er best," said Charlotte, tenderly fingering one
or two good specimens which she had managed to secure. "I mean to save
up and buy a real geological one like Miss Roberts's."

Tapping the rocks was a fascinating occupation, and a fairly
profitable one, for this part of the coast was rich in fossils. By the
time the girls had walked a mile along the shore they had all been
able to procure some souvenirs, though as yet nothing of very special
importance. Miss Roberts looked about with a practised eye, and the
pick end of her hammer would withdraw a specimen neatly, where
clumsier blows worked havoc.

"We'll hurry on a little farther now," she said. "Those cliffs in the
middle of the bay are a particularly good hunting ground, and if
there's anything interesting to be found, we ought to find it there."

At the place in question the rocks were intersected by a narrow gorge,
where a small stream trickled its way from the moorlands above. The
shelving platforms of the cliff were here comparatively easy to climb,
and the action of water and weather combined had carried down a mass
of stones and debris that would be worth investigation. Miss Roberts
was as active and enthusiastic as any of the girls; she jumped lightly
from stone to stone, tapping likely spots with her hammer, and
finally, seeing something protruding from a rock above, began to scale
the face of the cliff.

"I believe I've got something here at last!" she called.

"Oh! what is it?" cried the eager girls.

"I can't tell yet till I've cleared it a little."

"Oh! Is it an ichthyosaurus, do you think?" cried Charlotte Perry.

"I'm going to send down a shower of stones--stand out of the way!"
commanded Miss Roberts, and balancing herself nimbly on a narrow
ledge, she swung her hammer vigorously.

Then exactly what happened nobody quite knew. Down came the stones,
rattling like an avalanche, and down with them came Miss Roberts,
falling with a heavy thud upon a piece of rock below. It was so
utterly sudden and unexpected that the girls stood for a moment in
speechless consternation, then Hilda, Elspeth, and one or two others
ran to the teacher's assistance. Miss Roberts lay at first as if she
were almost stunned, then she tried to rise, and fell back with a
groan.

"Do you know," she said quite calmly, "I'm very much afraid I've
broken my leg." And then she closed her eyes, and turned very white.

The girls stared at one another in helpless dismay. Miss