"I'd like to know how that happened," said Johnny; "but perhaps even a geologist couldn't tell, for sure."
"What's the use of knowin'?" returned the man: "the rock's here, and that's all there is to it."
"Let's go down by the water now," said Felix.
"Very well," replied Johnny: "only we mustn't stay too long, because father told us to be back before dark. What time is it by your watch?"
It happened that Felix had not wound his watch at the proper time; so when he took it out to look at it, he saw it had stopped. "It is a quarter-past five," he replied, beginning to wind the watch.
"Then, it is a good deal earlier then I supposed: I thought it must be pretty near six. We came over the road faster than I thought, or else the time at the wharf seemed longer than it was: I'll go down a little while, then."
After they had clambered among the ragged and tortuous rocks, covered with sea-mosses and mussels, dodging the inrunning waves merrily for about fifteen minutes, Johnny said it was time to go.
"But this is great fun," replied Felix. "Let's go down by that long gully."
"No: we shall be late home. Besides, we can come here earlier, almost any day, and stay as long as we please."
"Anyhow, let's sit down here a minute, and watch those wild-ducks by the shore: see how splendidly they swim."