"We may then venture to make our desert on the berries," said the doctor, laughing. "We are much obliged to you for having proved them not to be poisonous, but I had my doubts, I confess." "What a shame!" cried Peter. "Suppose I had died, what would you have said?" "Oh, there was no fear of that," answered the doctor. "In case of accidents I brought some antidotes in my pocket, and should soon have got you round again." "The next time, please make your experiments on Dicey," cried Peter. "It is not fair that I should be the only one to run the risk of being poisoned. Suppose your antidotes had failed?" "The doctor fixed on you, Peter, as the least likely to be missed of the party," said Willy. "You know you have never done anything for the common good." Peter had, in truth, generally preferred wandering about the harbour, and scrambling over the rocks, to working. "But I found the roots, and could have got any quantity," he exclaimed. "Yes, but you dug none up, and told no one of them," rejoined Willy. "Well, you shall see that I can be of as much use as you are, Master Dicey," exclaimed Peter, bristling up. "Come, boys, no quarrelling," cried the doctor. "It's time we were moving." Refreshed by their frugal repast, the explorers proceeded on their way. They found the road far more difficult than they had expected, and soon came to the edge of a steep precipice, down which it was impossible to get; and they had, therefore, to scramble a mile or more before they found a practicable path into the valley. They went along it for a considerable distance, hoping to be able to climb up the cliff; but the sides were perfectly perpendicular, and at last they determined to turn back and make their way by the shore. Just then Willy, who had run on ahead, shouted out, "I see a break in the cliff, and very possibly we may get up by it." His advice was followed, and assisting each other, they succeeded at length in reaching the higher ground. Another high and steep hill appeared before them; but they, hoping to find the ground beyond more easy for travelling over, commenced the ascent. It was, however, steep and difficult, and in some places they came to perpendicular precipices, down which a fall would have proved fatal to any one who had happened to slip.