e 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 tr