Part 11

"That's it. I guess we sha'n't have any trouble getting along through it to the road. If we do, we can get off and walk across. Let's just go and try it a way, and then we can come back and wait."

Accordingly, the boys rode back to the cart-path, which was a little distance below the cottages. As it had been considerably travelled, they found a very good road for their bicycles in the middle of the track, which had been worn by the feet of the horses and oxen.

"We may have to get off in that rocky place," said Johnny; "but I think we can get along very well. How far is it to the road?"'

"Oliver said it is a short half-mile."

As they were about to turn back from the lane, after their exploration, they observed a sail-boat coming toward the shore.

"There they are!" said Felix. "I saw that sail-boat as we were coming along; but it was so far off, I couldn't be sure they were in it, as there were so many boats around."

The boys rode back to a little wharf between the two cottages, and alighted. There was a row of bathing-houses back on the beach at one side of the wharf, against an end of which they leaned their bicycles. They then went and sat down on the wharf, with their feet hanging over the side. The sail-boat was still some distance off.

"What enormous cottages these are!" remarked Johnny: "there must be large families in them, to need so much room."

"No: that largest one has only two folks in it besides the servants,--a man and his wife,--unless they have company; and there are only four persons in the other family,--a man and his wife and two grown-up daughters. But the men who own the houses are millionnaires, and my father says they build big houses to use up some of their money: they don't know what else to do with it."

"I should feel lonely in such a great house, unless it had a good many folks in it," replied Johnny. "I think I should look up some folks to enjoy it with me, or else I should think of some other use for my money."

"I would build a great, magnificent ship, and sail around the world in it," said Felix.

"That wouldn't be bad; only I don't see any use in having the ship so large, unless you wanted to take a great many friends with you."

"So here are the bicyclers!" said a voice behind them; and turning quickly, they saw Pierre just crossing the road.

"What luck?" asked Johnny.

"I have merely a brace of wild-ducks for to-morrow's dinner. After I had secured them, I did not look any farther for game: I have been talking with the men over at the Point."

"That is where we are going," replied Felix; "but we thought we would wait until the boat got in. You're going back in the boat, aren't you?"

"Yes: I think so. I have walked about enough for one time."

Pierre sat down by the boys, and showed them the ducks, which he had shot down by the Point.

After the boat landed, Mr. Le Bras went up to the larger of the cottages.

The gentleman who lived in the cottage was one of Mr. Le Bras' clients. Mrs. Le Bras said Oliver could take the boys for a little sail, if they wished; so they and Pierre got on board, and sailed about until Mr. Le Bras came out of the cottage.

"Did you have a nice time?" asked Johnny, as his father joined them at the wharf.

"I had a pleasant call; but I should be very lonely if I lived in that great house, with no young persons around."

"Yes," said Mrs. Le Bras: "put some children in there, and as many more grown folks to look out for them, and it would be quite a fine place."

It appeared the gentleman was off in his yacht, and no one was at home but his wife: she stood in the piazza to see them off, and bowed politely. She was a somewhat sober-looking lady. Mr. Le Bras said she was very kind and pleasant, and he was glad to have made her acquaintance. Mr. Le Bras, having promised her husband, Mr. Frothingham, that he would let him know when he arrived at the beach, had concluded to call and inform him in person. Mr. Frothingham was anxious that Mr. Le Bras should take a trip with him in his yacht; but Mr. Le Bras had decided that he should not be able to go at present, since he wished to see his family fully domesticated at the cottage first. Mrs. Frothingham said she and her husband intended to come down to call upon their new neighbors as soon as possible.

"So you are going to the Point, boys?" said Mr. Le Bras, when he and his wife and Pierre were seated in the boat, and Oliver was preparing to put off from the wharf.

"Yes, sir," replied Felix: "we want to see them blast rocks."

"I don't know about that," said Mrs. Le Bras, looking rather anxious.

