THE BOYS' CORNER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20229, 13 April 1929, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE BOYS' CORNER.

A HOLIDAY STORY, A DAY OF THRILLS. It was mid-afternoon. A misty hßzo hung over the deep, blue sea. A yacht glided lazily across the slightly-ruffled waters, while the screeching of a seagull and the lazy lapping of the waves against the side of the yacht were the only sounds that broke the stillness of the afternoon. On board the yacht, which was the only boat m the small harbour, were two boys. They were chums, and both scouts, and were spending the holidays on board their yacht, " The Glengarry." They had been cruising about the bay for about five days and spending' their time in fishing and swimming. " What shall wo do this afternoon ?" asked Tom of his cornpaion Jack, the youngest of the two boys, a blue-eyed, curly-headed lad of seventeen. " Umph," he said from the depths of an exciting book. " How about going over to Grey's Point, wo haven't been there yet." " Righto," replied Tom. " Pain down and start the engines while I fix the sails. 1 ' The yacht was soon speeding majestically across the sun-kissed waters. Keeping at a fairly brisk pace, the boys soon reached Grey's Point. ' Even though ifc was a very picturesque part of the bay, with its beautiful native bush and good camping sites, people hardly ever went there because of the dangerous cliffs which were continually being washed away. Just as the yacht was rounding the point, Jack called out \ "Look! Look I Tom, there's a man clinging to the cliffs. See! He's trying to reach that overhanging tree." The man, who had just seen the boys, was crying out for help and vainly trying to climb that seemingly unscaleable cliff. " Jack," said Tom, in- a low voice, " I'm going to try and climb that cliff and help that man." Stripping off his shoes and sot&s, and quickly tying a rope round his wast, Tom jumped into the dashing waves and struck out. Socn the anxious Jack saw his chum's dripping figure climb out of the water on to the rocks. A few moments more and he had begun his perilous climb. Slowly, very slowly, he drew himself up on to* a ledgo of rock a few feet above him. For one breathless moment Jack thought his chum would fall. Butj up, up, he climbed, never losing his foothold once, until at last ho drew himself up on to the ledge of rock that the man had managed to.reach. Quickly tying the rope securely to a jutting piece of rock, he helped the man over the ledge. Hand over hand the man climbed down the rope until at last he reached the-rocks below. Tom, who had been gazing at the cliff above to sea if any of the above rocks were likely to collapse, suddenly noticed how the rock glittered and shone in the sunlight. Quickly picking up one of the brightest pieces, he started to descend. Within three minutes lie was standing beside the man he had rescued. Jack, knowing the man would be too exhausted to swim back to the yacnt, even though it was only a few yards away, had managed to throw a rope, and after making it secure Tom and the man he had rescued started on their last journey. After a fairly hard struggle with the waves they reached the boat, and with Jack to help him Tom and the man soon hauled themselves aboard. " Well done, Tom," said Jack. "You're the best and bravest chum I'll ever have." But Tom, utterly exhausted by his strenuous efforts, had fallen to the deck unconscious. \\Tien he "again awoke he was comfortably tucked up in bed in a hospital between sheets that smelt of sweet lavender. " Tom, Tom," said Jack, who was standing by the bed. " Oh, thank goodness you are all right; but, lorn, where did you get that piece of rock that was in vour pocket?' ""Whv, off the cliff, of course. "Well, it's got gold in it; there must be a vein running right, through the cliff. Our fortunes are made." _ " Oli. how wonderful," said Tom. But Jack, how is the man who brought us all this good fortune?" " Oh, you mean the man you rescued. Guess who it was." ti " Good gracious, hew do I know, replied Tom. " Well, it's Sir John God try, and he wants us to finish the holidays with him at his wonderful home in Wellington. " Oh. how wonderful," said Tom. But please don't talk any more just now. I want to think about all the thrills we have had to-day. and in a few minutes Tom was sleeping peacefully, dreaming of gold nuggets and collapsing cliffs. —By D. Cobbe, Bos IG2, Hamilton (age 11).