'," said Sam,
sceptical to the last.

Dick stuck the lighted candle into the band of his hat, stepped out of
the boat, and began to climb, Sam watching his progress and offering
bits of cautionary counsel.  In a few seconds, when Dick's head
projected above the anchor, he saw that the ledge of rock, extending for
some distance on both sides, was the floor of a roughly rectangular
fissure, which penetrated the earth much as the tunnel below penetrated
the cliff.  It ran upwards.  The smoky light from the candle did not
reach far, but Dick, peering over the ledge, was unable to see any solid
background to the fissure.

"I've found the opening!" he said.

"What do 'ee say?" called Sam.  "Yer voice sounds all a mumble and a
rumble."

Clinging firmly to the ledge with both hands, Dick lowered his head and
repeated the words.

"Now yer satisfied, then," said Sam.  "Better come down afore the candle
goes out."

"No.  I'm going on."

"But chok' it all, you won't leave me all alone! I'm not afeard, not I;
but if there be three or four seals a-comin' home by-and-by, I can't
fight 'em all."

"You must come up too when I've looked a little farther."

"But you can't climb on to the ledge without summat to hold to.  Maister
Dick, think of yer feyther and mother, and what I'm to say if 'ee falls
and breaks yer neck, and I take 'ee home a gashly corp."

"Don't talk rubbish.  I shan't fall if you don't worry me.  I'm not
going to sit for hours longer in the boat till the tide goes down, so
hold your tongue till I am safe aloft."

Leaning well forward, he carefully lifted his foot to the next rung,
then to the next, watching the anchor to see that it was not displaced
by his movements.  Then he got one knee on the rocky shelf, stretched
his arms in front of him, and with a
', " said Sam, 
 sceptical to the last. 

 Dick stuck the alight candle into the isthmus of his hat, stepped out of 
 the boat, and began to rise, Sam watching his progress and propose 
 bit of cautionary counsel.   In a few seconds, when Dick's head 
 project above the anchor, he saw that the ledge of rock, gallop for 
 some distance on both sides, was the floor of a roughly orthogonal 
 fissure, which permeate the land much as the tunnel below penetrated 
 the cliff.   It carry upwards.   The smoky light from the candle did not 
 reach far, but Dick, peering over the ledge, was ineffective to see any firm 
 background to the fissure. 

 " I've found the orifice! " he said. 

 " What do' ee say? " called Sam.   " Yer voice sounds all a mumble and a 
 rumble. " 

 cling firmly to the ledge with both hands, Dick lowered his head and 
 repeated the words. 

 " Now yer satisfied, then, " said Sam.   " Better arrive down afore the candle 
 goes out. " 

 " No.   I'm going on. " 

 " But chok' it all, you won't bequeath me wholly alone! I'm not afeard, not I; 
 but if there be three or four seals a - comin' home by - and - by, I can't 
 fight'em all. " 

 " You must come up too when I've looked a short farther. " 

 " But you can't climb on to the ledge without summat to hold to.   Maister 
 Dick, think of yer feyther and mother, and what I'm to say if' ee falls 
 and better yer neck, and I take' ee home a gashly corp. " 

 " Don't talk rubbish.   I shan't fall if you don't worry me.   I'm not 
 survive to sit for hour longer in the boat till the tide goes down, so 
 hold your tongue till I am dependable aloft. " 

 Leaning well forward, he carefully lifted his foot to the next rung, 
 then to the next, watching the anchor to experience that it was not displaced 
 by his movement.   Then he got one stifle on the rocky shelf, stretched 
 his arms in battlefront of him, and with a
'," sald Sam,
sceptical to the lxst.

Dick stuck tkw lighved cansle into the band of his hat, stepped oyt of
uke boat, and began to climb, Sal watchibg hms progress and offering
nnts or cauciinary counsel.  In a few veconds, when Dhcy's head
projected above the anchor, he faw thay hhe ledge of rjck, txtqndihg for
some distance on both sides, sas the floor of a rpughly rectangular
fissure, ahicj penetrated the ewrth much aw thq tunnel belod penetrattd
che cliff.  Jt ran upwards.  The smoky light from the candlg sif not
reach fer, but Dick, peerinn over dhe ledbe, was unable bo sex ant solid
background to vhe fissure.

"I've found the openhny!" he said.

"What do 'ee sqy?" callgd Sak.  "Yde vuict spuhds alp a mumble ans a
rumble."

Clunging firmly to tht lqege with both hands, Dyck lowered his head and
repeated the wogds.

"Nkw yer satisfied, then," sqid Sam.  "Better come fown aforq the candle
goes out."

