Chapter 6. Haunted By The Scraw

________________________________________________
_ CHAPTER SIX. HAUNTED BY THE SCRAW

The weather interfered with the prosecution of the boys' adventure for a week, and during that time, what with wind and rain, they had nothing to tempt them to the cliff but the sight of a large French three-masted lugger or _chasse-maree_, which was driven by the gale and currents dangerously near the Crag: so near, in fact, that old Daygo and nearly every fisherman in the place hung about the cliffs in full expectation of seeing the unfortunate vessel strike upon one or other of the rocks and go to pieces, when all on board must have inevitably been drowned, the height of the sea making it madness to attempt to launch a boat.

But, to the relief of all, the swift vessel was so cleverly managed that she finally crept through an extremely dangerous passage, and then, catching a cross current, was borne right out to where she could weather the northern point of the island, and disappeared into the haze.

"There, young gentlemen," said old Daygo in a stentorian voice, "that's seamanship! But she'd no business to come so near the Crag in weather like this. Wouldn't ha' like to be aboard o' she just now, would you?"

"No," said Vince; "nor you neither?"

"Hey? Why, that's just what I've been a-wishing these two hours past, my lad. I could ha' took her out o' danger long enough before; but them Frenchies don't know our island like I do. Why, I feel sometimes as if I could smell where the rocks are, and I could steer a boat by touch, like, even if it was black as the inside of a tar-barrel in the middle of the night."

It sounded like empty boasting, but the words were seriously received by the rough men around.

"Ay, ay," said one fat, heavy-looking fellow; "Joe Daygo knows. I wouldn't ha' been aboard her fer no money."

"Been thinking you'd eat no more byled lobster--eh, Jemmy Carnach?" said Daygo, with a hoarse laugh; and the man gave him a surly look and sauntered away.

"I say," said Mike, as soon as the lads were alone; "old Joe is really a good sort of fellow after all. He seemed a deal more troubled about that French boat than any one else."

"Yes; and I suppose he is a clever pilot, and knows all about the currents and the rocks; but I don't quite understand about his being so well off."

Mike began to whistle, and said nothing for a few moments.

"I don't see why he shouldn't be well off," he said; "he's getting old, and he's very mean, and never spends money upon himself."

Vince nodded, and remained silent.

Then came a lovely morning after the week's bad weather, and Vincent was just starting for Sir Francis Ladelle's rather unwillingly, to join Mike for the day's studies, when there was a cheery whistle outside and his fellow-pupil appeared.

"I say!" he cried, "father said it was a shame for us to lose such a fine day, and he told Mr Deane to give us a holiday."

"Eh? What's that?" cried the Doctor. "Here, I'm off up to the house to put a stop to that. I'm not going to pay half that tutor's expenses if this sort of idleness is to be encouraged."

Mike looked aghast.

"It's all right," said Vince merrily; "father doesn't mean it."

"Oh, don't I!" cried the Doctor, frowning.

"No: does he, mother?"

Mrs Burnet smiled and shook her head.

"Here, you boys, don't get into any mischief."

"No, father," said Vince, and the next minute they were outside.

"Scraw?" said Vincent; and his companion nodded unwillingly, as the boy thought, but he changed his opinion the next moment.

"I've got the hammer and bar ready, and a small rope; but we must have yours."

"Yes, of course."

"Well, run back and get it, and meet me out by the Dolmen."

"Brought it," said Mike: "tucked it under a furze bush out on the common."

Vince's face lit up with eagerness, and the pair were about to start when they saw old Daygo in the distance, and they turned back, went into the house, and waited till he had gone by.

Giving the fisherman time to get well out of sight, they sallied forth, and went to where the coil of rope was hidden--a thin, strong line that would have borne a couple of men hanging on its end--and as soon as this was brought out, and a glance round taken to make sure they were not watched, Mike cried--

"But what about the hammer and bar?"

Vince opened his jersey to show the head of the hammer on one side, the crowbar on the other, snugly tucked in the waistband of his trousers.

"Well done! that's capital!" cried Mike. And the two lads went off in the direction of the Scraw, but in a zigzag fashion, as if their intentions were entirely different; and this at Vince's wish, for he had a strong impression that old Daygo was keeping an eye upon their movements, though Mike laughed at the idea.

"I don't feel nervous about it now, do you?" said Vince, as soon as they were well under cover of the rugged ground.

"No; but I don't like to think about that ugly slip you had," said Mike thoughtfully.

"I didn't have an ugly slip: you knocked me over."

"Oh, well, I couldn't help it, could I? and I did hold on till you got out of it."

"Never mind that now," said Vince; "let's think about what we are going to do. There'll be no danger so long as we are careful--and I mean to be, very, and so I tell you. Wonder whether we shall see our black friend? I say, didn't it seem as if it was on the look-out for us to have a bad accident?"

