The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-11-16
The Hole in
the Cliff n ~
BY T. c. HARBAVGH.

IN THE warm summer sunshine hat
frightened Il very humble looking
Cornish home ruddy faced boy of
rope. So intent was he with his work
that he did not notice the addressed
figure that slOuched down the mar
row road toward him. and paused
nj last Il few feet away to watch him
with pair of jealous eyes.
"Mending your rope. are your" sud
denly asked the man.
The boy looked up and for the first
time saw he evil-looking speaker.
yes, Sid, I'm strengthening few
strands" answered the ropemaker.
"Thc sharp rocks cut you know. and
one wants everything safe when he
goes down"
"There'S something better than egg
hunting in the wind just now" said
Sid Slopcr the ragged fellow.
What is II?
"They've lust posted a reward for
information tina, viii lead TO the de-
tNN'i''i VI 'hS &c uNIl-
dred pounds amt to be picked up cv-
cry day, boy, and it's better than 60
ing down over the cliffs after eulls'
eggs"
The Cornish youth. who was ac-
counted the most successful egg hunt
Ell along the coast. made no reply.
mt dropped his eyes TO his work and
did not look mp again for few mo-
Juents.
When he raised his eyes. Sid sloper
was gone. and he thought hc.saw The
ragged mans retrcating figure van
ish down the road, but was not sure.
"Egg-hunting is profitable enough
for me- thought the boy. but /
would not mind earning the $500.
Sid Slippers word is to be taken with.
good deal of allowance, though the
coas, guard is very anxious to catch
the smu.2Irrs, and the reward may
be out"
The village mentioned by SIopcr,
the vsgab"nd;sh Cornishnan. was sit
uatcd a good mile from the coast. 1t
was farther away than the hSmr of
Brant Burton. the young egp-hunter,
aud as he boy had not been there
for some days he did not altogether
disbr|i"N the mans statement about
the reward.
The sun was hanging very low in
the west. When. provided with has
krt and n rope, he set out for the
Cornish cliffs. He had discovered
ho'c right above narrow Icdpc of
rock which promised good results,
and tn" number of birds that whirlrd
about the place tempted the boy MS
he had not been tempted before of
late.
There existed among the egg-hnut
ers OF Cornwall most intense jcal-
ousy. They would watch one another
like paid spies. and some even went
so iar as TO cut the ropes hanging
over the cliffs. leaving the poor bird
hester in a tcNibe predicamenl.
lAfant Burton. the g,iIl-luntrr, had
resolved 10 investigate he opening
in the elf about sundown when there
was not so much danger of his being
seen; aud when he reached the cdye
OF the wall the sun was disappenrinp.
Il ball OF fire, beneath thcNaycs Of
the channel.
Paying out his rope. he made one
end fast to a jagged rock near the
brink of the cliff. and with his has
ket strapped to his back, swung him.
self over the wall
1t was not his first descent ON n
similar mission. He always kept a
cool head aud steady hands on such
occasions, for beneath him, hundreds
OF feet sometimes. boiled the whirl-
pools Of the English channel.
This time his good rope did NOT fail
him. for after a brisk descent he
stood on scanty ledge of rock with
the darkening sky far above and the
wild waters below.
The hole in the cliff was large
enough to admit man. though II had
not looked so from his point of oh
servation. 10 the Cornish boy II
seemed more than u mere rendezvous
for gulls.
All at once something fell past the
boy, and the next momen. to his bor-
ror he discovered that his rope lad
vanished