at our bare feet. Eliza would cry: 'Oh
my dear love!' And Susie would promptly fall upon us! Hullo! Steady down
there! Don't laugh too much.... Fine knife, this. I bought it in Mexico.
And if the big blade gives out, there are two more; also a saw, and a
cork-screw.... Mind the falling sand does not get into your eyes.... Tell
me if the niches are not deep enough, and remember there is no hurry, we
are not aiming to catch any particular train! Steady down there! Don't
laugh.... Up we go! Oh, good! This is a third of the way. Don't look
either up or down. Watch my heels--I wish they were more worth looking
at--and remember the belt is quite handy, and I am as firm as a rock up
here. You and all the Miss Murgatroyds might hang on to it together.
Steady down there!... All right; I won't mention them.... By the way, the
water must be fairly deep below us now. If you fell, you would merely get
a ducking. I should slide down and pull you out, and we would start
afresh.... Good Lord!... Oh, never mind! Nothing. Only, my knife slipped,
but I caught it again.... We must be half way, by now. How lucky we have
my glissading marks to guide us. I can't see the ledge from here. Let's
sing 'Nancy Lee.' I suppose you know it. I can always work better to a
good rollicking tune."

Then, as he drove his blade into the cliff, Jim Airth's gay voice rang
out:

"Of all the wives as e'er you know,
Yeo ho! lads! ho!
Yeo ho! Yeo ho!
There's none like Nancy Lee, I trow,
Yeo ho! lads! ho!
Yeo ho!
See there she stands

--Blow! I've struck a rock! Not a big one though. Remember this step will
be slightly more to your right

--and waves her hands,
Upon the quay,
And ev'ry day when I'm away,
She'll watch for me;
And whisper low, when tempests blow--

Oh, hang these unexpected stones! That's finished my big blade!

--For Jack at sea,
Yeo ho! lads, ho! Yeo ho!

Now the chorus.

The sailor's wife the sailor's star shall be,--

Come on! You sing too!"

"Yeo ho! we go,
Across the sea!"

came Lady Ingleby's voice from below, rather faint and quavering.

"That's right!" shouted Jim Airth. "Keep it up! I can see the ledge now,
just abov