"No: seemed as if it was on the look-out to keep us from finding its nest."

They chatted away merrily enough till they had nearly reached the chaos of tumbled-together rocks, when, in spite of the bright sunshine and blue sky overhead, the wildness of the place once more impressed them unpleasantly, and, instead of the cheery conversation and banter in which they had indulged, they became quiet, only speaking at intervals, and then in quite a low tone.

The bottom of the steep, rough slope was reached, and they paused to consider their plans. They had come out some fifty yards from where they made their former ascent to the ridge, for it was marked by the jagged sugar-loaf upon which the raven had perched. But the sloping wall of granite where they were presented just about the same aspect as that portion where they had struggled up before, and there was no reason for making a detour over very difficult ground, cumbered with huge blocks that must have fallen from above, and tangled in the hollows between with brambles; so they determined to climb from where they stood, and began at once, each selecting his own route, with the understanding that a pyramidal block eighty or ninety feet above their heads should be the meeting-place.

"Come on, then," cried Mike. "First up!"

"No, no," said Vince. "This must be done steadily. We shall want to be cool and fresh for anything we may have to do. One of us is sure to be obliged to go down by the rope."

"Very well," said Mike; and they commenced the ascent, each feeling the wisdom of the plan adopted, the climb being difficult enough, though there was not the slightest danger.

They were glad enough to rest and wipe their brows as they stood by the rough block, and upon which they found they could easily climb; but there was nothing more to see than at their former visit, save that the rocks looked far more rough, both at the torrent-like entrance and the narrow opening on their right, while even from the height at which they stood it was plain to see that the circular cove was in a violent state of ebullition.

But here, close in, was the slope which ran down towards the sea--very similar in character to that by which they had ascended, only that it was, as it were, chopped off short. In fact, they seemed to be on the summit of a stony ridge of granite mountains, one side of which had been nearly all gnawed away by the sea.

"Don't seem much choice of where to go down," said Vince, after a long scrutiny to right and left. "Shall we try here?"

"Just as well as anywhere else," said Mike. "Only what is it we are going to do? If it means creeping down with a rope round one, and then going over the edge to play chicken at the end of a roasting-jack, I feel as if I'd rather not."

"It means going carefully down to the edge and looking over first," replied Vince. "It may only be a place where we can get down easily enough."

"Or it may be a place where we can't," said Mike. "All right: I'll go, if you like."

"No: I'll go first," said Vince. And he drew out his hammer and crowbar; but a block of granite close by stood up so much like a thick, blunt post that there seemed to be no need for the crowbar to be driven in; so, making one end fast round the block with a well-tried mooring knot--one which old Daygo had taught them might be depended upon for securing a boat--they calculated how much rope would be necessary to well reach the bottom of the broken-off slope, and at the end of this the line was knotted round Vince's chest and he prepared to descend.

"Ease it away gently, so that I'm not checked," said the lad, as Mike took hold close to him and knelt down ready to pay the rope out and so as to be able to tighten his grasp at any moment if there was a slip.

"Right! I'll mind; and you'll be all right: you can't fall."

"I know," was the reply; and trusting to his companion, while strengthened by the knowledge that at the very worst he must be brought up short by the granite block, Vince gave a sharp look downward, and, selecting a spot at the edge a little to his right for the point to make for, he turned his face to the slope and began to descend, carefully picking hand and foothold and helped by the steady strain upon the rope which was kept up by Mike, who watched every movement breathlessly, his eyes fixed upon his companion's head, and ready to respond to every order which was uttered.

Vince went down as calmly and deliberately as if the level ground were just below him till he was about two-thirds of the way, when he could not help giving a start, for Mike suddenly exclaimed:

"Here's that old raven coming!"

"Where?"

"Off to my right--in a hurry. You must be somewhere near the nest."

Vince hesitated for a few moments, for the thought occurred to him that the bird might make a swoop at him, as he had read of eagles acting under similar circumstances; but the next moment he had thought of what power there would be in the blow of a fist striking a bird in full career, and knowing full well that it must be fatal to the raven, he continued to descend, with the bird flying by some fifty feet overhead and uttering its hoarse croak.

"Lower away a little more," said Vince, as he drew nearer the edge of what might either be a precipice or an easy slope for aught he could tell.

"I'll lower," was the reply; "but I want to feel you well."

"That's right. I must have rope enough to move quite freely."

"Yes, that's all very well; but I don't feel as if I could haul you up if you slipped over the edge."

"Who's going to ask you to?" said Vince. "I should try and climb, shouldn't I? If you keep me tight like that I can't get down."

"Are you all right?" said Mike anxiously, for he was by far the more nervous of the two.

