The Nicest Girl in the School: A Story of School Life Read online

  CHAPTER XIV

  On the Rocks

  "Our train will start at half-past six," said Miss Lincoln, when tea wasfinished, and the girls were standing in little groups in the hotelgarden, wondering what to do next. "All who like may go on to the beachagain, or on to the cliffs, but no one must walk farther than the whitefarm near the flagstaff. You must return immediately you are told, andbe at the station by a quarter past six."

  The girls dispersed, some to wander along the shore to find a few moreshells, mermaids' purses, or strips of ribbon seaweed; some to climb tothe top of the cliff by the flagstaff; and others to play games on apiece of common near the white farm that Miss Lincoln had appointed as aboundary beyond which they must not venture. Patty, who was hunting forsea anemones in the small pools among the rocks, noticed Muriel and herfriends, Maud, Vera, and Kitty, hurrying as fast as they could along thebeach in the opposite direction from the village.

  "Where are you going?" called Phyllis Chambers, who was engaged intaking down the bathing tent.

  "Oh! nowhere in particular," they replied, stopping as if they had beenrather caught; "only just for a little stroll, to say good-bye to thewaves."

  "You mustn't go beyond the next point of rock; Miss Lincoln said so."

  "Miss Lincoln said nothing about the shore. She said the white farm onthe cliff," replied Maud, rather sulkily.

  "Well, that rock is exactly underneath the farm."

  "We were only going to peep round the point. It wouldn't take fiveminutes," said Muriel.

  "I can't allow it, all the same," said Phyllis, firmly.

  "I'm sure Miss Lincoln never meant----" began Kitty Harrison, but shewas interrupted by Phyllis.

  "Miss Lincoln has put me in authority for this afternoon. I have herorders, and I tell you you're not to go."

  Looking very cross and disconsolate, the four girls sat down on the sanda little distance away, to grumble and discuss the situation.

  "I don't believe Miss Lincoln meant exactly what she said," declaredKitty.

  "I'm sure she didn't. It's only Phyllis who's so proud of being prefect,and likes to show her authority," agreed Maud.

  "I don't see why we should do as she tells us; she's only a schoolgirllike ourselves," said Vera.

  "I expect she wanted to be nasty, and pay us out for what happened lastweek in the gymnasium," said Muriel.

  "It's too bad!"

  "It's an absolute shame!"

  "Suppose we were to go after all," suggested Vera tentatively.

  "But Phyllis would stop us."

  "She won't see. She's taking the tent poles and walking up that pathtowards the hotel. She'll be round the corner in half a minute."

  "Why, so she is!"

  "If we're quick we could be beyond the point before she comes back."

  "Then come along at once."

  "Yes, don't let us waste a moment."

  The four girls jumped up, and, hurrying off, went away round the rockwith such record speed, that by the time Phyllis returned to fetch theremainder of the tent they were well out of sight. Imagining that theymust have walked down the beach towards the village, Phyllis did nottrouble to go and look for them, so the only person who knew the realdirection they had taken was Patty, who happened to have overheard mostof the conversation, and to have seen their hasty flight. Havingexamined as many sea anemones as she cared to, Patty climbed up a steeplittle track on to the cliff again, and spent a blissful half-hour byherself, lying in the sunshine on a bed of purple heath, watching thewhite sails of the boats in the distance, and a steamer far out on thehorizon. From her point of lookout she had a very good view over thewhole of the large bay. How fast the tide was flowing in! The sandbanks,which only ten minutes ago had gleamed yellow in the sunshine, were nowcovered with water, and a huge white wave appeared at the mouth of theestuary, advancing with threatening speed.

  "It must be the tidal wave that Phyllis spoke about," thought Patty."She told us how dangerous it is on this coast, how it comes in with agreat rush, as fast as a man can run, and floods all the bay quitesuddenly. I expect that was the reason Miss Lincoln wouldn't let us gofar along the beach this afternoon. Why! Surely that cannot be Murieland the others such a long way out upon the sands! I thought they wouldhave been back before now. Yes, it is! And their backs are turned to thesea! They're sauntering along as calmly as if the tide were going downinstead of rising. Oh, why don't they look round and hurry?"

  Patty sprang to her feet and waved her handkerchief frantically, but thegirls were not looking in her direction, and took no notice. What wasshe to do? She felt, at all costs, they must be warned. She would beobliged to disregard Miss Lincoln's orders, and to go along the beachand tell them of their danger. There was not time to run back and askpermission. Nobody else was in sight, so she must decide on her ownauthority that it was expedient for once to disobey. Scrambling quicklyon to the shore by an even more precipitous path than the one by whichshe had ascended, Patty made what haste she could along the sandstowards her companions. She shouted to them while she was still aconsiderable distance off, but though they waved their hands in reply,they did not come any the faster.

