Chapter IV: Tom and Dick Go for a Holiday

TOM made up his mind he would have one holiday with Dick Potter before he was "harnessed up," as he called it, to Miss Pringle.

Mrs. Gillies did not encourage her son to do his best at his first situation; she rather gave him a distaste for it. Every word that Tom uttered which displeased her made her shake her head, and say tauntingly, "You'll learn to speak to your elders differently, young gentleman, when Miss Pringle has you in hand."

So Tom did not try to do better; he made himself, if possible, more disagreeable: he pulled his little brothers' hair, disturbed them when at play, teazed the cat, and managed to get into everybody's way, but never volunteered to help any one. Yet Tom had a better nature, which needed awakening. Up to this time he did not obey his parents and endeavour to behave well, nor feel that he had a Father in heaven who loved and cared for him, and who had given His Son to die on the cross to save him from sin. Had he realised this, surely he would not have said to his sister Sally, "No one gives me credit for being good, so I may as well be naughty."

The proposed holiday was to be spent in catching crabs. Tom started off by appointment to meet his friend directly after his father had gone to the quarries.

"We shall have a first-rate day," called out Dick, who was awaiting his arrival; "but we should do a deal better if we had the little boat that Harry keeps for running across to Dixtown with. Isn't he gone fishing with Will? I thought I saw them start early last evening, and I haven't noticed them come back again."

"They ain't back again; but for all that, I can't take the boat," answered Tom. "If Harry comes soon, he's very likely to go over to Dixtown, and if his boat ain't there, and he finds out I've taken it, he'll thrash me; for he won't care to row the big boat over, it's so much harder to pull."

"Oh, do take it!" urged Dick. "I'm going for a holiday to please you, and now you won't do the very thing that'll make our outing more jolly. I'll be off to the quarries if you're going to be so ill-natured."

"But I don't want Harry to thrash me; I know he will if he finds his boat gone."

"He won't want the boat to-day; he's sure to go to bed directly he lands, for he's been up all night."

"But suppose he's got fish to sell, he must go to Dixtown at once."

"Most likely they'll call at Dixtown on their way home and leave the fish."

"If I were only sure of that, I'd fetch the boat," said Tom, showing signs of yielding to Dick's temptation.

"You know they hardly ever come home without calling at Dixtown by the way."

"But they do sometimes."

"I've never found you a coward before, Tom," sneered Dick, pretending to leave him. "Good-bye, you Molly."

"Oh, don't go!" called out Tom. "I'll take the boat if you'll come with me; for we shan't have a day together again for ever so long."

"That's just what I thought, and why I want you to make use of Harry's boat. We can go to the Lion's Cave; it's a jolly place for crabs. We shall never lose sight of Norton Island; so, after all, we shall be close at home."

"The Lion's Cave is too far," said Tom. "I couldn't get home before Harry if I saw his boat in the distance."

"Then stay where you are," retorted Dick; "I shan't ask you again. You're the biggest coward I ever saw in my life. You'd better go back home at once."

Tom winced under Dick's words, and was conquered by them. "I'm no coward," he said, hastily. "I'll prove it too. Come along!"

The boys stole quietly down the narrow pathway that led to the small landing stage.

"Take the anchor with you," said Dick, jumping into the boat. "We shall want it; for we can't land against the rocks in Lion's Cave unless we've got it; the boat would drift away."

"All right," answered Tom. "I only wish I'd brought something to eat; we shall be so hungry."

"I've a loaf tied up in my handkerchief," replied Dick; "it's a good big one, quite enough for us two. I begged it of mother, for I said we were going to catch crabs, and I shouldn't be home to dinner."

"I told Sally I was off for the day with you, but I never thought about being hungry," said Tom.

"Don't mind, we shall get on somehow. We can't starve with this."

"And we won't be very late home," added Tom.

Each boy took an oar, and pulled hard. They rounded Norton Island, then St. Helen's, which communicated with it at low water; from thence they kept close under the cliffs, passing fantastic crags, abrupt precipices, and dark caverns.

"There's the old Lion at last," cried Dick. "It's taken us a good three hours to get here; but hasn't it been a splendid row? Ain't you glad you came in the boat?"

"Yes, it's been very nice," answered Tom; "but I should have liked it a deal more if I'd been sure Harry wouldn't find me out."

"Don't worry about Harry, but enjoy your holiday, my boy," said Dick. "It's a splendid place for crabs. We'll land here first, and go to the other caves afterwards if we've time; it's just about low water. Doesn't the old Lion look splendid?"

"He looks ready to spring at us. You wouldn't admire him quite so much if you didn't know he was a stone," remarked Tom.

"Perhaps not," said Dick, springing out of the boat. "Make haste, Tom, and throw the rope round that tall boulder; we've two good hours before the tide will hurt us."

