by the seal-cave?"

"Yes," said Will; "but the sea is too high to go in to-day. There's the
seal-cave," he continued, pointing to a small hole into which the waves
kept dashing and foaming out again. From where they were it did not
seem to be above half a yard across, and not more above the sea to the
jagged arch, while at times a wave raced in and it was out of sight--
completely covered by the foaming water.

"I don't think much of that," said Arthur; "it looks more like a rough
dog kennel."

"Yes, sir; sea-dog's kennel," said Will, who always addressed Arthur as
"sir," while he dropped that title of respect with Dick.

"Ah! well, you must examine the seal-cave another day," said Mr Temple.
"Let's see this vein of white stone that you say you found, my lad."

Five minutes' rowing brought them abreast of a split in the cliff, which
was divided from top to bottom; and here, after a little manoeuvring,
Josh took the boat in, but the sea was so rough that every now and then,
to Dick's delight, they were splashed, and Arthur held on tightly by the
thwart.

"I shall have to stop aboard, sir," said Josh, "and keep the boat off
the rocks, or we shall have a hole in her. I'll back in astarn, and
then perhaps you wouldn't mind jumping off when I take you close to that
flat rock."

Mr Temple nodded, and as the boat was turned and backed in, he stood up
and followed Will, who lightly leaped on to the rock, while before they
knew it, Dick was beside them, and the boat a dozen feet away.

"Be careful," was all he said, and then he smiled as his eyes rested
upon Arthur, who was holding on to the thwart with both hands looking
the image of dismay. For the boat was in troubled water, rising and
falling pretty quickly, and requiring all Josh's attention to keep it
from bumping on the rocks.

Will started forward at once, clambering into the narrow rift, which was
not very easy of access on account of the number of brambles that ran in
all directions, but by carefully pressing them down, the trio got on
till they were some fifty feet up the rift. Then, stooping down, Will
bent some rough growth aside so as to lay bare the rock and show that,
nearly hidden by grey lichen and stonecrop which was growing very
abundantly, the rock seemed to be of a pinky cream instead of the
prevailing grey and black.

Mr Temple examined it closely without a word. Then taking out his
hammer he was about to strike off a fragment, but he re