at clung to the
granite was washing to and fro, as the waves rushed foaming in and out
among the huge blocks of stone, some of which were every now and then
invisible, and then seemed to rise out of the sea like the backs of huge
shaggy sea-monsters playing in the nook.

Josh had taken the oar from Dick, and had now assumed the sole guidance
of the boat, rowing slowly with his head turned towards the shore, and
once or twice there was a scraping, bumping noise and a jerk or two,
which made Arthur seize hold of the side.

"Is it safe to go in here?" said Mr Temple.

"Oh! you may trust Josh, sir," exclaimed Will. "It wouldn't be safe at
high water, but there's no danger now."

"Not of getting a hole through the boat?"

"Boomp--craunch!"

Arthur turned quite white, while Dick laughed.

"That's only her iron keel, sir," said Will, for Josh was too intent
upon his work to turn his head for answer. "The wave dropped us on that
rock, and we slid off, you see, on the keel. Now we're in deep water
again."

The action of the waves close inshore on that rugged coast, even in that
calm weather, was sufficient to raise them up three or four feet and
then let them down, while the water was so clear that they could see the
weeds waving and streaming here and there over the tinted rock, patches
of which, where they were washed bare, were of the most brilliant
crimsons, purples, and greens.

Josh was guiding the boat in and out along a most intricate channel, now
almost doubling back, but always the next minute getting nearer to a
beautiful white patch of strand, beyond which was a dark forbidding
clump of rocks piled-up in picturesque confusion, and above which the
gaunt cliff ran up perpendicularly in places till it was at least three
hundred feet above their heads, and everywhere seeming to be built up in
great blocks like rugged ashlar work, the joints fitting closely, but
all plainly marked and worn by the weather.

"Sit fast all!" said Josh; "here's a wave coming!"

He gave one oar a sharp tug to set the boat's head a little farther
round, and Arthur sprang up and with a sort of bound leaped to his
father's side, clinging to him tightly, as a loud rushing, hissing sound
rose from behind, and a good-sized wave came foaming in and out among
the great blocks of stone, as if bent on leaping into and swamping the
boat; but instead of this, as it reached them it lifted the boat, bore
it forward, bumping and scraping two