  "How stupid they are!" thought Patty. "Can't they see the water behindthem? They walk as if they were strolling round the quad."

  With an extra effort she hurried on, and reached them out of breath andpanting.

  "Why don't you make haste?" she gasped. "Didn't you hear me call?"

  "It's all very well to say 'Make haste!'" replied Maud. "We can't getMuriel along."

  "I've hurt my foot," said Muriel. "I slipped on a stone, and I think Imust have sprained my ankle. It hurts dreadfully when I lean any weightupon it. Let me have your arm, Patty."

  "Don't you see how fast the tide's rising?" said Patty, giving theasked-for assistance. "If we're not very quick we shall be surrounded."

  "Why, so we shall!" exclaimed Vera. "I didn't notice it before. Comealong at once. We must run."

  "I can't run," said Muriel fretfully, "you know I can't. I can scarcelyeven limp as it is."

  "You must," said Maud, taking her other arm; "that is, if you don't wantto be drowned."

  "Don't pull me, Maud," cried Muriel, "you're hurting me. Oh, I can't goany faster! My foot will give way underneath me."

  "What are we to do?" said Kitty blankly. "The water's rushing round onboth sides of us! If we don't get across that piece of sand in frontdirectly, we shall be on an island."

  "Let us make a chair of our hands," suggested Patty, "and try to carryMuriel. See, Maud! Clasp my wrists like this, and I'll clasp yours.Muriel, sit down! Now, then; one, two, let's step together."

  "She's too heavy; I can't manage it!" exclaimed Maud, dropping herburden on to the sands.

  "Then you try, Kitty."

  "No, no! I'm not so strong as Maud. Oh, look at the water!"

  "Come along, girls," shouted Vera, "we must run for our lives! It's nouse our all being drowned."

  "Maud! Kitty! Vera! You don't mean to leave me?" shrieked Muriel.

  "Quick! Quick!" was the sole reply she received, as her three friendstook to their heels, and, without even turning to look at her, dashedacross the narrow belt of dry land which led between two channels to thesafer bank of shingle beyond.

  "The cowards! The mean cowards!" cried Muriel, white with anger andalarm. "Patty, are you going too?"

  "Not without you," replied Patty, sturdily. "Here, I'll help you up,Muriel, and we must push on, even if we have to wade. Catch hold of myarm again, and try to walk."

  "It hurts so; my foot won't hold me. Oh, the pain is so bad, I must stopfor a minute!"

  Patty looked round desperately. Their situation was indeed mostdangerous. The one path to safety was already covered, and even if theywere able to hurry on fast, it was doubtful whether they would be ableto wade to the shore. They were cut off on every side, and their littleisland was each moment diminishing in size.

  "We must climb on to these rocks," she exclaimed. "Let us s
cramble upthe tallest; perhaps it may be above high-water mark. Put your armsround my neck, Muriel, and I'll carry you as well as I can."

  Almost sinking under her cousin's weight, Patty staggered along till shereached the jagged, seaweed-covered rock, which she hoped might affordthem a temporary place of security. Groaning with pain, Muriel managedwith Patty's help to drag herself slowly to the summit.

  "Why did I come?" she said. "It was all Vera's fault. She persuaded usto go, and then kept taking us a little farther and a little fartherevery time we wanted to turn back. We shall be drowned; I know weshall."

  "I don't think so," returned Patty hopefully. "The top of the rock isquite dry, as if it weren't covered at high tide. I believe we shall besafe, only we may have to stop here for a very long while."

  "Let us call for help," suggested Muriel.

  Both girls shouted at the pitch of their voices again and again, butthere was no response, except from the sea birds which they disturbedon the adjacent cliffs.

  "THEY WERE CUT OFF ON EVERY SIDE"]

  "How long shall we have to stay here?" enquired Muriel presently.

  "Why, until the water goes down again."

  "When will it go down?"

  "What time is it now?" asked Patty.

  Muriel consulted the little watch which she wore in a strap on herwrist.

  "Exactly six o'clock," she replied.

  "Then it will be high tide about eight or nine, I suppose, and I don'tthink it will be low again until nearly midnight, or early in themorning."

  "How dreadful! Won't anybody come to fetch us off?"

  "I don't see how they could reach us. Look at the sea! It's rushingbetween the rocks like a mill-race. Any ordinary boat would be dashed topieces, and there's no lifeboat at Moorcliffe."

  Muriel shuddered. The water had indeed overflowed the whole of thesandbank, and now swirled in a foaming current round the foot of theirretreat, rising every moment a little nearer to them. Following the tidehad come a dense sea fog, that drifted down the bay, veiling the sun,and, creeping round the rock, wrapped the girls in its clammy,concealing folds, cutting them off effectually from all possibility ofbeing seen from the neighbouring cliff. In a few minutes the wholeprospect was blotted out; they seemed in a world of white mist, asabsolutely isolated and alone as if they were in mid-ocean. Tremblingwith fear, Muriel turned to Patty.

