Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 12, 2025
I'm afraid that we thought very little about Bigley's escape from a horrible death, for by nine o'clock the next morning he was over at the Bay, and while we were talking outside, Bob Chowne came trotting up, holding on to the mane of his father's pony, for the doctor had ridden over to see my father.
You next, Chowne. Climb your best, boys, and help one another."
I looked round but saw nothing, and I was turning to watch the lugger again, when I heard a fresh pat on the slate rubbish by me, and soon after a piece of flat, thin shale struck the clatter stream behind me. "Some one throwing," I said to myself, and looking up, there, about six hundred feet above me on the cliff path, were Bigley and Bob Chowne.
Bob Chowne panted out that his was better, and to prove hew good and buoyant his was Bigley thrust it before him, and swam after it, giving it pushes as he went. All this took up our attention for a little while from the horror of our position, for a horrible position it was indeed.
He was a personage in the county, as well as a dignitary of the Church. Every one in Devonshire knew the name of Froude, if only from "Parson Froude," no credit to his cloth, who appears as Parson Chowne in Blackmore's once popular novel, The Maid of Sker. But the Archdeacon was a man of blameless life, and not in the least like Parson Froude.
She nodded to us all in turn, and was going away again, when Jonas shouted "Winegar," and Mother Bonnet hurriedly produced a big black bottle from a corner cupboard, and placed it upon the table. That was about as rough a dinner as Bob Chowne and I had ever sat down to, but how delicious it was!
The grey-beards of Ripplemouth talked it over, and said they were glad that Captain Duncan had woke up and was ready to defend the Gap when the French came to our part of the coast, and they said they expected great things of him. "Ha, ha, ha!" laughed Bob Chowne one day, as he came over; "heard the news?" "No," I said; "have the French come?"
They were close upon us already, and we boys looked eagerly at the lieutenant, longing to go with them, but not being invited of course. It was too much for Bob Chowne though, who spoke out. "I say, officer," he cried, "we three saw the cargo landed night before last." "You three boys?" "Yes," said Bob, "we were all there." "Jump in then, all of you," said the lieutenant.
"Here, come out, my poor little man, and let me go in. I'll soon fetch out my gentleman, you see if I don't. Here, come out." Bob Chowne never meant to go in. His face said as much as he looked round at me; but his words had the effect he intended, for Bigley grunted and went back as far as the narrow crack in the grotto would allow, and boldly thrust in his hand.
"We'm bit puzzled, Mas' Sep Duncan, what your father bought that place for?" "It's all for bounce," said Bob Chowne, "so as to be Bigley Uggleston's landlord. Look out, Big, or Sep 'll send you and your father packing, and you'll have to take the lugger somewhere else." "I don't care," said Bigley. "It don't matter to me."
Word Of The Day
Others Looking