Elsie at Nantucket. Finley Martha
the narrow path leading to Sankaty; then the little maid moved along more soberly, looking far away over the rolling billows and watching the progress of some vessels in the offing.
They could hear the dash of the waves on the beach below, but could not see it for the over-hanging cliffs, the path running some yards distant from their brink.
"I want to see where the waves come up," said Lulu; "there's Max looking down over the edge; can't we go and look too, papa?"
"Yes, with me along to take care of you," he said, turning from the path and leading them seaward; "but don't venture alone, the ground might crumble under your feet and you would have a terrible fall, going down many feet right into the sea."
They had reached the brink. Grace, clinging tightly to her father's hand, took one timid peep, then drew back in terror. "Oh, papa, how far down it is!" she exclaimed. "Oh, let's get away, for fear the ground will break and let us fall."
"Pooh! Gracie, don't be such a coward," said Lulu. "I shouldn't be afraid even if papa hadn't hold of our hands."
"I should be afraid for you, Lulu, so venturesome as you are," said the captain, drawing her a little farther back. "Max, my son, be careful."
"Yes, sir, I will. Papa, do you know how high this bluff is?"
"They say the bank is eighty-five feet high where the lighthouse stands, and I presume it is about the same here. Now, children, we will walk on."
Grace's strength held out wonderfully; she insisted she was not at all tired, even when the end of their walk was reached.
The other division of the party had arrived some minutes before, and several were already making the ascent to the top of the lighthouse tower; the rest were scattered, waiting their turn in the neat parlor of the keeper's snug little home, or wandering over the grassy expanse between it and the sea.
"There are Grandma Elsie and mamma in the house," cried Grace, catching sight of them through a window.
"Yes," said her father, "we will go in there and wait our turn with them," leading the way as he spoke. "Do you want to go up into the tower, Gracie?"
"Oh no, no, papa!" she cried, "what would be the use? and I am afraid I might fall."
"What, with your big strong father to hold you fast?" he asked laughingly, sitting down and drawing her to a seat upon his knee; for they had entered the parlor.
"It might tire you to hold me so hard; I'm getting so big now," she answered naïvely, looking up into his face with a loving smile and stealing an arm about his neck.
"Ah, no danger of that," he laughed. "Why, I believe I could hold even your mamma or Lulu, and that against their will, without being greatly exhausted by the exertion.
"My dear," turning to Violet, "shall I have the pleasure of helping you up to the top of the tower?"
"Thank you, I think I shall not try it to-day," she answered; "they tell me the steps are very steep and hard to climb."
"Ah, so I suppose, and I think you are wise not to attempt it."
"But I may, mayn't I, papa?" Lulu said. "You know I always like to go everywhere."
"I fear it will be a hard climb for a girl of your size," he answered doubtfully.
"Oh, but I want to go, and I don't care if it is a hard climb," she said coaxingly, coming close to his side and laying her hand on his shoulder. "Please, papa, do say I may."
"Yes, since you are so desirous," he said, in an indulgent tone.
Max came hurrying in. "We can go up now, papa," he said; "the others have come down."
Edward and Zoe were just behind the boy. "Oh, you ought all to go up," cried the latter; "the view's just splendid."
"Mother," said Edward, "the view is very fine, but there are sixty steps, each a foot high; a pretty hard climb for a lady, I should think. Will you go up? may I have the pleasure of helping you?"
"Yes," she answered; "I am quite strong and well, and think the view will probably pay for the exertion."
They took the lead, the captain following with Lulu, and Max bringing up the rear.
Having reached the top and viewed the great light (one of the finest on the coast) from the interior, Elsie stepped outside, and holding fast to Edward's hand made the entire circuit, enjoying the extended view on all sides.
Stepping in again, she drew a long breath of relief. "I should not like to try that in a strong wind," she said, "or at all if I were easily made dizzy; no, nor in any case without a strong arm to cling to for safety; for there is plenty of space to fall through between the iron railing and the masonry."
"I should tremble to see you try it alone, mother," Edward said.
"It is a trifle dangerous," acknowledged the keeper.
"Yet safe enough for a sailor," laughed the captain, stepping out.
"Oh, papa, let me go too, please do!" pleaded Lulu.
"Why should you care to?" asked her father.
"To see the prospect, papa; oh, do let me! there can't be any danger with you to hold me tight."
For answer he leaned down and helped her up the step, then led her slowly round, giving her time to take in all the beauties of the scene, taking care of Max too, who was slowly following.
"I presume you are a little careful whom you allow to make that round?" the captain observed inquiringly to the keeper when again they stood inside.
"Yes, and we have never had an accident; but I don't know but there was a narrow escape from it the other day.
"Of course crowds of people come here almost every day while summer visitors are on the island, and we can't always judge what kind they are; but we know it is not an uncommon thing for people standing on the brink of a precipice or any height to feel an uncontrollable inclination to throw themselves down it, and therefore we are on the watch.
"Well, the other day I let a strange woman out there, but presently when
I saw her looking down over the edge and heard her mutter to herself,
'Shall I know him when I see him? shall I know him when I see him?' I
pulled her inside in a hurry."
"You thought she was deranged and about to commit suicide by precipitating herself to the ground?" Edward said inquiringly.
"Exactly, sir," returned the keeper.
All of their number who wished to do so having visited the top of the tower, our party prepared to leave.
"Are you going to walk back, papa? Mayn't I go with you?" pleaded Grace.
"No, daughter, we must not try your strength too far," he said, lifting her into the carriage where Grandma Elsie and Violet were already seated. "I am going on a mile further to Sachacha Pond, ladies," he remarked; "will you drive there, or directly home?"
"There, if there is time to go and return before the bathing hour," they answered.
"Quite. I think," he replied, and the carriage moved on, he with Max and Lulu, and several of the young gentlemen of the company following on foot.
Sachacha Pond they found to be a pretty sheet of water only slightly salt, a mile long and three quarters of a mile wide, separated from the ocean by a long narrow strip of sandy beach. No stream enters it, but it is the reservoir of the rainfall from the low-lying hills sloping down to its shores.
Quidnet – a hamlet of perhaps a half dozen houses – stands on its banks.
It is to this pond people go to fish for perch; calling it fresh-water fishing; here too they "bob" for eels.
Our party had not come to fish this time, yet had an errand aside from a desire to see the spot – namely, to make arrangements for going sharking the next day.
Driving and walking on to Quidnet they soon found an old, experienced mariner who possessed a suitable boat and was well pleased to undertake the job of carrying their party out to the sharking