What's
that?"

A peculiar loud sneeze rang out suddenly from across the rough moorland
to their right, where the blocks of granite lay thick.

"Tom Dinass," said Joe, in a whisper; and he stepped quickly behind a
block of stone, Gwyn involuntarily following him. "That's his way of
sneezing," whispered Joe. "What's he doing over here to-night?"

The boys stood there perfectly silent; and directly after there was a
faint rustling, and the figure of a man was seen upon the higher ground
against the skyline for a minute or so, as he passed them, crossing
their track, and apparently making for the cliffs.

Their view was indistinct, but the man seemed to be carrying something
over his shoulder. Then he was gone.

"Going congering," said Gwyn. "He's making for the way down the rocks,
so as to get to the point."

"He wouldn't go congering to-night," said Joe. "We gave him as much
fish as he'd want."

"Going for the sport of the thing."

"Down that dangerous way in the dark?"

"I daresay he knows it all right, and it saves him from going round by
the fishermen's cottages--half-a-mile or more."

"'Tisn't that," said Joe.

"What an obstinate old mule you are, Jolly," cried Gwyn, impatiently;
"you don't like Tom Dinass, and everything he does makes you
suspicious."

"Well, do you like him?"

"No; but I don't always go pecking at him and accusing him of smashing
dogs' legs with iron stoking-bars. It wouldn't be a man who would do
that; he'd be a regular monster."

"Let's go and see what he's after," said Joe.

"What, late like this in the dark?"

"Yes; you're not afraid are you? I want to know what he's about. I'm
sure he's doing something queer."

"I'm not afraid to go anywhere where you go," said Gwyn, stoutly; "but
of all the suspicious old women that ever were, you're getting about the
worst."

"Come along, then."

"All right," said Gwyn; "but if he finds us watching him throwing out a
conger-line, he'll break our legs with an iron bar and pitch us off the
cliff."

"Yes, you may laugh," said Joe, thoughtfully, "but I'm sure Tom Dinass
is playing some game."

"Let's go and play with him, then. Only make haste, because I must get
back."

Joe led the way cautiously off to their left, in and out among the
stones and patches of furze and bramble, till they neared the edge of
the cliff, when they went more and more cautiously, till a jagged piece
of crag stood up, showing where the precipice b