  "Do you think anybody knows where we are?" she asked.

  "I can't say. Vera and the others would, of course, tell Miss Lincoln,but she wouldn't know exactly where to look, and no one could find us inthis fog."

  "Do you think the sea'll rise any higher?"

  "Yes, a little. It can hardly be full tide yet."

  "Patty! I don't know whether I shall be able to swim with my hurt foot.Suppose the water comes right over the rock, you won't leave me like theothers did, will you?"

  "Never!" said Patty, putting her arm round her cousin. "We'll eitherboth get safely to land, or both go down together."

  "Will you promise?"

  "Faithfully."

  "Thank you. I know you always keep your promises," said Muriel.

  She did not speak again for a long time, but sat holding Patty's handtightly, and gazing under a horrible fascination at the green,foam-flecked water that was creeping so stealthily nearer to them. Howcold it looked, and how cruel! How easily it could swirl away theirlight weights, and dash them against those jagged points opposite, orsweep them out into the midst of those long waves, the white crests ofwhich were just dimly visible through the wall of fog! Inch by inch itrose; it was only a foot now from the top of the rock, far above theline which they had supposed was high-water mark.

  "I think we had better both take off our tennis shoes," said Patty. "Ifwe're obliged to swim, you could perhaps manage to float, and I couldpull you along."

  "Patty, aren't you terribly afraid?"

  "No, not very. Not so much as I thought I should be."

  There was silence for a few minutes, and then Muriel said:

  "I can't think how it is you're not afraid."

  "Because God can take care of us here as well as anywhere else,"answered Patty, quietly.

  "Do you really think He will?"

  "I'm going to ask Him now."

  "Then so will I," said Muriel, kneeling by her side on the rock.

  "Lighten our darkness, we beseech Thee, O Lord, and by Thy great mercydefend us from all perils and dangers of this night."

  How often they had repeated the familiar collect in church or atevening prayers in the big schoolroom at The Priory, sometimes withlittle thought for its meaning; and how different it sounded now in themidst of the real peril and danger that surrounded them! A great wavecame suddenly dashing up and poured over their feet, and the twotrembling girls looked with white faces as the shoes, which they hadtaken off and laid beside them, were swept away and lost in the depthsbelow. Many fresh thoughts came to Muriel then--thoughts such as hadrarely troubled her before. In the mist and the rushing water her oldstandards seemed to be slipping from her; wealth and position felt ofslight value compared to those better things about which she hadhitherto cared so little: and I think, with the surging tide, some ofher old self passed away, and left a new self born in its place.

  "It's going down!" cried Patty at last. "That one wave was thehigh-water mark. Look! It's certainly lower than it was."

  "Then we're saved!" exclaimed Muriel; and, breaking down utterly, shecovered her face with her hands, and burst into a storm of tears.

  The tide was undoubtedly on the turn; each wave seemed less forcefulthan the last, and though they were still surrounded by water, andlikely to be kept prisoners for many hours yet, they could considerthemselves free from danger, and feel that their lives had been spared.Time crept slowly on; fortunately, owing to the length of the July day,it was not yet dark, but the fog had not lifted, and they were not ableto see even so far as the adjoining rocks. Their clothes were wetthrough with spray, and they felt damp, and chilly, and forlorn. Bothgirls had been tired out with their long day's pleasure before they werecaught by the tide, and the hours of waiting seemed interminable.Muriel, exhausted with fright and exposure, clung piteously to Patty,crying quietly, and the latter gave her what comfort she had to offer.

  "The water's halfway down the rock already," she said. "In another hourwe may be able to reach the shore, if only the mist would clear."

  "My foot still hurts," said Muriel. "I don't believe I shall be able tolimp a step."

  "Perhaps a boat will come to find us, now the tide's not so high. I'msure Miss Lincoln would send somebody to look."

  "You don't think she would go home without us, then?"

  "Oh, no! I'm quite certain she wouldn't. Someone would miss us, and thenshe would ask who had seen us last."

  "Do you think Kitty and Maud and Vera would tell? Perhaps they'd beashamed of having left us."

  "They'd be obliged to tell. I expect if it hadn't been for the fog weshould have been found before. If you leant your head against me, couldyou go to sleep?"

  "No, not with the water still so near," said Muriel, shuddering. "I mustjust sit still, and wait, and wait, and wait."

  Half an hour more passed; the girls were too weary to care to talk, butat last Muriel spoke again.

  "Patty," she said, suddenly, "I want to tell you a secret. It'ssomething I ought to have told long ago, only I didn't dare. That Caesartranslation belonged to me."

  "I thought it did," said Patty, calmly.

