rds the town and then turned into a rift similar to that
by which they had descended to the shore.

"This way," he shouted, for the wind caught them here with tremendous
force, and great balls of foam were whirled up over the face of the
cliff and then away on the wings of the wind inland.

"What a difference!" cried Dick as soon as they had entered the rift:
for there was a perfect lull here, and all seemed comparatively at
peace.

"Yes, it is sheltered here," replied Dick; "but wait a few minutes and
you will feel the wind again."

"Yes. I want to feel it just as it comes off the sea. I'm going to
stand right at the edge. It won't blow me down, will it?"

"No; not there," said Will smiling. "Here we are. Now come and try."

As soon as they emerged from the shelter of the rift and stood upon the
storm-swept cliff, Dick had to clap his hand to his head to keep on his
hat, for the wind seized it and swept it to the extent of the lanyard by
which it was fortunately held, and there it tugged and strained like a
queerly-shaped kite.

The wind now was terrific, coming in deafening gusts, and more than once
making Dick stagger. In fact if he had set off to run inland it would
have almost carried him off his legs.

"Didn't--know--blow--so--hard," he panted, turning his back so that he
could breathe more freely, when the wind immediately began to part the
boy's hair behind in two or three different ways, but only to alter them
directly as if not satisfied with the result.

"Come along," shouted Will. "Let's get to the edge."

Dick turned round, caught at Will's extended hand, and leaning forward,
tramped with him step for step towards the edge of the cliff, which went
sheer down a couple of hundred feet to the shore.

They had to force their way sturdily along for about a hundred yards
with the wind as it came right off the Atlantic shrieking by their ears,
and deafening and confusing them. The short wiry grass was all
quivering, and it was plain enough to understand why trees found it so
hard to grow where they were exposed to the fury of the sea breezes that
blew so many months in the year.

Step--step--step by step, the wind seeming really to push them back.
Now and then, when it came with its most furious gusts, the lads
regularly leaned forward against it as if it were some strange elastic
solid; and then, as they nearly reached the edge, it lulled all at once,
and right at the verge all was calm.