(no subject)
Chapter Ten
Lawrie Takes a Tumble
It was plain to see that Julian and Peter had fallen out.
"It was the rowing," Dick explained to the others as the other boys, pointedly not speaking to each other, pulled the Saucy Jane up beyond the tide line and secured her. "We arranged that Ju and I would row out and then Peter would take over nearer the island when we had to follow George in. Old Julian really took that hard, you know, George, that you didn't think he was up to it - "
"Well, he's not," said George doggedly. "I know Julian can do most things but he did nearly damage my boat that time and anyway Peter's had lots more experience. So what happened?"
"When we got to the changing over bit Julian said he'd take over the whole thing. That the rocks were so dangerous that he ought to take responsibility and that Peter was a guest and he might have an accident, that sort of thing. So then Peter got annoyed and tried to take the oars out of Ju's hands and I did think we were going to end up in the water or at least that the oars were. There was a lot of splashing and arguing and - "
"Yes, we heard that bit," said Nicola.
"… and I yelled out that we were going to hit the rocks. And then somehow Peter had got hold of both the oars and Julian was just sitting there looking fed up and then - we landed. And Peter tried to say sorry for being rude - "
"What did he say?" asked Lawrie, interested.
"Not for your pretty little ears," said Dick with a grin and then went on, "Peter tried to make a joke out of the whole thing saying it was a mutiny aboard ship sort of situation but Julian's very cross."
"Oh, dear," said Anne. "Julian hardly ever gets cross. Perhaps I'd better talk to him."
"I'd leave him," Dick advised. "You know what he's like when he does get in a stew - my word, you should have seen him when Perks got voted form captain instead of him a couple of terms ago. But he came round like he always does."
"Julian likes to be in charge," Anne explained, still worriedly watching her brother who was retying his boot lace having let Peter go ahead. "And he's so good at being in charge."
Sure enough, Julian recovered his equanimity and if he and Peter were a little stiff with each other it was not enough to spoil the day.
The seven children enjoyed themselves immensely. George, of course, knew every inch of the island and every stone of the castle but she would not have been human if she hadn't taken great pleasure in the Marlows' enthusiastic response to her most exciting possession. For Julian, Dick and Anne it was reacquainting themselves with a place they loved and rarely saw in winter time and for the Marlows it was simply great fun. The only one not thoroughly enjoying himself was Timmy. The hundreds of rabbits which lived peacefully in ever expanding numbers came out to graze and to tease him and he really did not see why he could not chase at least one.
He had just made a dive for one which had been grazing within feet of him and taunting the life out of him. He had been left tied up while the children went down into the dungeons and clearly felt that his dignity could only be restored by, as soon as he was untied, showing the rabbits what he could do to them given the chance.
"No, Timothy," said George sternly for about the twentieth time. "You know you mustn't chase those rabbits and if you do I'll tie you up all day. It's not fair when they're so tame."
"Woof," said Timmy dolefully.
"He thinks you're not being fair to him," said Anne. "Poor old Tim!"
"Poor old rabbits if Tim was to catch one," George said.
"Oh, I know," said Anne. "And I think the rabbits are the best bit of the whole island."
"Oh, no!" said Nicola at once. "You can see rabbits anywhere. But the castle! And the dungeons! It's all just wonderful."
"The dungeons are horrible," said Lawrie with a shudder. She hadn't found the visit into the dark depths of the castle nearly as much fun as the others had and for once was in full agreement with Anne who also found them spookily unpleasant.
"I keep imagining what it must have been like for the poor prisoners left down there," Anne said. "It must have been quite quite horrible."
"I kept imagining me being shut up there," said Lawrie candidly.
"Well, never mind that now," said Julian. "If we go down again you two can stay behind and do something else. Nobody has to go into the dungeons. And now, how about our picnic? I vote we have it in the castle room - that's the only room with a roof," he explained to the Marlows. "It's quite dry in there and we can have a fire. Aunt Fanny was very firm about us not getting cold."
"But wouldn't it be fun to have it on the ledge?" suggested Dick. "You know that place where the stones all flatten out on the other side? It's bound to be in full sun right now."
"Oh, yes!" agreed George at once.
"Don't you remember how Anne nearly slipped last time?" Julian said. "It's a bit dangerous. And the tide's coming in, you know. It covers those rocks, don't you remember?"
"Not for ages," said the tide-wise George and Anne said:
"Nearly slipped. It was only because I was watching the sea. And I was younger then. Oh, do say yes, Julian! It's lovely up there."