  "You thought so! Oh, Patty! How did you know?"

  "Because I saw you slip it into your desk that afternoon I came sounexpectedly into the schoolroom. I recognized the green cover themoment Miss Harper held it up."

  "And yet you never said anything about it?"

  "No."

  "Not to anybody? Not even to Enid?"

  "No, not even to Enid. I wasn't certain, and if I had been I wouldn'thave told."

  "I've been wretched about it!" said Muriel. "I never intend
ed you toget blamed, but I daren't confess it was mine."

  "Who gave you the book?" asked Patty.

  "Horace. He used it himself once, and those were his initials in it, H.P. for Horace Pearson; and of course everyone believed it meant PattyHirst, because the two letters were interlaced, and could be read eitherway."

  "I'm sorry it was Horace's. I thought better of him," groaned Patty.

  "I'm afraid we're neither of us as conscientious as you," said Muriel."I used to prepare my Latin with it. I don't know how I could be sosilly as to leave it lying about."

  "Perhaps it's as well you did," said Patty, gravely, "or it might neverhave been found out."

  "I'm dreadfully sorry now," said Muriel. "I wouldn't do it again. I'm soglad Miss Harper burnt it. It was most unfortunate it should be fixedupon you. I always told the girls you were innocent."

  "I don't think many of them believed it was mine."

  "A few did, or at any rate pretended they did. Well, I'll set it allstraight when I get back to school. It'll be hateful to tell MissHarper, but it's the one thing I can do to make up, and I will."

  Another half-hour had passed, and a slight breeze blowing from the seabegan at length to disperse the fog, which, thinning a little, revealedthe outline of the cliffs on the landward side. The sun had long agoset, but still showed such a bright glow on the western horizon, that itwas light enough to see that the sandbank was almost clear, and thewater flowing from it in broad channels.

  "I think we might leave our rock now," said Patty. "Perhaps if we wadewe could reach the shore before it gets quite dark. Can you manage if Ihelp you?"

  Muriel climbed painfully down, and taking Patty's arm, began to limp herway over the sands.

  "It's half-past ten," she said, "and our train was to leave at half-pastsix. All the others will have gone home ages ago. I don't know what wemust do, even if we get to land."

  "Somebody's sure to be waiting for us," said Patty. "Why, I believe Ican see a boat over there in the distance. Look! To your left, where themist is blowing away."

  "It is!" exclaimed Muriel, in much excitement. "A fishing boat, withthree men in it. Let us call as loudly as we can."

  The two girls joined in a wild "Halloo!" and to their great relief wereat once answered by a shout in reply. The boat turned her course andmade for the sandbank, and in a few minutes a bronzed old seaman hadleaped over the gunwale and waded through the channel to their rescue.

  "Why, little misses, you've got yourselves in a fine fix!" he said, byway of greeting. "Here we've bin a-lookin' for you for a matter of fourhours; just hangin' about in the fog, we was, and shoutin' every now andthen on the off chance of your hearin' us. I ne'er thought we'd find yousafe and sound, I didn't. Bin up the rock, you say? Ay, them rocks isnever covered. If I'd only knowed you was there! We'd a' seen you longsince, if it hadn't a' bin for the fog."

  He lifted Muriel in his arms, and, carrying her as easily as if she hadbeen a baby, waded with her to the boat, returning afterwards for Patty.

  "You're nigh dead beat, both on you," he said, sympathetically. "It'sgive you a rare fright, I'll be bound, and us too! Your teacher's halfcrazed after you, poor thing! She'll be main glad to see you back, shewill that!"

  It was indeed with a feeling of intense relief and thankfulness thatMiss Lincoln welcomed the missing pair as the boat drew up on the beachat Moorcliffe. The hours of their absence had been a time of suchanxiety and suspense as she had not experienced before with any of herpupils. One look at her face showed them what she had suffered on theirbehalf.

  "Thank God you are safe!" she cried, as she took them in her arms andkissed them.

  All the school had returned to The Priory, only Miss Harper remainingwith Miss Lincoln; and as the last train had left, the latter madearrangements to spend the night at the hotel. The girls were cold andwet, and much in need of food and rest; so they were only too thankfulto be put to bed at once, instead of starting on a railway journey. Theheadmistress would allow very little talk that night about what hadhappened, reserving what she had to say for a future occasion; andMuriel, who knew there was a painful explanation in store for her, wasnot sorry that it should be deferred.

  "I shall be in dreadful trouble to-morrow," she said to Patty as theylay in bed, "and I deserve it, I know. I'm going to make a clean breastof everything, the Caesar translation and several other things, and thenperhaps I shall feel better, and make a fresh start. I haven't said'Thank you' to you, Patty, because I really don't know how; but you'vebeen an absolute trump, and I shall tell Miss Lincoln so. I shan't everforget it. Good-night!"