ON THE COAST OF AEEAN 135 



is too steep for a sharp descent ; we skirt the 

 edge, therefore, and presently, coming to some 

 soft turf, we see that we have worked round 

 towards the south-easterly end of the chain and 

 are just above the mouth of the burn from 

 which we had started. 



It is by this time almost dark. The river 

 near the sea is wide but shallow, and we cross 

 it. Being now in no doubt as to our homeward 

 path, we sit down on the shore to take breath. 

 It is a wild and lonely place. The sea-birds 

 make strange and half-human noises; the 

 sound of the advancing tide is sullen and deep ; 

 and over our heads 



The weak-eyed bat, 

 With short shrill shriek flits by on leathern wing. 



And what is this that we see on the other side 

 of the river ? A figure comes out of the dark 

 wood and walks across the brown spit of sand. 

 We know by the flow of the dress that it is a 

 woman. She stands and seems to look wistfully 



