Here, ahoy! Boat--oh! Ahoy!" The sound died away in the vast space, but there was no movement aboard of the lugger, and after each had hailed in turn, and we had all shouted together, we looked at each other in despair.
"Oh," cried Bob, "what a set of stupids we are! Only just now we went and got into trouble, and lost our nets and baskets, and now we've been and done it again.

Here, Big, it's all your fault, what are we going to do ?" Bigley looked to sea, and he looked to shore, and then down at the water, that kept lapping round the rock and rising and falling.

The small blocks all about us had long been covered, and at its most quiescent times the sea was now within some three feet of the top, while as the waves swayed and heaved, they ran up at times nearly to where we stood.
The peril did not seem very great, because we did not quite realise our position; but stood disputing as to which would be the better proceeding--to try and swim ashore, or to wait till we could attract the notice of those on board the boat.
Several attempts were made to do the latter, for the stripping to swim with the loss of our clothes was not a course to be thought upon with equanimity; and though we shouted and waved handkerchiefs, the lugger pursued its slow way, and it was quite plain that we were not seen.
Meanwhile the water was steadily rising up the sides of our little island rock, and our position was beginning to wear a more serious aspect.
"We shall have to swim ashore, boys," said Bigley, speaking in a tone which seemed to indicate that he would rather do anything else.
He looked towards the cliff as he spoke, and being so much taller than we, of course he had a much better view.
"Oh!" he exclaimed, with a look of horror, "the tide is round both points, and we shall have to swim right along ever so far before we can land." "No, no," cried Bob, "let's swim straight in." "I tell you," cried Bigley, "if we do, we shall be drowned." "What nonsense!" cried Bob.

"Why, we'd climb up the rocks." "There is not a place where you could climb," said Bigley gloomily.

"I know every yard all along here, and there isn't a single spot where you could get up the cliff." "It's too far to swim," I said gloomily.