"Where is it?" Peter asked casually.
"You can't see it from here. You go round the south west side and there's a bit of clambering up over the rocks and then there's a suntrap of a ledge tucked in and protected from the wind - not that there's much today. It's wizard."
Nicola looked a question at Peter and he stared past her saying nothing. Well, it surely couldn't be that high, she told herself, and if it was she'd have to try and make a case for following Julian's idea of the castle room because sure as eggs Peter wouldn't say anything and any kind of accident out here would be awful.
But it was all right. A bit of low level scrambling a baby could have managed and then they were up on a broad ledge, below them another, not so wide and spread out below that were the rest of the rocks reaching down into the waves, the whole thing only a few feet above the water. Nothing to worry about at all.
It wasn't until after the plentiful and delicious picnic lunch and the seven children were beginning to think tidy thoughts about packing everything away before the tide, which was starting to splash over the rocks below them, made everything wet that Nicola remembered her meeting with Rodney Stone that morning and told everyone about it.
"The man's beginning to haunt us," Peter said. "Him and the Sinister Stranger."
"Well, it's a small village," Julian responded. "And only one decent Guest House. I suppose we're bound to run into them from time to time."
"But don't you think it odd that they didn't appear to know each other?" persisted Nicola.
"Perhaps they really don't," said Julian reasonably. "Perhaps we made a mistake when we saw them on the beach last night. After all it was pretty dark."
There was a chorus of dissent.
"Oh, come on, Ju! It wasn't that dark!"
"There was a moon. That's how we saw them."
"We all saw them. How many people looking like the Sinister Stranger do you get staying in a tiny place like Kirrin in the middle of winter?"
"Yes, all right," Julian concurred. "I can see it is a bit strange. But there's probably a perfectly good reason for it."
"Oh, I do hope this isn't going to turn into an adventure," Anne said nervously. "We were all having such a nice time. I do hope nothing's going to happen to spoil everything."
"Well, I think it makes things more interesting," said George at once. "And I'm going to be watching Rodney Stone very carefully when he comes over this afternoon. He could be after Father's latest invention."
"Not if he just wants to interview him for the wireless," objected Julian. "Where's the harm in that?"
"Perhaps he'll interview us as well," Lawrie said hopefully. "I'd love to be interviewed."
"You have to have something to be interviewed about first," Peter said, bouncing a pebble off the rocks below. "And none of us have."
"One day people will be queuing up to talk to me," Lawrie said dreamily.
"And Rodney Stone will kick himself for a missed opportunity, I suppose," Peter said.
"How are you planning to get so famous, Lawrie?" asked Dick good naturedly. "Sail round the world single handed like Nick here?"
"No," said Lawrie sounding surprised that Dick didn't know of her aspirations. "I'm going to be an actress."
"An actress?" said Julian. "That's ambitious. Can you act?"
"Well, of course I can!"
Nicola tossed a cockle shell at her.
"Shut up, Lal," she said. "Sometimes you're too cocky for words."
"No, I'm not! You know I can act. Why should I want to act if I can't? I was just telling Julian, that's all."
"Well don't."
"But he asked me!"
"The polite thing to do," said Peter, "is to cough in a self deprecating manner and say something modest and at most optimistic about your future plans. That way you won't look quite such a gormless nutcase when you're starving in a garret somewhere."
Lawrie glared at him and Anne said sympathetically,
"I'm sure you're very good, Lawrie."
"How can you be sure?" George asked in her contrary way. "You've never seen her act."
"Go on, Lawrie, act something for us," said Dick lazily. "I feel like being entertained."
"Like Shakespeare or something?" Lawrie said eagerly. "I know heaps of - "
"Entertained, the man said," put in Peter. "Spare us the culture bit."
"Well what then?"
"I know!" said Nicola, inspired. "Do the Sinister Stranger, Lawrie."
Lawrie grinned and turned her back on them for a few moments. When she turned to face them again she had her coat collar turned up and her hair pushed back and behind her ears. Her shoulders were hunched and her hands thrust well inside her pockets. When she spoke her eyes narrowed to slits and her mouth, already half hidden behind her scarf, was turned down, muffling her voice still further.
"Ees zees ze vay to ze Zeal's 'ead?" she growled.
Anne gave a little squeal but the others laughed. Encouraged, Lawrie embellished her act and then went on to rise to the challenge of caricaturing all the famous people she could think of for the rest to guess.
