228 CLIMBING A ROCK IN FLAT ISLAND. 



almost sufficient to lift the rock itself. At the same time the 

 voice of Wolfe was heard bellowing from above. " All 's right, 

 Mr. Lascelles; catch hold of my hand, and trust yourself to me." 

 ** Are you firm ?" I cried out, '* Ay, ay. Sir, as the rock itself." 

 " Then hold fast, — here goes ;'* and, stretching myself up as far 

 as I could, I succeeded in grasping him with both my hands 

 round the wrist. For one moment I was swinging to and fro 

 in the air; the next I stood in safety beside my trusty companion. 

 The space we now occupied was considerably larger than that 

 we had just left; but a tall mass of black rock, yet to be sur- 

 mounted, frowned threateningly over us. " Follow me Sir," 

 said Wolfe; "we must not halt till we get to the top;" and he 

 forthwith commenced the ascent, I following behind. The rock 

 here was more craggy and broken than it was below, and af- 

 forded greater facilities to the climber. Without much difficulty 

 we succeeded in passing from one ledge to another, till at length, 

 to our inexpressible joy, we found ourselves on the highest sum- 

 mit of all; a round, flat space of some fifty or sixty feet in di- 

 ameter. " Now for a splice of the main brace, Wolfe," said I, 

 producing a small flask of spirits. " Ay, ay, Sir; here's luck 

 to us down again ;" and the worthy coxswain quaffed as much 

 atadraughtas would have sufficed to make most heads unsteady. 

 Having reached the top, half of our labour was accomplished; 

 our next anxiety was how we were to reach the bottom. " Had 

 we not better try the other side of the rock ?" I suggested. 

 "Never, Sir," said Wolfe ; "it would be utter madness. The 

 weather side of a rock in these constant winds, becomes brittle 

 and trustless. The very birds that hover our heads would not 

 venture to perch on the weather side of the Sugar Loaf. But 

 here," he continued, " is a place where I think we might venture. 

 The rock here, sir, you will observe, is shelving and rugged, and 

 affords some opportunity of clinging by our hands when our 

 footing is faithless. Shall we try.''" "Certainly," I replied, 

 **if you advise it." " Then let us strip to the trowsers. Sir; I 

 am too old a cragsman to trust myself in a difficult descent with 

 a weight of clothes upon my back. Nothing like a bare foot for 

 a slippery footing." We stripped accordingly, as he directed, 

 and having hailed the boat to lie more off, we tossed our clothes 

 over the precipice in such a direction that they might easily be 

 picked up beneath. In a few minutes we were prepared to start. 

 "Now Wolfe," said I, "who goes first?" "I, of course," he re- 

 plied. "By no means," said I, "in such a situation as ours all 



