e the iron
fell back into the sand.

"You don't know how to throw a grapnel," said Mike, picking up the rope.
"There, stand aside and I'll show you."

Vince drew back, and after a good deal of swinging, Mike launched the
grapnel upward, so that it passed right into the hole some distance from
the length of rope which followed; then came a click, and the rope hung
swinging from the sloping roof.

"There!" cried Mike.

"It'll come away as soon as you pull it."

Mike gave the rope a tug, then a sharp jerk, and another, before,
raising his hands and grasping it as high as he could, he took a run,
and then, raising his legs, let himself swing to and fro.

"Bear anything," he cried. "There, you'd better go first."

"You fastened it," said Vince, "so you've got first go."

"No, it was your idea. Up with you! but you've scared the pigeons
away."

Vince seized the rope as high as he could reach, twisted it about his
leg, pressing the strong strands against his calf with the edge of his
shoe-sole, and then began to climb slowly, drawing himself up by the
muscular strength of his arms, while the rope began to revolve with him
slowly.

"Meat's burning," cried Mike, grinning. "Wants basting;" and he picked
up handsful of sand to scatter over the climber's back.

But Vince was too busy to heed his interruption, and by trying hard he
soon drew himself right into the narrow crack, and the next minute only
his boots were visible, and they were drawn out of sight directly after.

"Well?" cried Mike; "what have you found?"

"Grapnel," panted Vince; for climbing a single thin rope is hard work.

"Yes, but what else?"

"Big crack, which goes right in. Light the lanthorn and fasten, it to
the end of the rope."

This was soon done and the light drawn up.

"I say, play fair!" cried Mike, as the lanthorn disappeared; "don't go
and do all the fun yourself."

For answer Vince threw him down the rope, which he had freed from the
lanthorn.

"Come up," he said shortly; and Mike, who began to be deeply interested,
his curiosity now being excited, seized the rope and began in turn to
climb.

He was as active as his companion, and as much accustomed to rope work,
the pair having often let themselves down portions of the cliff and
climbed again in their search for eggs; so that in another minute he too
was in the crack, dimly lit by the lanthorn, which Vince had set low
down, where the fracture in the rock began to close i