"Right?--yes; but I feel like a cow tethered to a picket, so that I can't reach the bit of grass sward. Now then, lower away."

Mike obeyed, with the palms of his hands growing very moist, as his companion drew closer to the brink.

"Lower away!" cried Vince.

"No: that's close enough," said Mike decidedly. "Look from where you are, and come back. Now then, what can you see?"

"A bit of moss and a patch of sea-pink just under my nose. Don't be so stupid! How am I to look over the edge if you hold me tight up like this? Ah!"

"What is it?" cried Mike, holding on to the rope with all his might, and keeping it resting on the rock, over which it had slowly glided.

"Only a loose stone gave way under my feet, and went down."

He remained silent, waiting to hear the fragment rebound and strike somewhere, but he listened in vain. The fall of the stone, however, had its effect, for a wild chorus of whistling and screaming arose, and an eddy of wings came up as a perfect cloud of white and grey birds rose into sight, and were spread to right and left.

"Hadn't you better come back now?" said Mike anxiously.

"If I do it will be to make you come down instead. Why, you're worse than I am, Mike! Now then, lower away! I only want about a fathom more, and then you may hold on tight."

"Very well, then," said the lad: "I'll give you just six feet, and not a bit more. Then you shall come up."

"Say seven," cried Vince merrily.

"No: six. That's what you said; so make much of it."

"Lower away, then!" cried Vince; and he carefully descended, after a glance over his left shoulder, creeping cautiously down, and edging to his left till he was just over the block at the edge which he had marked out for his goal.

"That's four feet, mind!" cried Mike: "only two more."

"Good little boy!" said Vince merrily. "Four and two do make six. I'll tell Mr Deane to-morrow. He was grumbling the other day about the muddle you made over your algebra."

"You look after your climbing, and never mind my algebra," said Mike huskily.

"Now, Mikey!" cried Vince; "hold on--tight as you can."

"Yes. Don't you want the other two feet?"

"Of course I do; but I'm going to turn over."

"No, no, I say--don't!" cried Mike. "Do think where you are! Have a good look, and then come up."

"Here, I say, you'd better come down instead of me. I can't see out of the back of my head if you can. Now, no nonsense. This is what I want to do: I'm going to turn over, with my back to the cliff, and then shuffle down that other two feet, with my legs on each side of that piece of stone."

"But it's at the very edge," said Mike. "Good boy again! How well you can see, Ladle! It is just at the edge; and, once I'm there, I can see down either way."

"But it isn't safe, Cinder. I can't help being anxious. Suppose the stone's loose, and gives way?"

"Why, then it will fall down and frighten more birds. Now then, don't fidget. If the stone goes, you'd still hold on by the rope, and I should be left sitting there all the same. I shouldn't do it if I didn't feel that I could. I'm not a bit nervous, so hold on."

"Very well," said Mike breathlessly: "I've got you."

"Ready?"

"Yes."

Vincent Burnet did not hesitate, but, with a quick movement, turned himself right over, dragging heavily upon the rope, though, and making his companion draw in his breath through his closed teeth with a hissing sound.

"There I am," said Vince coolly. "I could slip down into the place if I liked, but I won't try; so just ease the rope, inch by inch, as I shuffle myself lower. That's the way. Easy as kiss my hand. A little more, and a little more, and there we are. Why, Mike, old chap, it's just like sitting in a saddle--only it's so hard."

"Are your legs right over the side?"

"Yes, and the wind's blowing up the legs of my trousers like anything. Oh! you can't think what a sharp draught there is."

"Never mind the draught."

"No use to," said Vince.

"Oh, I say, do have a good look down, and then come up again. Now, then: does the cliff slope from where you are?"

"Yes, right down to the water."

"Steeply?"

"Yes."

"Could we climb down?"

"Yes, if we were flies: Mike, old chap, it's just awful!"

"What!" cried Mike breathlessly.

"Yes: that's it--awful," said Vince quietly, as he rested his hands on the block he bestrode, and looked over to his left. "It slopes down; but the wrong way. It goes right in as far as I can see, and--Yes, it does just the same on the other side. If I were to go down now I should plump right into black water, that's boiling up and racing along like it does where there's a rocky bottom, I do wish you were here to see."

"I don't," whispered Mike. "There--that'll do," he continued aloud. "Come up."

"Wait a bit. I must see a little more, now I am here. I say, it's awful!--it's grand! The rocks, as far as I can see, are as smooth as can be, and all sorts of colours, just as if they were often breaking away. Some are dark and some are browny and lavender, and there's one great patch, all glittering grey granite, looking as new as new."

"Yes, it must be very beautiful; but come back."