"Well, I don't know about the Shakespeare bit, Lawrie," said Dick, still chuckling over her portrayal of Donald Duck - an easy one but she was running out of ideas. "But I'd come and watch you in vaudeville any time. Lots of people can do the voice but I almost saw your feathers! Do that walk again! It's so funny I nearly rolled off the edge laughing!"
"Just make sure you don't roll off the edge, Lawrie," said Nicola. "The tide's coming in and I'm not jumping in after you."
"Oh, quack!" said Lawrie which sent Dick off again. He was a real giggler for a boy, Nicola thought, grinning more at him than at Lawrie's antics which did not, for her, have the attraction of novelty. Even the stern-faced George and the self-important Julian, she noted, had relaxed into finding Lawrie at least a little amusing.
Preparing to entertain for the last time Lawrie tightened the sleeves of her jacket, which she had tied round her waist, and bunched up the rest of it into a bustle behind her. Elbows out and chest lowered, she waddled flat footedly along the rock pausing to peck at imaginary morsels with an occasional reproachful quack at Dick who was lying on his back and clutching his stomach, almost overcome with laughter.
"Oh, do take care, Lawrie," said Anne worriedly. "You are awfully close to the edge, you know. And the tide's coming in, now. You'll get wet if "
Lawrie waved an affable wing at her and, playing to the gallery, began a slow gawky dance. They all thought she was falling over her feet on purpose. Only Julian reacted to her sudden yelp of alarm but even he wasn't quick enough to grab her before she stumbled over the edge and onto the next layer of rocks a couple of feet below.
"Lawrie, you clot, are you all right?"
"Oh, I knew she was too near the edge!"
"I'm all right," Lawrie said shakily as the rest of them scrambled down next to her. "But my foot's caught."
Sure enough, although most of her had landed safely her right foot had caught between two chunks of rock and was, they all saw, wedged it in tightly.
"Can't you sort of wrench it out?" Peter said.
"No, don't do that," said Julian authoritatively. "You'll hut yourself."
"I'm hurt already! Can't you move the stone off me?"
"Well, not being a gang of supermen, no," said Peter. "Honestly, Lawrie, you are such an idiot."
"The best thing," said Julian, "is if you can get your foot out of your boot. Can you move it at all?"
"No, I can't!" Panic was beginning to creep into Lawrie's voice. A wave hitting the rocks below sent up a warning mist of spray. "And I'm getting soaked!"
"No point in us all getting wet," Julian said. "You girls get back up." He took off his own coat and tucked it under and round Lawrie. "There! It's waterproof so you'll be fine for a bit. Let's at least try and move this rock, Dick and Peter."
The three boys did their best and the girls watched from above.
"It's giving a bit," Dick said hopefully.
"But it's so awkward - you can't get hold of it."
"Let's try again. This time, Lawrie, try really hard to pull your foot out."
"Yes, like I said before," muttered Peter. "Ready everyone? One two three!"
Again the stone moved but too little to be of any use.
"We need some kind of lever," Dick said. "That might do it."
He glanced round as if the right piece of equipment might magically appear and George shouted:
"I know! The oars - I'll go and get one!"
She began to run back along the path to the shore and Nicola went after her, glad of the chance to be able to move, to do something other than watch the shivering Lawrie growing paler and colder on the wet rock. Privately she thought that an oar would be too thick to push down far enough and even if they managed it the oar would break and then how would George manage to row back but she didn't say any of these things. It was a lot better to do something rather than nothing.
They carried the oar back between them and handed it down to the boys.
"What if it breaks?" Peter said as if he had been following Nicola's doubt. "How will we get back?"
"One problem at a time," Julian said. "Are you ready, Lawrie? Get your foot out of your boot if you possibly can if we can shift it even if it's just a little bit."
Lawrie, tearful, shivering and all to aware of the rising tide, nodded.
"And Peter, you get ready to haul her out if she needs help."
Peter looked as if he were about to argue, thought better of it and knelt behind his sister.
"It hurts," Lawrie wailed.
"Well, it will," said Peter practically and went on more sympathetically, "But don't worry, Lal. What goes in must come out. We'll get you out in a jiffy."
At first the whole thing looked unlikely. The two stones which had wedged Lawrie's foot were heavy ones wedged in place by other bigger ones. The oar was large and unwieldy, too thick and too wide and it was difficult to find a leverage point. But Julian persevered until he found the right spot and very carefully he was able to move the rock just enough for Lawrie to pull her foot, still in its boot, free. The boys helped her to scramble on to the ledge just as an extra large wave broke over their feet.
"Eeugh," said Lawrie. "My boot's full of water!"
