This seemed to stir Syd up. He had inherited enough of his father’s habits to feel nettled at any doubt of his ability, and he rather startled the men by saying sharply—
“You, Rogers, go yonder to the left; Wills, you take the right. Both of you keep as close to the sea as you can, and I’ll take the centre of the rock. Keep both of you to about my pace, and whenever I’m out of sight wait till you see me again, for I’ll keep on the high ground as much as I can. Now then, off and search every hole you see. If you feel that you have run the enemy to earth, stop and fire as a signal.”
“Ay, ay, sir,” they cried together. “But what’s the enemy like, sir?”
“Find him and see,” said Syd, sharply. “Now off.”
The men separated at once, and the toilsome job began, with the sun beating down with tropical power, but the brisk wind reducing the ardour to bearing point.
“Nice job this,” thought the boy, as leaving the cleft centre of the rock a little to his left, he began his arduous clamber. “Why, it’s as bad as being an ant in a loaf-sugar basin. Given myself the hardest job.”
But he persevered, searching diligently every rift, and amongst great blocks of stone over which he afterwards clambered, seeking the highest point so as to get a sight of one or the other of his two men, who were as active as he; but they all reached the edge of the rock at the point furthest from where they had landed without making any discovery.
“Well,” cried Syd, wiping the great drops of perspiration from his brow, “found anything?”
“Lots of holes, sir,” said one.
“Cracks big enough to hold a ship’s crew, sir,” said the other.