"That is all right," replied Mr. Le Bras. "Johnny knows enough about gunpowder not to go into any danger, and the men will look out for them too. Felix, you'll be careful, won't you? Don't go anywhere unless Johnny goes with you."

"All right," said Felix.

Mrs. Le Bras said no more, although the shade of anxiety had not wholly vanished from her face.

After the boat had put off, the boys mounted their bicycles, and rode down to the cart-track. They were able to proceed for some distance without dismounting; but finally, coming to a place where there were a good many stones, they alighted, and walked some distance, wheeling their bicycles by their sides. At length the path became smooth again; and they resumed their wheels, which they were able to keep for the rest of the distance to the road. The street was level and quite broad, and although not smooth, like the shell road, was sufficiently so for comfortable wheeling.

"We don't have to turn into any other road to get to the Point, do we?" said Johnny.

"No: we keep right on, for about two miles."

There were frequent farmhouses on the road; and just before they reached the Point, they came to a small village.

"I shouldn't wonder if the men who work in the quarry live here," remarked Johnny.

"Yes: see what good stone steps there are at the doors."

"It's very nice granite too. Notice what an even grain. I heard father and Pierre talking about it; and they said this stone is sent to New York and Philadelphia for very fine buildings, and that nice monuments are made of it."

Presently the water appeared before them, but as yet no quarry, only green fields ending abruptly against the blue of the water. But after proceeding a very little farther, they found themselves overlooking a very different scene. They were at the top of a gradual incline to the water's brink, covered over with stone ledges broken into quarries, among which a large number of men were working busily. Near the water, the rock was worn by the waves into very fantastic shapes; and, as there was a steep ascent from the shore, it formed natural steps and terraces in many places.

"Let's go down there by the water," said Felix: "it's always great fun walking about among such holes and windings in the rocks, where the waves keep rolling up to catch you. It's as good as a game of tag."

"Yes: I would like to go down there presently. I never saw rocks so much worn by water as they are. It has taken Nature a good many hundred years to do all that chiselling, but she's made handsomer work of it than these men have. There's going to be a blast now. See those men running this way. Let's go and find what luck they've had, when it's over."

The boys got off of their bicycles, and, a moment after, there was a loud report. The men then went back to the place where the explosion had taken place, and the boys followed them. They found the stone very evenly split.

"This granite don't give you much trouble about splitting evenly," said Johnny to the men.

"If it did, we shouldn't be at work here, year after year."

"I didn't know there was any difference in granite," said Felix.

"There's just as much difference in granite as there is in boys," replied the other man, winking at his companion: "you know there's good boys and bad boys, dull boys and smart boys, and boys all the way between."

"I know of a granite quarry," remarked Johnny, "where they don't get out any stone better than is used for making the cellars and underpinnings of common houses, and for walls and rough buildings."

"There's plenty of that kind of stone for miles around," replied one of the men: "the stone just here at the Point is all there is that's worth much of any thing, all along this part of the State."

"I'd like to know how that happened," said Johnny; "but perhaps even a geologist couldn't tell, for sure."

"What's the use of knowin'?" returned the man: "the rock's here, and that's all there is to it."

"Let's go down by the water now," said Felix.

"Very well," replied Johnny: "only we mustn't stay too long, because father told us to be back before dark. What time is it by your watch?"

It happened that Felix had not wound his watch at the proper time; so when he took it out to look at it, he saw it had stopped. "It is a quarter-past five," he replied, beginning to wind the watch.

"Then, it is a good deal earlier then I supposed: I thought it must be pretty near six. We came over the road faster than I thought, or else the time at the wharf seemed longer than it was: I'll go down a little while, then."

After they had clambered among the ragged and tortuous rocks, covered with sea-mosses and mussels, dodging the inrunning waves merrily for about fifteen minutes, Johnny said it was time to go.

"But this is great fun," replied Felix. "Let's go down by that long gully."

"No: we shall be late home. Besides, we can come here earlier, almost any day, and stay as long as we please."

