“Let’s not play this any more,” said Rose. “Sue, let us go and look for that treasure, the real treasure, which the boys could not find.”
“All right,” said Sue. “Let’s!”
They ran along the cliff until they came to the bathing beach, then they climbed down to the sand.
“I know where I think the treasure is,” said Rose. “I think it is out there on that great big pile of rock where the gulls are. I have always wanted to go out on those rocks, but sometimes one can’t go, because there is water all around them. See, we could go now.”
“Yes,” said Susan. “I never was out there either. Let’s go!”
This stony point, of which Rose spoke, was called Gull Rock. It rose gray and jagged out of the sea, looking like a castle of stone. It was a favorite resting-place of the sea-gulls. Great flocks of them wheeled and screamed around the rocks and settled on them in gray clouds. There was a narrow pathway of stones which led out to Gull Rock, and on each side of the path the waves lapped gently. The tide was coming in.
“Let’s take off our shoes and stockings,” said Rose. So they did. “Now, follow my leader!” Rose cried; and with much squealing and giggling the little girls began to hop from stone to stone along the narrow path. It was very exciting! They kept tumbling down, for the rocks were wet and slippery, and in some places were covered with seaweed, which as every one knows is the slitheriest kind of thing under foot! Sometimes their feet went splash! into the pools of water which stood here and there on the path. But they did not mind that, because their feet were bare.
ROSE AND SUE CROSS UPON THE SLIPPERY STONES
At last they came to Gull Rock. They climbed up to the top. My! how surprised the sea-gulls were when the two little heads appeared above the edge of the rock, and how fast they flapped away, chattering and screaming hard things about these uninvited guests!