The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1904-03-01
Th e Hole in
the Cliff ~ ~
BY t. c. HARBAUGH.

N THE warm summer sunshine that
1 frightened a very humble-looking
cornish home ruddy-faced boy of
10 sat overhauling a bird-hunter's
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
at last a few feet away to watch him
with a pair of jealous eyes.
"Mending your rope, are you?" sud
denly asked the man.
The boy looked up and for the first
time saw the evil-looling speaker.
Eyes, Sid, I'm strengthening a few
strands" answered the ropemaker.
The 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 Sloper, the ragged fellow
What is it?"
They've just posted a reward for
information that will lead to the de-
lection of the smugglers. Three hun
dred pounds amt to be picked up ev-
cry day, boy, and it's better than go
ing down over the cliffs after gulIs'
eggs"
The Cornish youth, who was ac-
counted the most successful egg-hunt-
er along the coast, made no reply.
but dropped his eyes to his work and
did not look up again for few mo-
ments.
When he raised his eyes, Sid Sloper
was gone, and he thought he saw the
ragged mans retreating 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 Sloper's word is to be taken with
good deal of allowance, though the
coast guard is very anxious to catch
the smugglers, and the reward may
be out"
The village mentioned by Sloper,
the vagabondsh Cornishman, was sit
uated good mile from the coast. 1t
was farther away than the home of
Brant Burton, the young egg-hunter.
and as the boy had not been there
Tor some days, he did not altogether
disbelieve the mans statement about
the reward.
The sun was hanging very low in
the west, when, provided with has
ket and a rope, he set out for the
Cornish cliffs. He had discovered
hole right above a narrow ledge of
rock which promised good results.
and the number of birds that whirled
about the place tempted the boy as
he had not been tempted before of
late.
There existed among the egg-hunt-
ers OF Cornwall a most intense ieal-
ousy. They would watch one another
like paid spies, and some even went
so far as to cut the ropes hanging
over the cliffs, leaving the poor bird.
hester in terrible predicament.
Brant Burton, the gull-hunter, had
resolved to investigate the opening
IN the cliff about shutdown when there
was not so much danger of his being
seen; and when he reached the edoe
of the wall the sun was disappearing
a BAH OF fire, beneath the waves Of
the channel.
Paying out his rope, he made one
end fast to jagged rock near the
brink of the cliff, and with his bas-
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 and 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 brisk descent he
stood on o 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 it had
not looked so from his point of OBJ
servation. To the Cornish bow IL
seemed more than a mere rendezvous
for gulls.
All at once something fell past the
10y, and the next moment to his hor-
ror he discovered that his rope had
VanishedI