"Anyhow, let's sit down here a minute, and watch those wild-ducks by the shore: see how splendidly they swim."

"Yes. I think Pierre must have shot at them in the water. I'll sit down just a minute."

At the end of a minute, Johnny was up and on his way to the place where he had left his bicycle. Felix followed slowly, calling him "Grandfather Prim" for being so particular about getting home early.

"I say, Johnny, there aren't any pickpockets or kidnappers about here! What's the matter if we don't get home till after dark? It's going to be bright moonlight to-night."

Johnny made no reply, but walked on, and regained his bicycle.

"Are you going home with me?" he said, as Felix sat down on a block of granite, still laughing, and trying to tease him.

"Oh! I an't in any hurry, and it wouldn't take me long to overtake you if you were half way home. Besides, Oliver told me of a nearer way, and so I can cut across and get home before you."

"If there is a nearer way, we had better take it; for don't you see it is clouding up? I don't believe we shall have any moonlight to-night." As he said this, Johnny mounted his bicycle.

Felix now noticed, for the first time, that it was growing suddenly darker, and that a heavy cloud was rising from the waterside. He did not care about going home in total darkness and a rain-storm, with the wind blowing from the ocean: he had seen enough such storms the year before, to know what they meant.

"You saw that other road we passed, just the other side of the quarrymen's houses?" he said, stepping upon his bicycle.

"Yes, I noticed it. But come on: we can be talking while we ride, and there is no time to lose."

The quarrymen were now beginning to leave work.

"I don't understand why the men are leaving work," continued Johnny: "it isn't six o'clock, and it won't rain right off."

One of the men was just passing him; and Johnny said, "Do you always stop working before six o'clock?"

"It's after six," replied the man. "If you live far off, you'd better make haste; for there's a hard storm coming up."

"We are staying in a cottage down the shell road," said Johnny. "We came up the shell road, and then crossed over to the other road by a cart-path. Can you tell us of a nearer way home?"

"Yes: keep on this road till you come to the road that turns off, and then keep on that till you get home."

"It's just as I told you," said Felix, going rapidly ahead of Johnny. "Oliver told me all about it. It's that road we saw as we came along."

By this time Johnny was ahead of the man, who had stopped to speak with another of the quarrymen. He hurried on, and overtook Felix. "I don't understand," he said, "why our road turns to the left from this road, when we are going to the cottages on the right."

"It doesn't go much to the left; and Oliver said it is a slant road that turns and comes right out on the shell road, just this side of the lower cottages."

The boys now rode at their best pace, Felix keeping so far ahead of Johnny that he was some distance upon the other road when Johnny reached the turn, and quite out of sight; for the road made a sharp angle at this point, and the space between was filled with trees and underbrush. Johnny hastened as much as possible, and soon came in sight of Felix, who was going slower, now that he was sure Johnny had followed around the turn; for he had been rather afraid he would go back on the old road rather than trust to his guidance, even though he had quoted Oliver's advice.

"I hope you're all right about the road," called out Johnny; "but, you see, your watch was wrong; and this road slants in the wrong direction, unless it turns and crosses the other one somewhere.

"You'll find it will turn before long," replied Felix: "yes, here it turns now!"

It was true: it did turn very slightly to the right at a point just ahead, while another road branched off of it to the left. This was enough to quiet Johnny's fears, and they proceeded rapidly on their way, Felix accommodating his pace to Johnny's for the sake of the company; for it was now quite dusky on account of the clouds, and the wind was beginning to blow hard.

The woods, which had been quite thin at their right when they entered the road, soon became thicker, and presently there were woods upon each side: they were passing through a strip of forest. It was so dark here that they could not see distinctly, and were obliged to ride slowly for fear of getting out of the road, or coming across some obstacle in their track.

"If father and mother would not be so frightened, we had better go back to the village at the quarry, and stay till the storm is over, or until morning," said Johnny anxiously, after they had proceeded some distance through the woods.