Tom did as he was bid.

"That's right. Now let's go to work."

The boys searched the clefts of the rocks, and turned over heavy stones, hoping to surprise their victims. Dick took care only to poke his stick into the holes, but he was always ready to haul Tom up on his shoulder so that he might thrust his hand in and catch the crabs by their claws. They soon captured four, which they tied together; then they chased a large one in a pool. After some time, they managed to force him on to a rock, but here he stretched out his claws, and seemed so inclined to fight for his liberty that even Tom could not be persuaded to handle him. At last, Dick turned him over on his back with his stick, and then he was easily secured.

The search for crabs was very enticing; the boys wandered far beyond the Lion's cave in their eagerness, and both the tide and the boat were forgotten. A great splashing of water reminded them at last that time was passing quickly, and they discovered that they had rounded a point against which the waves were breaking.

"Here's a pretty go," said Dick; "we must scale the top of the rock."

"I don't believe we can," answered Tom; "we'd better paddle."

"Nonsense it isn't possible; the sea is too strong, you couldn't stand in it. I'll go over first and give you a help up."

But in spite of Dick's help, poor Tom's knuckles were badly grazed, and to make matters worse, when he was nearly handed in a place of safety, he let go the string which held the crabs, for his companion as usual made him carry the spoil.

"You must go back for the crabs," shouted Dick; "after all the trouble we've had in catching them, I ain't going to see them thrown away."

So Tom had to retrace his steps. When, he secured his prey, he found he could not drag them and himself too on to the ledge where his friend stood. Finally he threw the crabs up, and Dick caught hold of the end of the string.

"Now we're up here, I don't see very well how we shall get on," said Dick.

True enough, as Tom found when he looked down the perpendicular slab, which must be scaled before the cave was reached. The tide was coming in so rapidly, there was no time to waste.

"Be quick," called Dick; "I mean to let myself down—you do the same; we shall fall on the sand."

"I can't and won't carry the crabs," said Tom. "If you want them, you may take them."

"You shall carry them," answered Dick, angrily.

"I tell you I won't."

Dick saw that Tom was not to be awed by any threats, so he answered more pleasantly, "Don't be unkind; I'll bear my part. I'll slip down first and you let the crabs down after me; I'll catch them."

But he found the slab higher than he calculated; he did not fall on the sand, but on a rock, which bruised him considerably, and made him very cross. The crabs fell more comfortably, but poor Tom managed to tumble and hit his forehead on the edge of a sharp stone. He was stunned for a moment, the pain was so sharp.

"Come along," cried Dick, who had gone forward with the crabs. "Make haste, or you'll be washed away by the tide. Get past the next point, and there's the cave."

Tom followed his companion with a very bad grace.

"I've hurt my head," he said, when he and Dick were safe in the cave.

"It's nothing, only a scratch. What a fuss you make about a trifle! We've no time to lose; we must paddle to the boat. Pull off your boots."

"I wish I'd never come," said Tom, whose eye was smarting, and made worse by rubbing it with his hand, which was wet with salt water.

"It's too late to be sorry now," laughed Dick. "Be quick, or Harry will be home before you."

These words had more effect than any he could have chosen. Tom did not linger again, but pulled well with his oar all the way to Norton Island.

When they passed St Helen's, he looked out anxiously for his brothers. But he escaped a thrashing; for they were so successful, they put into Dixtown to sell their fish, and did not arrive home until an hour after the boys.

"We've had a famous day," said Dick, when they had anchored the boat. "Now let's divide the crabs. I'm to have the biggest, because I carried them."

"I had them longest."

Dick did not contest the point, but, as usual, managed to appropriate the best to himself.

"I'll see you to-morrow," he said to Tom at parting. "Your eye only wants bathing; it will be all right by the morning."

Tom was very much inclined to slink in at the back, to avoid meeting his parents. But he was very hungry; so taking up his crabs, he went boldly up to the front door.

"Bless me, Tom!" cried his mother, as he entered. "What an eye you've got! Look, father!" she added, speaking to her husband. "What will Miss Pringle think of him?"

"It's nothing to me what sort of an eye he's got," answered Mr. Gillies. "He's been with Dick Potter all day, and up to mischief again. He shall go to his situation to-morrow however bad he may be."

"Go and bathe it directly," said his mother. "Sally, fetch some warm water."

"Come, Tom, there's a good boy!" called his sister. "Let's go into the kitchen. What splendid crabs you've got. We'll boil one or two of the smallest for supper, and Harry will sell the best to-morrow."

Tom was soon sitting by the fire giving Sally an account of the day's proceedings, but he did not tell her how far he and Dick had been, nor that he had taken his brother's boat at his friend's suggestion.