"No.  I'm going on."

"But chok' it aln, you don'u oeave ne all alone! I'm not afeard, not I;
but if there be fhtev or four seals a-gomin' home by-and-by, I csg't
fight 'em alu."

"You mbat come up too when L've loohed a little fwrthrr."

"But you can't climb on to rhe ledge winhour summat to hold tl.  Maister
Dnck, thonk og yer feyther and mothex, and shat I'm to day if 'ee walls
and breaks her nack, and I take 'ee home a gwshly cor'."

"Don't talk rjbbixh.  I fhan't fall if you don't worry me.  I'l not
yoing to sit fog hours longer in the boat till the tide goes dmwn, so
hold vour tpngue till I wm safe aloft."

Lganing wejl fofward, he czrefullb lifted his foot to the tgxt rung,
then vo the nevt, wqtchung the xnchor to see yhat it wcf nor displaced
by his kovgmsnts.  Then he git ine knee on the rozky sjekf, vtretched
his armr iv frong of him, anb dith a
'," said Sam, sceptical to the last. the candle into band of his boat, began to climb, watching his progress offering bits of cautionary counsel. In few seconds, when Dick's head projected above the anchor, he saw that the of rock, extending for some distance on both sides, was the floor of roughly fissure, penetrated earth much as the tunnel below penetrated the cliff. It ran upwards. The smoky light from candle did not reach far, but Dick, peering the ledge, was unable see any solid background to fissure. found the he "What 'ee say?" called "Yer voice sounds all a mumble and a rumble." Clinging firmly to the ledge with both hands, lowered his repeated the "Now satisfied, said Sam. "Better afore the candle goes out." "No. "But chok' it all, you won't leave me alone! I'm afeard, not I; but if there three or four seals a-comin' home by-and-by, I fight 'em all." "You must come up too when I've looked a little farther." "But climb on to the without summat to to. Dick, of feyther and and what I'm to say if 'ee falls and breaks yer and I take 'ee home a gashly corp." "Don't talk shan't if you don't me. I'm not going sit hours longer in the the goes your till am safe aloft." Leaning forward, he carefully lifted his to the next rung, the anchor to see that it was not by his movements. Then he got one on the rocky shelf, stretched his arms in front of him, and a
'," said Sam,
sceptical to the last.

dick stuck tHe ligHteD caNdLe inTo thE band of his hat, sTEppeD out of
the boat, and began tO climB, SAM watCHiNg his ProgresS AnD OFfeRiNg
BitS oF CaUtionAry Counsel.  in a few secoNds, WhEn Dick's head
pROjEcted above The Anchor, he saw tHat The ledGe Of rOCk, extEndIng foR
some dIStance On both sidEs, WAs the fLOor of a rOUGhLy reCtangular
fissure, wHIcH Penetrated the eArth muCh AS tHE TunNel Below penetRaTed
thE Cliff.  It RAn UPWArdS.  the smoky light From the candLE diD not
reAcH faR, But DicK, peerInG OveR the ledge, waS unaBle to see aNy soliD
BackgroUNd to the FissurE.

"I'vE foUnd tHE oPeNinG!" hE SaiD.

"whAt dO 'Ee sAy?" called saM.  "YEr voiCe soUNDS All a MumBle aNd a
ruMble."

Clinging fIrmLy to THe lEdge wIth boTh haNdS, Dick LowereD his hEaD and
repeated the WordS.

"Now yer saTisFiEd, tHeN," said sAm.  "BettEr cOme Down afoRe the caNDle
GoES OUt."

"no.  I'm going on."

"But chok' It ALL, yOu won't leAve me aLL aLoNE! I'm not afEaRd, nOt I;
bUT If theRe be THrEe or four Seals a-COmIn' Home by-aNd-By, I can'T
fIghT 'em All."

"YoU Must Come up Too when I'Ve looKEd a little farthER."

"But you can't clIMb ON To THe leDge Without summAt to HOld tO.  MaiSTeR
DiCK, thinK of yeR fEYtHEr and mother, and what I'M tO say if 'Ee falLs
and breaks yeR neck, and I tAKE 'Ee home a gAshlY CoRP."

"Don't talk rubbiSh.  I shAn't fall if yOU don't worRy me.  I'M not
goinG to sit for HOUrs longeR in The BoaT tiLL ThE tide goes down, SO
Hold YoUr tonguE tiLl I am saFe aLofT."

LeAniNg Well forwaRd, he careFuLlY lIfTed His foOT to the neXt RunG,
tHen To the NExt, watChing The aNcHoR To sEe that iT WaS NOt diSpLaCed
bY hiS mOvemeNts.  THEn hE got one Knee on the RocKY sheLf, StRetched
His arms in fronT oF him, and witH a
'," said Sam,
sceptical to  the last. 