"I an't going back through these woods," replied Felix, "not if I once get out of them; and don't you see that kind of opening ahead?"

Johnny had been looking down to see, if possible, where he was riding; but now, glancing forward, he saw a lightish spot in the distance at the left.

"If that is the opening in the road, this road don't lead anywhere near home," replied Johnny; "but I guess it must be, for I think I can see that the road turns around just ahead of us. Don't you see how thick and dark it is, right ahead, like thick woods?"

"Yes, I noticed that; and that's what made me think the light spot you see over there through the trees was where the road comes out of the woods. We might just as well go out there, and ask to stop at some farmhouse, as to try to go back to the village through the woods."

"I don't see what makes that place look so light," said Johnny: "I shouldn't suppose that just the difference between the woods and outside would make it as light, unless it has cleared off; and if it has, I should think we could see some of the light here in the woods."

"We'll find out pretty soon: here we are at the turn, now."

As they passed on around the turn, and beyond, it became much lighter: they could see their way with tolerable distinctness. As they approached the bright spot, which was now plainly the end of the woods, the light increased.

"The sun is certainly shining," remarked Felix, "and so we can get home some way: though I don't intend to go through these woods again."

When they came out of the woods, they found themselves facing a meadow, with the view just beyond obstructed by a thick fog. The sky was dark with heavy clouds; and the road they were on led, at the left, directly down upon the beach, upon which the surf was rolling heavily. Just outside the woods, the road continued to the right, at nearly right angles with that upon which they had been travelling. Close by the water, and almost within reach of the boiling surf, was the lighthouse, which explained the mystery of the bright spot which had so puzzled Johnny. The wind here was blowing a gale. It was no longer possible for them to guide their wheels. They dismounted, and stood shivering in their light garments before the gale.

"It seems to me that if we take this road at the right, it might lead us home," said Johnny.

"You don't get me trying any more roads, until I am sure," returned Felix: "I don't see how Oliver came to get us into such a fix. Let's go over to the lighthouse, and ask the way home. If we've got to go through those woods again, we'll have to stay till morning. I guess we'd better stay, anyhow, if they're willing."

"No," returned Johnny firmly. "I must get home to-night, if possible: it would frighten my mother almost to death, I am afraid, if we didn't get back. But, of course, we had better go to the lighthouse, and inquire our way. Let's leave our wheels here in the road; for we must come back here on our way home, probably."

Being relieved of the bicycles, they proceeded to the lighthouse as rapidly as the wind, blowing from the sea, would allow, and soon reached the keeper's dwelling, which was a stone building attached to the lighthouse. They stood for some time upon the steps, buffeted by the strong wind from the ocean at the left, the spray from the waves dashing in their faces as the breeze blew it towards them. They were only a few yards from the shore.

"We didn't rap loud enough," said Felix, pounding with both hands upon the door: "the waves and wind make such a noise, they can't hear us."

"I wondered how the wind came to make such a strange noise, when we were coming through the woods," said Johnny: "it was the rush of the surf."

"I came over here several times with my father, last year," said Felix: "we used to come over whenever we had company, to show them the ocean and lighthouse. I have seen the man who keeps the lighthouse so many times, that I think he will remember me."

Still no one came to the door.

"They can't hear, on account of the surf," said Johnny.

"Let's both pound together, then."

So both of the boys rapped as loudly as they could upon the door, with both hands.

"The lighthouse-keeper has a boy about seventeen years old," said Felix. "He told me there was an awful undertow here. I hope he will come to the door, for I am sure he will remember me."

"Who is it?" asked a youthful voice inside the door. At first the boys could not distinguish the words; but after shouting back, and putting their cars close to the door, they soon made out the repeated inquiry, although it sounded very faint.

"We're two boys who have lost our way!" called back Johnny.

"I'm Felix Le Bras, from one of the cottages on the beach!" sang out Felix, in a loud tone. "I know the folks here, and I want to come in and inquire the way home."