Lawrie Takes a Tumble
It was plain to see that Julian and Peter had fallen out.
"It was the rowing," Dick explained to the others as the other boys, pointedly not speaking to each other, pulled the Saucy Jane up beyond the tide line and secured her. "We arranged that Ju and I would row out and then Peter would take over nearer the island when we had to follow George in. Old Julian really took that hard, you know, George, that you didn't think he was up to it - "
"Well, he's not," said George doggedly. "I know Julian can do most things but he did nearly damage my boat that time and anyway Peter's had lots more experience. So what happened?"
"When we got to the changing over bit Julian said he'd take over the whole thing. That the rocks were so dangerous that he ought to take responsibility and that Peter was a guest and he might have an accident, that sort of thing. So then Peter got annoyed and tried to take the oars out of Ju's hands and I did think we were going to end up in the water or at least that the oars were. There was a lot of splashing and arguing and - "
"Yes, we heard that bit," said Nicola.
"… and I yelled out that we were going to hit the rocks. And then somehow Peter had got hold of both the oars and Julian was just sitting there looking fed up and then - we landed. And Peter tried to say sorry for being rude - "
"What did he say?" asked Lawrie, interested.
"Not for your pretty little ears," said Dick with a grin and then went on, "Peter tried to make a joke out of the whole thing saying it was a mutiny aboard ship sort of situation but Julian's very cross."
"Oh, dear," said Anne. "Julian hardly ever gets cross. Perhaps I'd better talk to him."
"I'd leave him," Dick advised. "You know what he's like when he does get in a stew - my word, you should have seen him when Perks got voted form captain instead of him a couple of terms ago. But he came round like he always does."
"Julian likes to be in charge," Anne explained, still worriedly watching her brother who was retying his boot lace having let Peter go ahead. "And he's so good at being in charge."
Sure enough, Julian recovered his equanimity and if he and Peter were a little stiff with each other it was not enough to spoil the day.
The seven children enjoyed themselves immensely. George, of course, knew every inch of the island and every stone of the castle but she would not have been human if she hadn't taken great pleasure in the Marlows' enthusiastic response to her most exciting possession. For Julian, Dick and Anne it was reacquainting themselves with a place they loved and rarely saw in winter time and for the Marlows it was simply great fun. The only one not thoroughly enjoying himself was Timmy. The hundreds of rabbits which lived peacefully in ever expanding numbers came out to graze and to tease him and he really did not see why he could not chase at least one.
He had just made a dive for one which had been grazing within feet of him and taunting the life out of him. He had been left tied up while the children went down into the dungeons and clearly felt that his dignity could only be restored by, as soon as he was untied, showing the rabbits what he could do to them given the chance.
"No, Timothy," said George sternly for about the twentieth time. "You know you mustn't chase those rabbits and if you do I'll tie you up all day. It's not fair when they're so tame."
"Woof," said Timmy dolefully.
"He thinks you're not being fair to him," said Anne. "Poor old Tim!"
"Poor old rabbits if Tim was to catch one," George said.
"Oh, I know," said Anne. "And I think the rabbits are the best bit of the whole island."
"Oh, no!" said Nicola at once. "You can see rabbits anywhere. But the castle! And the dungeons! It's all just wonderful."
"The dungeons are horrible," said Lawrie with a shudder. She hadn't found the visit into the dark depths of the castle nearly as much fun as the others had and for once was in full agreement with Anne who also found them spookily unpleasant.
"I keep imagining what it must have been like for the poor prisoners left down there," Anne said. "It must have been quite quite horrible."
"I kept imagining me being shut up there," said Lawrie candidly.
"Well, never mind that now," said Julian. "If we go down again you two can stay behind and do something else. Nobody has to go into the dungeons. And now, how about our picnic? I vote we have it in the castle room - that's the only room with a roof," he explained to the Marlows. "It's quite dry in there and we can have a fire. Aunt Fanny was very firm about us not getting cold."
"But wouldn't it be fun to have it on the ledge?" suggested Dick. "You know that place where the stones all flatten out on the other side? It's bound to be in full sun right now."
"Oh, yes!" agreed George at once.
"Don't you remember how Anne nearly slipped last time?" Julian said. "It's a bit dangerous. And the tide's coming in, you know. It covers those rocks, don't you remember?"
"Not for ages," said the tide-wise George and Anne said:
"Nearly slipped. It was only because I was watching the sea. And I was younger then. Oh, do say yes, Julian! It's lovely up there."
