It thundered over the side, bounding down till it reached the strand, and a large black cormorant, startled by the reverberating echoes, rose up suddenly, and flapped its way with protruded neck to a rock on the further side of the little bay.
"I bet you that animal's got a nest somewhere near here," said Vernon eagerly.

"Come, let's have a look for it; a cormorant's egg would be a jolly addition to our collection." They got up, and looking down the face of the cliff, saw, some eight feet below them, a projection half hidden by the branch of a tree, on which the scattered pieces of stick clearly showed the existence of a rude nest.

They could not, however, see whether it contained eggs or no.
"I must bag that nest; it's pretty sure to have eggs in it," said Vernon, "and I can get at it easy enough." He immediately began to descend towards the place where the nest was built, but he found it harder than he expected.
"Hallo," he said, "this is a failure.

I must climb up again to reconnoitre if there isn't a better dodge for getting at it." He reached the top, and, looking down, saw a plan of reaching the ledge which promised more hope of success.
"You'd better give it up, Verny," said Wright.

"I'm sure it's harder than we fancied, _I_ couldn't manage it, I know." "O no, Wright, never say die.