The door was opened a very little way, and a soft, timid voice said,--

"You can come in, but there isn't any one at home but me."

The boys followed the owner of the voice into a room at the end of the hall, which was upon the farther side of the house. It might have been a pleasant room in a sunny day; but being very plainly furnished, with no books, pictures, or papers about, and only lighted by a small kerosene-lamp, while the wind and waves howled without, it seemed to Johnny a rather dull place for a girl to stay in alone.

Felix stared at the girl, while she looked bashfully at the boys, saying,--

"It's too bad you've got lost, and such a bad night too! I thought it was pretty lonesome staying here by myself, such a windy night; but it would be worse to be lost, out of doors. Only, there are two of you. If I had another girl here, perhaps I shouldn't be lonely at all. Sit down, won't you? I'd get you some supper, only I don't know as my aunt would like it. I suppose, if you're lost, you haven't had any supper. I guess I could let you have some pilot-bread, anyway."

"What I want to know first," replied Felix, "is how you come to be here. I was told last summer that no one lived here except the lighthouse-keeper and his boy; and now you're here, and you tell about your aunt."

"My mother died last spring, and I came to live here. And my uncle got married again last winter, and that's the way I came to have an aunt here. But Andrew isn't here now: he's gone smacking."

"Smacking!" exclaimed Johnny. "What's smacking?"

"Why, he's gone off fishing for mackerel in a smack."

"Oh! I know what that is," explained Felix; "it's a fishing-vessel; I believe it has one mast, but is a good deal larger than a sail boat."

"Do you like to stay here?" inquired Johnny, casting another glance about the dreary apartment.

"No," replied the girl, looking down, with a rather sad expression of countenance; "but my mother's dead, and so I can't help it. Perhaps by and by I can find a good place to go out to work where there are some children: that's what my aunt wants me to do, and I think I should like it better than staying here. My uncle is going to ask some of the cottagers if they want a girl to help take care of children: my aunt keeps reminding him to ask, and he keeps forgetting it, or saying he hasn't time. Sometimes I think I will go over there and ask myself; and I mean to, as soon as I get my new dress done; I'm sewing on it as fast as I can."

The boys then noticed that there was a partly finished blue calico dress lying upon the table near the lamp, and also a little thimble, a spool of thread, and a pair of scissors.

"You can tell us the way to the cottages, then?" said Johnny; "we're in a great hurry to get there: our folks will be very much worried at our not getting home before this."

"I've been there once with my uncle; but we went round by the village, because you can't get across so well with a wagon by the other road; the end of the road isn't finished."

"You can get across with a bicycle, though," replied Felix: "and Oliver says he is going to cut the bushes down back of our place, so we can go right across with our team; father told him to see it was done this year, for we don't want to have to go around by the village every time we take folks over here to the ocean."

"I don't see how we could get across any wild place with our bicycles, as dark as it is now," remarked Johnny, looking very sober. "When you told of another road, I thought of course it was a real road all the way down to the cottages."

"Well, I supposed it would be light enough for us to see. Oliver said we should come right down back of the house, and we could get off, and walk across right into our grounds. We can stay here all night, if you're afraid to try it in the dark."

"I don't think I am afraid, but I don't see how we could find our way. I think we had better try it, though, for I don't see as any thing can happen to us: it isn't so very late, and perhaps we can find our way very well. If we can't, we can come back here."

"Yes," said the girl: "and, by that time, my uncle will be home; I am sure he will let you stay. He is a real pleasant man: I am not afraid of him at all."

"Are you afraid of any one?" inquired Johnny.

"Why, no: I'm not exactly afraid. But my aunt isn't as fond of children as my uncle is: perhaps it's because she never had any children of her own."

"I suppose the direct road to the cottages is this one up by the edge of the woods," said Johnny.

"Yes: my uncle always goes that way, when he cuts across."

"Are there any turns? or is it just a straight road?"

"I think it is straight, but I'm not certain."