A Sportsman at Large 269 



me, the dreadful realization that my two beloved boys were 

 with me to share the danger. As in the case mentioned, 

 again we had a strenuous struggle under most trying condi- 

 tions, until at last we were able to land in a sandy cove, a 

 mile above where we had been fishing. It was with heartfelt 

 thankfulness that Bizzy and I set foot on shore and lifted the 

 sick children out of the boat, sending Neal with her to the 

 Ribigill landing-stage. 



We fondly imagined that all we had to do was to climb 

 over the rocks and take a short cut to the house, which was not 

 more than three quarters of a mile distant ; but we were soon 

 undeceived, for all of a sudden we realized that we were in 

 a trap ! The tide was now rising fast and threatened soon 

 to cover the strip of sand on which we stood. We looked 

 for a path, but there was none ! The rocks, piled one upon 

 the other, led to a steep slope, some two hundred yards in 

 height, ere the brow of the cliff could be reached. I looked at 

 Bizzy and Bizzy looked at me. By silent telepathy we 

 perceived that a big risk must be forthwith taken. I hauled 

 Raymond on to my back. Bizzy placed Denis in a similar 

 position, and then we began one of the most nerve-racking 

 climbs that it has ever been my misfortune to endure ! 



We had to haul each other over the rocks to begin with, and 

 then we found that the slope was even steeper than we had 

 imagined it to be when we first took stock of it. It was only 

 by crawling with the greatest care that we managed to keep 

 a foothold at all. Perspiring at every pore and obsessed with 

 a nameless terror, we slowly progressed, inch by inch, with 

 our inert burdens on our backs. 



My heart almost stopped beating as I saw Bizzy, with 

 Denis, make a slip, and slither half a dozen yards down the 

 slope. Heaven be praised ! a jutting rock held them up. 

 Another ten feet and they would have been over the cliff and 

 dashed to pieces on the rocks below ! I had found a ledge 

 on which I was able to take a breather. A stout bunch of 

 heather was growing there, and by holding to this and placing 

 Raymond by my side, I was able to let myself down until 

 Bizzy could get a hold on my foot and lever himself up. 

 We all kept together until we had recovered our breath 