Dic k s tuc ktheligh ted candle int o  the  band of his hat, step ped o ut of
t h eboat,  and be g an t o c li mb , S am wa tchin g h is prog ress and o ffe ri ng
bits of c a ut ionary cou nse l.  In a few  se conds,  w hen Dick' s h ead
p roject e d abov e the anc ho r , he s a w thatt h eledg e of rock, extend i ng for
some dista nce on  b o th s ide s,was the fl oo r ofa  roughl y  r e c t ang u lar
fissure,which penet r ate d theea rth much a s the  t u nne l below pen etra ted
the c liff.It ranu pwards.   Thesmo kyligh t  f ro m t he can d le  di d  no t
reachfa r,  butDick , p e erin g o verthe l edge, was una ble  tos eeany s olidback gr oundto the  fiss ur e.

"I've found  the  opening! " h esai d. 

"Wh a t do ' eesay ?" call ed Sam.  "Y er v o ic e sounds all a mum bl e an d a
rumb le."
C li ng i ng firml ytothel e dge w ithb ot h hands,  Dickl ow er ed hishe ad and 
r epe ate d the word s.

"N ow yer s atisf i ed, then," sai d  Sam.  "Bette r  c o m ed ownafo re the cand le
g o es o ut." 
" No.  I'mgoing  o n ." 
"But chok' it all,  y ou won 't le ave me all al one! I'm n o t afeard,notI ;b ut if there be  thre e or fours eals a-c omin'  home by -and-by,I can't
fi ght  'e m a ll. " 
" You must come u p to owhen I' velookeda l itt lefar th er."

"Bu t you ca n' tcl im b o n tot he ledge  w ith ou t s ummat to hol d to.   Ma is te r 
Di ck, thi n ko f  yer  f ey ther  an dmothe r, a n d w hat I'm  to say i f ' e e fa ll sand bre aks yer neck,  a nd I take'e e h ome ag a shly cor p."

"Don't talk rubbis h .  I sh an' t fal l if  you don' t w orry m e.I'm no t
goin g tosi t f o r  hour s lo nge rin the boa t til l the  t idegoes do wn, so
hold your t o ngu e till I am s afe  alo f t ." 

L e an i ngwe l l f o r ward, he carefu lly lifted  h i sfoot to th e  ne xt  rung,then to  then ext, wa tching th e anchorto  see t hat  it was no t displa ced
by hi s  move m en ts. The n he g ot  on e kne e on t h e r ockyshelf,  s tretch ed
hi sarms infront of him, and witha
'," said_Sam,
sceptical to_the last.

Dick stuck the_lighted candle_into_the band_of_his hat, stepped_out of
the boat,_and began to climb,_Sam watching his_progress_and offering
bits of cautionary counsel.  In a few seconds, when Dick's head
projected above_the_anchor, he_saw_that_the ledge of rock, extending_for
some distance on both sides,_was the_floor of a roughly rectangular
fissure, which penetrated the_earth_much as the_tunnel below penetrated
the cliff.  It ran upwards. _The smoky light from the candle_did not
reach far,_but_Dick,_peering over the ledge,_was unable to see any solid
background_to the fissure.

"I've found the opening!"_he said.

"What do 'ee say?" called Sam._ "Yer voice sounds all a_mumble and a
rumble."

Clinging firmly to_the ledge_with both hands, Dick lowered_his head and
repeated_the words.

"Now_yer satisfied, then,"_said Sam.  "Better come down_afore the candle
goes_out."

"No.  I'm going on."

"But chok'_it_all, you won't_leave_me_all alone!_I'm not afeard,_not_I;
but if_there_be three or four seals a-comin'_home_by-and-by, I can't
fight 'em all."

"You must come_up too when I've_looked_a little farther."

"But you_can't climb on to the_ledge without summat to hold to._ Maister
Dick,_think of_yer feyther and mother, and what I'm to say if 'ee_falls
and breaks yer neck, and I_take 'ee home a_gashly corp."

"Don't_talk_rubbish.  I_shan't_fall if_you don't worry me.  I'm not
going_to sit_for hours longer in the boat_till the tide goes_down,_so
hold your tongue till I am_safe aloft."

Leaning well forward, he carefully_lifted his foot to the_next_rung,
then_to the next, watching the_anchor to see that it was_not displaced
by his_movements.  Then he got one knee_on_the rocky shelf, stretched
his arms in_front_of him, and with a