Three Boys Part 44

"Na; it shall pe ta Scoodrach wi' her ponnet."

Tavish uttered another low, menacing growl of a very leonine nature, and his eyes were flas.h.i.+ng, but they softened into a smile as they encountered those of Max.

A little while after, with the two boys on high cheering them as they pa.s.sed, the boat was run into the little nook and fastened, Tavish taking the ring of rope and leaping ash.o.r.e, followed by Max and Long Shon, who got over the rough rocks and up the gully in a wonderful way, hopping on to stones and off again--stones which Tavish took in one of his great strides and with the greatest ease.

It was almost marvellous to Max to see the way in which the great forester made his way up the gully, so that he would have been at the top in half the time if he had not kept stopping to reach down his hand to the lad, who was at various places compelled to climb on all-fours.

"She'll do muckle petter soon," he said, smiling. "Ta legs sail ket harter. Hey, but it's a sair pity she does not wear ta kilt!"

"She hasna got ta legs for ta kilt," grumbled Long Shon, who was behind; and Max partly caught his words, and felt a curious sensation of annoyance at the disparaging remark.

Five minutes later they were on the top, when Tavish went straight to the spot where the little anchor was forced in between the rocks, picked up the broken rope, and threw it down again, before stepping to the edge of the cliff and bending over.

"She shouldna troost to a pit o' line like that."

"How did I know it was going to break?" shouted Kenneth. "It bore me right enough. It was old Scoody here who was so heavy."

"Ta rope wasna fit to bear a dog," grumbled Scoodrach. "Hech! she shall break ta rope wi' Snees.h.i.+ng."

The dog, which had been ready to jump up and greet the new-comers, ran at this, and looked down, and barked at the speaker, as if disputing his remark.

"You are going to fasten the line to the anchor, aren't you?" said Max.

"Na," growled Tavish. "She sail come up wi'out ta grapnel."

He threw the coil of rope on the gra.s.s, took the end, and made a loop thereon before lowering it down.

"But you cannot bear him alone?"

"The two," said Tavish coolly, as he threw the coil back now out of his way.

"Retty?" he cried.

"Yes, all right!" shouted Kenneth; and, standing there at the very brink of the terrible precipice, Tavish bent down, and drew up the rope hand over hand till Scoodrach's head appeared, and then the lad reached out, caught at Tavish's arm, and swung easily on to the top of the cliff, when the rope was lowered again, and directly after drawn up till Kenneth's head appeared, and he too swung himself on to the top, and stood laughing at Max, whose hands were uncomfortably damp.

"Here we are!" he cried. "Thank ye, Tavvy. Why, where are the hawks, Scood?"

"She prought 'em up herself."

"No, I didn't. I left them for you to bring."

"She never told her to bring ta birds," grumbled Scoodrach, in an ill-used tone.

"I believe you went to sleep. I've a jolly good mind to pitch you overboard."

"She's always saying she'll pitch her overpoard."

"There, come along down," said Long Shon.

"No, I'm not going without my birds, Shonny," cried Kenneth. "Here, Scood, go down and fetch 'em. No; if I send you down, you'll go to sleep again, and forget them. Here, Tavvy, give us hold of the rope."

"She isna going town gain," remonstrated the great Highlander.

"Oh yes, she is."

"No, no, pray don't venture again!" whispered Max.

"What! and leave those two poor birds to starve? Not I. Here, Tav, hold tight."

The great forester stood by while Kenneth threw over some fifty feet of the rope, and then stood smiling grimly, while, in defiance of all advice, and trusting utterly to the strength of the gillie's arms, Kenneth seized the rope, and let himself glide over the edge of the rock, dropping out of sight directly, while Max held his breath, as he saw the quivering of the forester's arms as Kenneth slipped down.

Then the movement ceased, and Max exclaimed excitedly,--

"Is he down safely?"

"Ou ay! she's all right," replied Tavish, as he gazed calmly down.

"Come and look."

Max shook his head. He had had shocks enough to his nerves that day, and could bear no more.

Long Shon, however, went to the edge, and stood looking down with a grim smile. Snees.h.i.+ng did the same, and barked; while Scoodrach threw himself down, and lay on the edge of the cliff looking over.

"Haul away!" came from below, and Tavish drew up a pair of coa.r.s.e worsted stockings knotted together and tied to the rope.

These were set at liberty, and, as they were placed upon a rock, there was a good deal of shuffling and movement inside, the occupants of the stockings trying first to ascend the legs, and then travelling back toward the toes, and remaining quiescent till there was the shadow cast by a bird, as it darted overhead, and a shrill cry, which seemed to set the young birds in a state of great excitement.

"Oh, if I'd been up there!" shouted Kenneth from below. "What a chance for a shot!"

"Retty, Maister Ken?"

"Yes; haul away."

"Now, Scood, hang on, and heave her up," cried Tavish.

"She could choost pull her up wi' ane han'," said Long Shon scornfully.

"Ay, but she's a wunnerfu' man," said the forester coolly, and he half closed his eyes, and then pa.s.sed the rope through his hands as Scood took hold and walked inward, as if he had harnessed himself, Snees.h.i.+ng walking by his side, and seeming to take the deepest interest in all that was going on.

A minute more, and Tavish had swung Kenneth on to the cliff, the birds were given to Scoodrach to carry, and the party descended the gully, laughing heartily at the adventure, which was talked over from all sides, and Max questioned and criticised about his sailing the boat, till they had reached within a tack of Dunroe, when Tavish said, in his broad dialect, and with one of his pleasant looks,--

"She mustn't mind what ta young Chief says. She sailed ta poat peautifully, only ta next tune she mustna pull oot ta cork."

"Eh, pull out the cork!" cried Kenneth sharply. "Why, you haven't been at the whisky, Max? No; there was none on board."

"Na, na," cried Tavish, "ta cork plug. She sailt in wi' ta watter nearly up to her knees."

"Ay," said Long Shon, gazing down at Max's still wet trouser legs; "an'

aw'm thinking it shows ta creat ignorance o' ta Southron folk, to baggie up her legs like tat, when a man might wear a kilt and niver get her legs wet at all."