Three Boys Part 47

"To show you our glen, and take you up by the falls."

A curious shrinking sensation came upon Max, and Kenneth noticed it.

"This isn't the Grey Mare's Tail," he said, laughing; "and we're not in a boat."

"I can't help feeling a little nervous," said Max frankly. "I am not used to this sort of thing."

"And we are. Yes, of course. It's too bad to laugh at you. Come on."

"Is there any danger?"

"Well, of course there is, if you go and tumble in, but you needn't go near."

The humming roar grew louder as they tramped on along a sheep-track in and out among the huge stones which had fallen from the sides of the great gully. Now they were in deep shadow, where brilliant speckled fungi, all white and red, stood out like stools beneath the birch trees; then they were high up on quite a shelf, where the turf and moss were short, and the sun shone out clearly; and ever, as they turned angle after angle of the great zigzag, the roar of the water grew louder, till, after another hour's slow climbing, they descended a sloping green track and came into a great hollow directly facing them; and a couple of hundred feet overhead, a narrow rift, out of which poured an amber stream of water on to a huge block of rock some twenty feet below, the result being that the great spout of amber water was broken and turned into a sheet of foam, which spread out all over the great block, and fell sheer the rest of the distance, over a hundred and fifty feet, into a vast hollow below. Here it careered round and round, and rushed onward toward where the group were standing, while high above all floated a cloud of fine vapour which resembled white smoke, and upon which played the iridescent colours of half a rainbow, completing the picture in a way which made Max watch it in silent delight.

"Well, what do you think of it?" said Kenneth, who was amused by the London lad's rapt manner.

"Eh? think?" said Max, starting and colouring.

"Yes. What were you thinking?"

"I was wis.h.i.+ng that it was mine--all my own, so that I could come and sit here and think."

"Well, you may come here and sit and think, but it never will be yours.

It has always belonged to the Mackhais ever since they conquered the Mackalps, and took it with claymore and targe. There was a tremendous fight up above there, and, as my ancestors cut down the Mackalps, they threw them into the stream at the top, and there they were shot out over the fall, and carried right out to sea."

"How horrible!"

"Horrible? Why, it was all considered very brave and grand, and we are very proud of it. There's a sword down at the castle that they say was used in the great fight."

"And are you proud of it?"

"I don't know. I suppose so. Does seem queer, though, to chop chaps with swords and pitch 'em into the water. Rather an awkward place to come down, wouldn't it, Max?"

"Awful!"

"Well, never mind talking about it. Come up and see."

"What! climb up there?"

"To be sure. Oh, you needn't be afraid. It's quite safe. You go up that narrow path, and get round in among those birch trees, and that brings you out by the top."

"I--"

"Oh, don't come if you're scared," said Kenneth contemptuously.

Max rose from the stone upon which he had been seated.

"I'm ready," he said.

"Well, you are a rum chap, Maxy," cried Kenneth, clapping him on the shoulder. "Sometimes I think you are the jolliest coward I ever saw, and sometimes I think you've got plenty of pluck. Which is it?"

"I'm afraid I'm very cowardly," said Max sadly.

"Oh, come, now I'm sure of it!" cried Kenneth warmly.

"That I am a great coward?"

"No; that you're full of pluck. My father says that a fellow must be very brave to own he is a coward. Come on."

They started up the side, with Scoodrach following close behind.

"Going up to ta top o' ta fa's, Maister Kenneth?" shouted Long Shon.

"Yes. Coming with us?"

"She'd petter tak' care," cried Tavish. "There's a teal o' watter, and ta stanes is ferry wat."

"All right, Tavvy; we'll mind," cried Kenneth; and he plunged in among the bushes and rocks, to begin climbing upward in and out, and gradually leaving the rus.h.i.+ng waters of the fall behind, while, as the misty foam with its lovely ferny surroundings faded from the eye, the loud splash and roar gradually softened upon the ear till the sound was once more a deep, murmurous hum, which acted as a ba.s.s accompaniment to a harsh, wild air which Scoodrach began to sing, or rather bray.

Kenneth stopped short, held back the bushes of hazel dotted with nuts, and turned round to give Max a comical look.

"What's the matter, Scoody?" he cried. "Eh? ta matter? I only scratched my hand wi' a bit thorn."

"Oh! Well, you needn't make so much noise about it."

"Noise spout it! She t.i.tn't mak' nae noise."

"Yes, you did. You hulloaed horribly."

"She t.i.tn't. She was chust singing a wee bit sang."

"Singing? Did you say singing?"

"Ay, she was chust singing ta Allambogle."

"Do you hear that, Maxy? he thinks he was singing."

"Wah!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Scoodrach; and the little party climbed on, with Max wondering how anybody could find breath to make such a noise when climbing up so great a steep.

In a few minutes the sound of the fall began to grow louder once more, and a shrinking sensation to attack Max; but he put a bold face upon the matter, and followed close to Kenneth till the latter turned to him.

"Here we are," he said, "close to the spout." Max looked, but could see nothing, only a dense tangle of hazel stubbs among the green moss, at whose roots grew endless numbers of fungi, shaped like rough chalices, and of the colour of a ripe apricot.

"I can't see it."

"No, not there; but you can here."