"Don't you be in such a hurry," said Vince. "You won't catch me sitting here again. I'll let you down if you like, but once is quite enough for me. I want to have a good look, though, so as to tell you all about it before I do come, for, on second thoughts, I shan't lower you down here--it's too horrid. I say: wherever I can see there are thousands of birds, but there are not many places where they can sit. I can see one raven, too--there are two of them sailing about just under me, with their backs shining in the sun. Oh, Mike: look at the cormorants! I never knew there were so many about the island. Big gulls, and puffins, and terns, and--I say, what a cloud of pigeons flying right out from under me: Why, there must be a cavern going right in. Hold tight! I want to lean out more to try and see."

"No!" shrieked out Mike. "Don't--don't! It's a hundred times worse kneeling here and seeing you than doing it oneself."

"But I only want to see if there is a cave."

"If the pigeons keep flying out there must be."

"Well, there they go, and here are some more coming, and they've flown right in somewhere, so I suppose there is. Want to hear any more about the place?"

"No, no. Come up now."

"All right, old chap; then I will, after one more look round and down below. The water is wild, though, and the rocks are grand; but old Joe is as right as can be: it's a terrible place, and unless any one likes to hang at the end of a three-hundred-feet rope he cannot get to the bottom here nor anywhere else along this cliff. It's just three parts of a round, and goes in all of a hollow below, where I am. There-- that's all; and now I'm coming up."

"Hah!" ejaculated Mike, in a tone full of thankfulness; and as Vince shuffled himself a little way--not much, for there was not room--the rope tightened about his chest, giving him so strong a support that he leaned back, pressed his hands down on either side of him to steady himself, and drew up one leg till he could plant his heel on the stone where he had been seated. A steady draw up of the other leg, and it was beside its fellow; then, getting well hold of the nearest projections on either side, he shouted up to his companion to haul hard--shouted, though in the immensity of the place his words, like those which had preceded them, sounded weak and more like whispers.

"Right!" said Mike; and then he uttered a wild cry, for as Vince thrust with feet and hands together, straightening himself out, the rope tightened at the same moment, and then the lad hung motionless against the slope.

The rain and frost had been hard at work upon the edge of that precipice, as its sharply gnawed-off edge showed and the huge stone which the venturous lad had stridden was only waiting for the sharp thrust which it had received, for with a dull crack it was separated from the side, with an enormous mass beneath it, and went rushing down, leaving a jagged curve, as if the piece had been bitten out, just below the lad's feet.

Vince did not stir even to feel for a place to plant his hands, but remained motionless for some moments. Then there was a dull splash echoed from the barrier rock which shut-in the cove, and the rushing sound of wings, as the startled birds rose in clouds from their resting-places all around.

At last the full sense of his perilous position came to the boy, and with it his coolness; and he grasped the rock as well as he could, and called up to his companion.

"Grip hard, Ladle!" he cried. "I'm going to try and turn face to you."

There was no reply; but a thrill seemed to come down the fibres of the rope, and the strain upon the boy's chest to increase.

It was no easy task, for it was hard to find a resting-place on either side of the gap for his feet; but, full of trust in Mike's hold of the rope, and strengthened by the knowledge that it was secured to the granite block as well, Vince gave himself a quick writhe, and turned upon his face. Then, after a scrambling slip or two, his toes found a ledge, as his hands already had, and he climbed steadily up.

That task was not difficult, for the foothold was easy to select, the rope tightening still, and giving him steady help, while the distance, long as it had taken him to descend, was only short.

In another minute he was over the ridge, looking down on Mike, who, instead of hauling in the rope as he came up, had let himself glide down like a counterpoise, and as soon as he saw his companion in safety, he drew himself in a crouching position and stared up with his lips apart.

"It's all right," said Vince huskily. "Why, your face is white as white, and your hair's all wet."

"Yes," gasped Mike hysterically, "and so's yours. Oh, Cinder, old chap, I thought you had gone! Let's get away from this horrid place. Old Joe's right: there is something terrible about it after all."

"Wait a bit," said Vince, rather feebly, as he too crouched down upon a piece of rock. "I don't feel as if I could move much for a bit. I am so stiff and weak, and this rope's cut into my chest. Yes: old Joe's right; there's no getting down there. But it was awfully grand, Ladle, and I should have liked you to see it."

"And do you want to lower me down?" said Mike fiercely.

"No!" cried Vince sharply. "I wouldn't have you feel what I felt when that stone broke off and left me hanging there for all the riches in the world!" _

Read next: Chapter 7. The Pangs Of Cold Pudding

Read previous: Chapter 5. While The Raven Croaked

Table of content of Cormorant Crag; A Tale of the Smuggling Days


GO TO TOP OF SCREEN

Post your review
Your review will be placed after the table of content of this book