"It is half-past three, Elsa," she said, and there was a ring of real concern in her voice; "it is careless of them to have been so long, for we must soon think about preparing for home. Can you see any signs of them? Your eyes are younger than mine." But Elsa was obliged to confess that she could not, even though she mounted with some trepidation to the top of a huge boulder in order to get a more extended view. "We would go and look for them," went on the vicar’s wife, "only it is hardly safe to leave the bicycles, and all our things. I am vexed with them for staying away so long." "Shall I run along the cliff and see if I can find them?" suggested Elsa, who was not without anxiety about the missing trio herself. "I could go very quickly, if you would not mind staying here with our belongings." "Perhaps you would be able to see them, Elsa, and then call to them to return at once. But don’t go far, dear," said Mrs. Drury, now really worried about the absentees. "If you would go on packing up, we will all try to be back by the time you are ready," said Elsa, with a cheeriness she was far from feeling, as she hurried off. *CHAPTER XVII.* *"DON’T PERSUADE ME NOT TO, ANY MORE."* Meanwhile, how had the missing trio been spending their time? With delight, after walking about a quarter of a mile along the cliff, they found some old, uneven steps leading down to its base. They were very unsafe-looking, as several were missing at intervals; but, neither of the three girls being troubled with nerves, they proceeded to descend cautiously. Amethyst was the last to climb down, and it was her white handkerchief, fluttering in the breeze, which Mrs. Drury and Elsa had seen. "I say, girls, mind how you get down here," cried Monica, who was leader. "It’s an awful stretch." And she dropped a distance of several feet, to gain a foothold on a lower step. "It’s a good thing we have a gymnasium at school," said Olive, who had lost a considerable amount of breath over her scrambling; "that kind of practice helps one in experiences of this sort." "Oh, Olive, I can’t possibly get down there, my legs won’t reach!" And Amethyst looked hopelessly at the long distance between the step she was on and the next one below. "Drop down, you’ll be all right," said both the girls encouragingly. "Oh, I couldn’t, I should fall!" cried the smaller girl, a spice of fear in the shrill tones. "Oh, come along! Don’t be a coward, Thistle!" said Olive contemptuously. "Here, I’ll give you a hand." Either the hand or the sneer had the desired effect, for Amethyst was a plucky little girl really; and in another moment she was landed safely on the lower step. That proved to be the worst difficulty, and eventually, the shore was reached without further trouble. "I wish Jack was here; he would like a race along this sand, poor old chap," said Monica, whose one sorrow had been the leaving of her devoted dog behind.