72 <I(4fMBLES OF A TtOfMINIS 



finding it hard to fight its way through the rough 

 water she calls again, lengthening out her cry into a 

 loud and imperative "Ar-r-r-ragh ! " answered by a feeble 

 and piteous plaint from the belated youngster. Then, 

 with a positive wink of white plumage, they dive, re- 

 appearing presently far astern. 



Compared with the white figures of the gulls, or even 

 the spotless breasts of razor-bill and puffin, the plumage 

 of the gannets seems like snow against the dark water or 

 the murky sky. Even a party of them flying near the 

 shore, so far off as to appear but part of the vast flocks 

 of sea-gulls faintly seen like clouds of dust scattered in 

 the air, when they fall presently into line, are painted 

 in a row of bold white dots upon the bare black cliff 

 behind them. 



Now and then a cormorant swims by, perhaps with 

 his body under water, showing only his long neck and 

 a dark head that turns anxiously to left and right for a 

 brief space before he sinks down beneath the surface. 



Most beautiful, perhaps, of all, are the terns, sailing 

 past on graceful wings, wheeling, poising, swooping 

 down like troops of light-hearted swallows. 



The sun was low as we sailed by Bervie town, and at 

 length above Dunottar he sank in a wild and stormy 

 sky. Up one great peak a trailing cloud was resting, 

 and upon it the light of sunset was like the glare of fire 

 on the smoke of blazing fields. The dark sails of fishing 

 boats were darker still against the lurid west, and even 

 the white wings of the gannets seemed black upon the 

 crimson sky. All night long the beacons on the shore 



