Devon Boys | Page 9

were perched.
For there was not even a sheep in sight, the side of the valley below us
being a rugged mass of desolation, only redeemed by patches of
whortleberry and purple heath with the taller growing heather.
"Over with it, Bob," cried Bigley; "shall I help?"
"No, no, you needn't help neither," said Bob. "I'm going to do it all
myself scientifically, as Doctor Stacey calls it. This bar's a fulcrum."
"No, no," I said; "that isn't right."
"Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Bigley.
"Then what is it, please, Mr Clever? Doctor Stacey said bars were
fulcrums, and you put the end under a big stone, and then put a little
one down for a lever--just so, and then you pressed down the end of the
bar--so, and then--"
"Oh! Look at it," cried Bigley.
For Bob had been suiting the action to the word, and before he realised
what he was doing the effect of the lever was to lift the side of the big
stone, so that it remained poised for a few moments and then fell over,
gliding slowly for a few feet, and then gathering velocity it made a leap
right into a heap of debris which it scattered, and then another leap and

another, followed by roll, rush, and rumble, till, always gathering
velocity, amidst the rush and rattle of stones, it made one final bound of
a couple of hundred feet at least, and fell far below us on a projecting
mass of rock, to be shivered to atoms, while the sound came echoing up,
and then seemed to run away down the valley and out to sea.
No one spoke for a few moments, for the feeling upon us was one of
awe.
"I say, that was fine!" cried Bob at last. "Let's do another. You don't
mind, do you, Sep?"
"N-no," I said, "I don't think it does any harm."
I spoke hesitatingly, as I could not help wondering what my father
would have said had he been there.
"Come along," cried Bob, who was intensely excited now, "let's send a
big one down."
His eagerness was contagious, and we followed him up a little along
the edge of the steep cliff to find a bigger piece; but, though we could
find plenty of small ones, which we sent bounding down by the help of
the iron lever with more or less satisfactory results, the heavy masses
all seemed to have portions so wedged or buried in the live rock that
our puny efforts were without avail.
"I tell you what," said Bigley at last, "I know!"
"What do you know?" cried Bob with a sneer, for somehow, though he
could easily have taken us one under each arm, Bigley used to be
terribly pecked by both.
For answer Bigley pointed up at the ragged comb-like ridge above us.
"Well, what are you doing that for?" cried Bob.
"Let's send down the big boulder."

We looked up at the great stone which we had long ago dubbed the
Boulder, because it was so much like one of the well-rolled pieces on
the shore, and there it lay a hundred feet beyond us, looking as if a
touch would send it thundering down.
"Hooray!" cried Bob. "Why, I say, Sep, he isn't half such a stupid as
you said he was."
"I didn't say he was stupid," I cried indignantly.
"Oh, yes, you did!" said Bob with a grin; "but never mind now. Come
on, lads. I say, it's steeper there, and as soon as it comes down it will
make such a rush."
"Can't hurt anything, can it?" I said dubiously.
"Yes; it'll hurt you if you stand underneath," said Bob grinning. "Come
along. What can it hurt? Why, it wouldn't even hurt a sheep if there was
one there. My! Wouldn't he scuttle away if he heard it coming."
Bob was right, there was nothing to harm, and the displacement of a
big stone in what was quite a wilderness of rough fragments would not
even be noticed. So up we climbed, and in a few minutes were well on
the ridge grouped on one side of the big boulder.
"Now, then," Bob cried; "you are strongest, old Big, and you shall help
her. Look here; I'll get the bar under, and Sep and I will hoist. Then you
put your shoulder under this corner and heave, and over she goes."
"Bravo, skipper!" I said, for he gave his orders so cleverly and
concisely that the task seemed quite easy.
"Wait a moment," he cried. "I haven't got the bar quite right. That's it.
My! Won't it go!"
"Pah! Tah! Tah! Tah!" rang out over our heads just like a mocking
laugh, as a couple of jackdaws flew past, their dark shadows seeming