There was no possible way down except by the use
of the ropes, and this was an extremely difficult and dangerous
undertaking, for the cliffs rose fully three hundred feet in
height, and our lines, of which we had two, would scarcely, when
joined together, measure more than half that length. For we used
them for the cliffs of Pomona, which are not in any place so high
as those of Hoy.
We had a long consultation first, as to which of us should make the
descent. Robbie offered to go down, as he was the lighter weight
and I the stronger for holding the upper end of the rope. Yet I was
a little afraid of letting him undertake so difficult an adventure,
being conscious that he had had less practice at cliff climbing
than I.
"Robbie," I said, "let me go down. You can hold the line--" and
then suddenly remembering my magic stone, I added, "and remember,
Robbie, that I have this little stone to keep me from harm."
At once Robbie cast away all fear and became quite confident.
"What fools we were not to think of that!" he exclaimed. "Come
away, let us tie the lines together, and you'll go down as safe as
a bird, Hal. Hooray! we have a chance of testing the worth of the
stone after all!"
Robbie's confidence gave me courage--or was it the remembrance of
the viking's charm that made me bold? However it be, I now thought
no more of going down this unfamiliar precipice than if it had been
one of those that were so well known to me on the Mainland.
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