One gull thought the rock felt unusually soft and warm and he bent down his head and pecked at it. He pecked Andy's knee and the boy nearly gave a yell.
The men joined the one who was smoking a cigarette. They did not even bother to walk over the rocks. One man said that it was plain there could be nobody hiding there for the gulls would not stand about as they were doing if there was anyone hiding. They would know it and be suspicious.
For some time the men stood talking and smoking. Then they turned to go up the cliff again. One walked so near Andy that the boy could feel the thud of his footfall close by.
Up the cliff climbed the men and disappeared over the top. Andy cautiously lifted his head after a while and looked around. There was no one to be seen.
The boy felt that it would be safer if they all stayed where they were for some time longer—but he felt cold and damp, and he was afraid that the girls would catch a dreadful chill.
"Mary! Jill!" he called, in a low voice. "I flunk the men are gone, but we must still be careful. Slowly and carefully take off the weed and shake yourselves free of the sand. Be ready to lie still at once if I say so."
But there was no need to say so—the men did not come back to the beach. The three children shook off the damp sand, threw the seaweed over the places where they had been lying and ran quickly to the shelter of the cliff, where no one could see them, if they looked over.
The gulls flew off in the greatest surprise and alarm. They could not understand rocks turning into children so suddenly. The young gull made up its mind that it would never land on. a rock again—just suppose it changed into a person!
"Golly!" said Andy, as they stood shivering under the cliff. "That was a narrow escape! One man very nearly trod on my hand under the sand!"
"What have you done to your knee, Andy?" asked Jill, pointing to where Andy's knee was bleeding.