once at the caves, deserted now by the birds who had no
doubt picked the last fragments of the dead man.

Then they climbed the Lizard rocks and at the highest point sat down to
rest for a moment.

Raft, with the bundle beside him and the harpoon held between his knees,
swung his head from the great beach on his right to the broken country
on his left.

He said nothing, not wishing perhaps to dishearten his companion. It was
she who spoke.

"That's the plain I told you of," said she, "we mustn't cross it, you
can see from here some of the dangerous patches, those yellow ones, but
there are others just as bad that you can't tell till you are trapped in
them. I would have gone down, only a bird flying overhead dropped a fish
on the ground right in front of me and the fish disappeared."

"We'd better get along the sea-shore rocks, seems to me," said Raft,
"the tide's going out, all them rocks between tide marks is pretty
flat."

"Suppose the tide comes in," said she, "and we can't get up the cliffs?"

"Oh, we'll have lots of time to make a good way before it comes back,"
replied he, "and we've got to trust a bit to chance, we've got to strike
bold. I reckon we'd better trust to instinc'." He laughed in his beard.
"The same sort of instinc' that made that bird drop the fish to give you
soundin's of that mud hole."

"Providence," said she, "yes--you are right."

"I believe in strikin' bold," said he, almost as though he were talking
to himself. "It's like fighting with a chap, the fellow that does the
hittin' without bothering about bein' hit. He's the chap. Well, if
you're restored, we'll be gettin' along."

He heaved up and led the way, striking right down to the sea and pausing
now and then to help her. Once he lifted her as though she were a
feather from one rock to the other. Then, all of a sudden they came to a
ten foot drop. There was no getting round that drop, it was a basalt
step that circled the whole Lizard Point on its seaward side. It did not
disconcert Raft. He threw the harpoon down, then he lowered himself,
clutching the edge and let himself fall. Following his directions she
threw him the bundle. It would have felled an ordinary landsman, but he
caught it, placed it beside him and then ordered her to jump, just as
she stood, without lowering herself.

"Jump with your arms up," said he, laughing, "no call to lower yourself.
I'll catch you."

It was like an order to commit suicide. It seemed to