with his hurt leg, he found this operation of lacing
his boots one of the worst of the day's jobs. It cost him almost as
much time as shaving, and far more pain.

But at length the laces were threaded and tied, and tucking his
parcel under his arm he set forth. He had forgotten his
walking-staff and dared not go back to fetch it. Moreover, in
Polpier it is held to be inauspicious if, once started on an
enterprise, you turn back for something you have forgotten: and
Nicky-Nan, a sceptic by habit, felt many superstitions assailing him
this morning. For instance, he had been careful to lace up his right
boot before his left.

A high tide filled the inner pool of the harbour, and on its smooth
surface several gulls floated, paddling lazily if at all.
These birds know Sunday from week-days as well as any Christian folk:
which is nothing very wonderful, for the Polpier boats have lain at
home all the night and there is no fish-offal drifting about.
Nicky-Nan counted the birds carefully, and drew a breath of relief on
assuring himself that they totalled fifteen--an odd number and a
lucky one. But he had no sooner done so than, as if they had been
waiting for him, to signal misfortune, two of the flock arose,
pattered for a moment on the water, wheeled upward twice, thrice, in
short circles, and sailed off. His heart sank as he did the small
sum in subtraction: but he controlled himself, noting that they
sailed off to the right.

It was pretty to see them rising out of the blue liquid shadow of the
harbour-pool; rising until, in a flash, they took the morning sun-ray
that struck almost level across the top of the chasm, and were
transformed into winged jewels, dazzling the eye. But Nicky-Nan
scarcely marked this, being preoccupied with his cares and fears: for
where a man's treasure is, there will his heart be also. Nor did he
note at the bend of the cliff, which brought him in turn, after a
long climb, face to face with the sun, that already its beams were
warming the dew-drenched cushions of thyme on either side of the
track, and drawing delicious odour from them. The ray, smiting full
in his eyes for a moment or two, hid from him all details of the
landscape ahead and on his left, even as effectually as it hid the
stars of night. Nicky-Nan hobbled on for a few paces, blinking.
Then, with a catch of the breath, he came to a halt. His vision
clearing by degrees, he let out a gasp and his knees shook under him.