beyond there?"

"Neal's in it," said Una, "what's to frighten me?"

"Ay, sure enough, he's there, the poor bairn. Lord save us, and keep
us! The lassie's intil the water, and it up ower her head, and she's
drownded. No, but she's up again, and she's swimmin' along like as if
she was a sea maiden with hair all wet. Eh, but she swims fine, and
she's gotten hold of the wee boatie wi' the laddie's dinner on it. Look
at the white arms of her moving through the water, they're like the
salmon fish slithering along when the net is pulled in. She's bonny, so
she is. See till her now! See till her if she hasna lighted on some kind
of a rock. She's standing up on it, and the sea no more than up to the
knees of her. The water is running off her, and she's shaking herself
like a wee dog. She doesna mind it. She's waving her hand to me and her
in the very mouth of thon awful cave. Mine yourself, Miss Una, take heed
now, like a good lass. Dinna go further, you're far enough. Bide where
you are, and shout till him. Lord save us, she's off again, and the wee
boatie in front of her. I've known a wheen o' lassies in my time that
would do queer things for the lads they had their hearts set on, but
ne'er a one as venturesome as her. I'm thinking Master Neal himself
would look twice e'er he swam into thon dark hole. Eh, poor laddie, but
there'll be light in his eyes when he sees the white glint of her coming
till him where he's no expecting her or the like of her."

Indeed, Una was not so brave as she seemed. Her heart beat quicker as
she struck out into the gloom of the cave. The water was colder, or
seemed colder, than it had been outside. The splas