“And yet he would not have complained, Dick.  He is a plucky little chap.  Just think of his going into the cabin of the wreck, up to his knees in the water, to get that bag of gold just because he said he would.”

“Yes, it was a nervy thing to do, and there are bigger boys in the Academy who would not have done it.  But I say, Jack, it is getting pretty rough along here.  I am afraid we may have to change our route.”

They had come upon a mass of high rocks over which it was well nigh impossible to make their way, and Jack stopped, looked around him and said: 

“It seems a pretty tough job, Dick.  Suppose you give me a boost, however, and let me see if I can get to the top of this one.  I am lighter than you, and perhaps I can make it.”

“All right, Jack, just as you say,” and Dick bent his back so that his companion could get upon his shoulders, and then straightened up slowly, Jack holding on by some of the projections in the rock and going up with him, being able to reach a bit higher when Percival was at his full height and saying, with some satisfaction: 

“That is fine, Dick.  I should reach the top now.  Catch me if I come tumbling down, however.”

“I don’t think you will, Jack.  You are a regular cat to keep your feet, and I guess you are all right.”

Clinging with toes and fingers to the rock and going up inch by inch, Jack at length reached a point whence it was easier climbing, and here he advanced more rapidly than before, Percival watching him closely, and standing ready to catch him in case he happened to lose his footing.

Jack did not, however, and at last, as he reached the top of the rock, threw himself forward and found himself on a flat, but somewhat rough surface a few yards in extent with higher rocks on one side, but nothing in front of him.

Beyond, at some little distance, there were other rocks, but he judged that if he went to the edge of the rock to which he had climbed he might see something, and he, therefore, crept along cautiously for fear of being seen, until he reached the edge.

Here he looked over and saw that there was water below him, quite a good sized cove, in fact, which ran up from the shore to a considerable distance, apparently, but had a turn a few rods farther up in shore.

Looking the other way Jack could see the bay in which they lay, and said to himself: 

“That is the way they could come, but now let us see if they did, and if there is room beyond for a vessel of any size to pass.”

The higher mass of rock on his left prevented his going much farther, however, and he was thinking that he might be obliged to climb to the top of this, being unable to get around it, when he heard a suspicious sound below him, and lay flat on his face, peering cautiously over the edge.

There were some bushes and coarse grass here and these hid him somewhat from observation, while they did not prevent his seeing anything going on below.