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f moral support in the adventure was certainly worthy of their confidence. He was a bold boy--an apprentice to a ship-caulker; one of those children who have already become men. He slept on a little straw in a shed in the ship-caulker's yard, getting his own living, having red hair, and a loud voice; climbing easily up walls and trees, not encumbered with prejudices in the matter of property in the apples within his reach; a lad who had worked in the repairing dock for vessels of war--a child of chance, a happy orphan, born in France, no one knew exactly where; ready to give a centime to a beggar; a mischievous fellow, but a good one at heart; one who had talked to Parisians. At this time he was earning a shilling a day by caulking the fishermen's boats under repair at the Pequeries. When he felt inclined he gave himself a holiday, and went birds'-nesting. Such was the little French boy. The solitude of the place impressed them with a strange feeling of dread. They felt the threatening aspect of the silent house. It was wild and savage. The naked and deserted plateau terminated in a precipice at a short distance from its steep incline. The sea below was quiet. There was no wind. Not a blade of grass stirred. The birds'-nesters advanced by slow steps, the French boy at their head, and looking towards the house. One of them, afterwards relating the story, or as much of it as had remained in his head, added, "It did not speak." They came nearer, holding their breath, as one might approach a savage animal. They had climbed the hill at the side of the house which descended to seaward towards a little isthmus of rocks almost inaccessible. Thus they had come pretty near to the building; but they saw only the southern side, which was all walled up. They did not dare to approach by the other side, where the terrible windows were. They grew bolder, however; the caulker's apprentice whispered, "Let's veer to larboard. That's the handsome side. Let's have a look at the black windows." The little band accordingly "veered to larboard," and came round to the other side of the house. The two windows were lighted up. The boys took to their heels. When they had got to some distance, the French boy, however, returned. "Hillo!" said he, "the lights have vanished." The light at the windows had, indeed, disappeared. The outline of the building was seen as sharply defined as if stamped out with a punch against the
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