“We had better take care where we go, though,” observed one of the boys, who was wiser than the rest.
“It would be an ugly thing to tumble into that boiling stream, and be carried off to the loch.”
“Oh, nonsense,” exclaimed Norman, “I am not afraid, I am going to shoot tigers when I go back to India. I shall have to go into wild places to get at them. I have a fancy for climbing up those rocks to see how high I can get. Who will follow?”
“Oh, do not go, do not go, young gentleman,” cried Robby, who saw the danger they were running. “You may slip and break your legs, or be drowned if you fall into the water.”
The boys disregarded his warnings, and Norman eager to show his bravery began to climb the rocks. They made one ascent, and perhaps influenced by Robby’s warning, took sufficient care to escape an accident, and all descended again in safety very nearly to the edge of the loch.
“He did not do any great thing after all,” observed one of the boys. “I thought, Vallery, you were going up to the top.”
“So I will, if you will follow me,” answered Norman.
“You will be frightened, before you are half way up,” cried another.
“You dare not do it,” said a third.
“Big as you all are, I will dare anything you can do,” exclaimed Norman proudly, and he began to reascend the rocks.