"Where is it?" Peter asked casually.
"You can't see it from here. You go round the south west side and there's a bit of clambering up over the rocks and then there's a suntrap of a ledge tucked in and protected from the wind - not that there's much today. It's wizard."
Nicola looked a question at Peter and he stared past her saying nothing. Well, it surely couldn't be that high, she told herself, and if it was she'd have to try and make a case for following Julian's idea of the castle room because sure as eggs Peter wouldn't say anything and any kind of accident out here would be awful.
But it was all right. A bit of low level scrambling a baby could have managed and then they were up on a broad ledge, below them another, not so wide and spread out below that were the rest of the rocks reaching down into the waves, the whole thing only a few feet above the water. Nothing to worry about at all.
It wasn't until after the plentiful and delicious picnic lunch and the seven children were beginning to think tidy thoughts about packing everything away before the tide, which was starting to splash over the rocks below them, made everything wet that Nicola remembered her meeting with Rodney Stone that morning and told everyone about it.
"The man's beginning to haunt us," Peter said. "Him and the Sinister Stranger."
"Well, it's a small village," Julian responded. "And only one decent Guest House. I suppose we're bound to run into them from time to time."
"But don't you think it odd that they didn't appear to know each other?" persisted Nicola.
"Perhaps they really don't," said Julian reasonably. "Perhaps we made a mistake when we saw them on the beach last night. After all it was pretty dark."
There was a chorus of dissent.
"Oh, come on, Ju! It wasn't that dark!"
"There was a moon. That's how we saw them."
"We all saw them. How many people looking like the Sinister Stranger do you get staying in a tiny place like Kirrin in the middle of winter?"
"Yes, all right," Julian concurred. "I can see it is a bit strange. But there's probably a perfectly good reason for it."
"Oh, I do hope this isn't going to turn into an adventure," Anne said nervously. "We were all having such a nice time. I do hope nothing's going to happen to spoil everything."
"Well, I think it makes things more interesting," said George at once. "And I'm going to be watching Rodney Stone very carefully when he comes over this afternoon. He could be after Father's latest invention."
"Not if he just wants to interview him for the wireless," objected Julian. "Where's the harm in that?"
"Perhaps he'll interview us as well," Lawrie said hopefully. "I'd love to be interviewed."
"You have to have something to be interviewed about first," Peter said, bouncing a pebble off the rocks below. "And none of us have."
"One day people will be queuing up to talk to me," Lawrie said dreamily.
"And Rodney Stone will kick himself for a missed opportunity, I suppose," Peter said.
"How are you planning to get so famous, Lawrie?" asked Dick good naturedly. "Sail round the world single handed like Nick here?"
"No," said Lawrie sounding surprised that Dick didn't know of her aspirations. "I'm going to be an actress."
"An actress?" said Julian. "That's ambitious. Can you act?"
"Well, of course I can!"
Nicola tossed a cockle shell at her.
"Shut up, Lal," she said. "Sometimes you're too cocky for words."
"No, I'm not! You know I can act. Why should I want to act if I can't? I was just telling Julian, that's all."
"Well don't."
"But he asked me!"
"The polite thing to do," said Peter, "is to cough in a self deprecating manner and say something modest and at most optimistic about your future plans. That way you won't look quite such a gormless nutcase when you're starving in a garret somewhere."
Lawrie glared at him and Anne said sympathetically,
"I'm sure you're very good, Lawrie."
"How can you be sure?" George asked in her contrary way. "You've never seen her act."
"Go on, Lawrie, act something for us," said Dick lazily. "I feel like being entertained."
"Like Shakespeare or something?" Lawrie said eagerly. "I know heaps of - "
"Entertained, the man said," put in Peter. "Spare us the culture bit."
"Well what then?"
"I know!" said Nicola, inspired. "Do the Sinister Stranger, Lawrie."
Lawrie grinned and turned her back on them for a few moments. When she turned to face them again she had her coat collar turned up and her hair pushed back and behind her ears. Her shoulders were hunched and her hands thrust well inside her pockets. When she spoke her eyes narrowed to slits and her mouth, already half hidden behind her scarf, was turned down, muffling her voice still further.
"Ees zees ze vay to ze Zeal's 'ead?" she growled.
Anne gave a little squeal but the others laughed. Encouraged, Lawrie embellished her act and then went on to rise to the challenge of caricaturing all the famous people she could think of for the rest to guess.
"Well, I don't know about the Shakespeare bit, Lawrie," said Dick, still chuckling over her portrayal of Donald Duck - an easy one but she was running out of ideas. "But I'd come and watch you in vaudeville any time. Lots of people can do the voice but I almost saw your feathers! Do that walk again! It's so funny I nearly rolled off the edge laughing!"
"Just make sure you don't roll off the edge, Lawrie," said Nicola. "The tide's coming in and I'm not jumping in after you."
"Oh, quack!" said Lawrie which sent Dick off again. He was a real giggler for a boy, Nicola thought, grinning more at him than at Lawrie's antics which did not, for her, have the attraction of novelty. Even the stern-faced George and the self-important Julian, she noted, had relaxed into finding Lawrie at least a little amusing.
Preparing to entertain for the last time Lawrie tightened the sleeves of her jacket, which she had tied round her waist, and bunched up the rest of it into a bustle behind her. Elbows out and chest lowered, she waddled flat footedly along the rock pausing to peck at imaginary morsels with an occasional reproachful quack at Dick who was lying on his back and clutching his stomach, almost overcome with laughter.
"Oh, do take care, Lawrie," said Anne worriedly. "You are awfully close to the edge, you know. And the tide's coming in, now. You'll get wet if "
Lawrie waved an affable wing at her and, playing to the gallery, began a slow gawky dance. They all thought she was falling over her feet on purpose. Only Julian reacted to her sudden yelp of alarm but even he wasn't quick enough to grab her before she stumbled over the edge and onto the next layer of rocks a couple of feet below.
"Lawrie, you clot, are you all right?"
"Oh, I knew she was too near the edge!"
"I'm all right," Lawrie said shakily as the rest of them scrambled down next to her. "But my foot's caught."
Sure enough, although most of her had landed safely her right foot had caught between two chunks of rock and was, they all saw, wedged it in tightly.
"Can't you sort of wrench it out?" Peter said.
"No, don't do that," said Julian authoritatively. "You'll hut yourself."
"I'm hurt already! Can't you move the stone off me?"
"Well, not being a gang of supermen, no," said Peter. "Honestly, Lawrie, you are such an idiot."
"The best thing," said Julian, "is if you can get your foot out of your boot. Can you move it at all?"
"No, I can't!" Panic was beginning to creep into Lawrie's voice. A wave hitting the rocks below sent up a warning mist of spray. "And I'm getting soaked!"
"No point in us all getting wet," Julian said. "You girls get back up." He took off his own coat and tucked it under and round Lawrie. "There! It's waterproof so you'll be fine for a bit. Let's at least try and move this rock, Dick and Peter."
The three boys did their best and the girls watched from above.
"It's giving a bit," Dick said hopefully.
"But it's so awkward - you can't get hold of it."
"Let's try again. This time, Lawrie, try really hard to pull your foot out."
"Yes, like I said before," muttered Peter. "Ready everyone? One two three!"
Again the stone moved but too little to be of any use.
"We need some kind of lever," Dick said. "That might do it."
He glanced round as if the right piece of equipment might magically appear and George shouted:
"I know! The oars - I'll go and get one!"
She began to run back along the path to the shore and Nicola went after her, glad of the chance to be able to move, to do something other than watch the shivering Lawrie growing paler and colder on the wet rock. Privately she thought that an oar would be too thick to push down far enough and even if they managed it the oar would break and then how would George manage to row back but she didn't say any of these things. It was a lot better to do something rather than nothing.
They carried the oar back between them and handed it down to the boys.
"What if it breaks?" Peter said as if he had been following Nicola's doubt. "How will we get back?"
"One problem at a time," Julian said. "Are you ready, Lawrie? Get your foot out of your boot if you possibly can if we can shift it even if it's just a little bit."
Lawrie, tearful, shivering and all to aware of the rising tide, nodded.
"And Peter, you get ready to haul her out if she needs help."
Peter looked as if he were about to argue, thought better of it and knelt behind his sister.
"It hurts," Lawrie wailed.
"Well, it will," said Peter practically and went on more sympathetically, "But don't worry, Lal. What goes in must come out. We'll get you out in a jiffy."
At first the whole thing looked unlikely. The two stones which had wedged Lawrie's foot were heavy ones wedged in place by other bigger ones. The oar was large and unwieldy, too thick and too wide and it was difficult to find a leverage point. But Julian persevered until he found the right spot and very carefully he was able to move the rock just enough for Lawrie to pull her foot, still in its boot, free. The boys helped her to scramble on to the ledge just as an extra large wave broke over their feet.
"Eeugh," said Lawrie. "My boot's full of water!"