Western Oregon University - Yearbook (Monmouth, OR)

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gates MHNJ VUW limit , Tim high tide. I'm uni gluing ti 1M wprr; when they'redpu l frum the north side? ,9. Hm zimv uf year. i .n- xx law the nl'kiam TOCkS an. ll! :1 lunv Hf 5411135th U hrr rulhln, whuwas A mush fur yum. she :cmlvl'rsl zilnuti. Thanh I'm gumg up themet AH day? ,iutw l-uckvts for me a. , lzc- mw a curiousm nu: uf an nltl log. 1W 5hr lug 3 little DIN? miner xximz Ruth's WWI l .1 Ilam n the pathtotlle 31ml, aftvr a glan'c: 1; rt. in; that time. Hg? . .. vthem'i mu W ,1ng - HI Hutll'm A laP'W: 3' ' . .ve t 1g :lu' WWW wmvew 'l'lu' WV? W mL-i. Wth sift lw '3 ml. i Mm, aw TWENTY-NINE THE NORM Ruth and Mary, having reached the top of the hill, cautiously began descending the bluff own the north side. The sand slipped , from under their feet as they went, and Mary was breathless 5 and? somewhat alarmed by the time they r'eaehed the rock ledges - above the cave. iiWe can never get down these rocks to the cave. the water i'snlt low enough? she deelaned. itI can climb down that ridge, reach that overhanging spur you see, and drop from there to the beach? said Ruth, indicating the spur she meant. tiThen I can. explore the cave, and by that time the tide will be still lower, and I can get back by these rocks that are partly under Water new. . Both girls were seen clambening down over the jagged edges. As Mary stepped to a lower led'ge, she caught her feet in. a. crevice 0f the rocks and fell with Some force. She was up instantly, but a sharp pain, in the ankle she had twisted made her sink back to the rocks. iTve wrenched my ankle? she gasped. iiShall I help you ?ll a'SLk'ed Ruth, anxiously. ttNlo, it will soon step paining me. G0! on to the cave, or the tide will turn and you cant get down. If I sit still, my ankle will be all right, Mary assured her. Ruth loolked dubious, but at length decided that Mary might safely be left, and crept carefully down the uneven rock ridge to the spur which. jutted out over the floor of the cave. From this spur she let herself down, and walked back into the little cave. The walls and reef were dripping with moisture, and covered 'in many places with. seaweed. Ruth. went down on her knees, regard- less of the dampness, and began. looking for agates. She soon found some of the unusual ones. for which. she was searching, and was instantly absorbed in her task. The surf thundered en the reef and r'e-echoed in the cave with a dull meaning sound. which would have alarmed a girl less brave than Ruth. The sound drowned Maryts voice, as. she called to Ruth, haming become alarmed at the length. of her absence. The tide had turned, and an occasional wave advanced nearly Besides, a to the foot of the ledge. Ruth Was still out of sight in the caiye. i- 'X' 96 -X- it- As Will fished leisurely up the creek that afternoon, he eaught Sight of some fungi, similar to the one he had? neticed 1n the morning, As he saw them, he had a Vision of a httle heap of

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THE N ORM ' TWENTY-EIGHT Moss Agates tBy JEAN SHARMANJ and slippery, and its nearly high tide. iiIt,s perfectly safe, and Pm not going till low tide, of course. The rocks aren7t slippery when theyir'e dry? itWhy do you want to climb down from the north side? There arenit any eggs in the shag,s nests: at this time of year? itI want to look down into the cove when the rocks are out of water. itHumph! Good reason V This in a tone of sarcastic disbelief. Ruth Murray walked away from her cousin, who was attaching a iiy to his trout line. iiGOrOd enough for youf she answered, indifferently. ' itWhati-s she up to now ?i, Will wondered aloud. Then he went to the house door. itAunt Rachel, Pm going up the creek. Will you put me up a lunch, so I can stay all day ?ii j iiCertainly, Will. If you,ll fill these buckets for me, Iill get -. it ready at once. i As Will bent to fill the buckets, he saw a curious fungus of unusual form and color which grew out of an old 10g. In pausing to examine it, he noticed on. top off the log a little pile of white and yellow pebbles. itAgates! Wonder what Ruthis going to! do with them ?ti he thought. As soon as Will left, Ruth hurried down the path to the beach. iiLo'w water about four? she calculated, after a glance from the sun to the water. itIf Will isn,t back by that time, 111 get down into the cave and see if there are really any agates there? Collecting agates was a specialty of Rut'h7s. A lapidaary Whom she knew had asked her to bring him some certain kinds of moss agates, Which as yet she had been unable to find. ' That afternoon, Ruth and Mary Garvin, a girl of her own age, climbed the hill which overhung the famous cave where the shags, or surf ducks, made their nests. The rocks above the cave were cc'vered With hundreds of the birds, which flew up' and c1rcled 1n the air as the girls appeared. - ITELL you, youill fall and be drowned! The rocks are steep

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THIRTY a THE NORM white and yellow stones. A thought fiashed unbi-dden through his mind. ttThose agates ! Instantly he knew the secret of Rut:h,s mysterious behavior that morning. He was sure she had meant to try to get into the shags cave. ttIVs near 10w t1de new. Per; haps if I hurwry-Jt He dashed at a reckless pace down the creek, Upon the rocks, Marys anxiety Changed to fear. The tlde was rising faster now. Mary shrieked Ruth7s name desperately,- Still no answer. Nearly every wave broke over the foot of the ledge. The rocks at the end were covered. W ild'ly Mary called, and as she did so, Ruth came in sight. A glance showed her the danger she must face. tTll have to climb up here, she called, indicating the spur above. ttYou cant! screamed Mary. Before she tried, however, she tossed up to- the ledge on which Mary lay the bag in which she had placed her agate'ss. Then in vain she tried to! regain the spur from which she had dropped . t0 the floor of the cave. The under surface of the rock was slippery with seaweed, and she could not pull herself up high . enough to: gain a secure footing or reach a hold for her hands. The waves: were breaking over the end of the ledge, and the side of it was steep and 'slimy. She tried to climb up nearer the end, but slipped and fell. At last, bruised and breathless, she gave up her useless attempts and looked up at Mary. ttTrwy the other side V, urged Mary, frantically. ' Ruth shook her head. ttNo use-w'itts steeper than this Vt They waited, gazing helplessly at each other, till the waves began to wash near where Ruth stood. tTll have to- bitter sob's. But as. Ruth turned, a loud call from above caused both girls to look up. They saw Wil'l coming down the rocks at a headlong: pace. It was the work of a. moment to. fasten one end of the rone hecam'led to a point of rock and to lower the other end to Ruth. Wlth the help of the rope, she soon climbed to safety. . W11Ps face was paler than hers, and. his. voice shook with some Eglsttlogpther than anger as he asked, ttDid you come for moss a . es. r001Euth nodded, pointing to the bag in front of them on the s. ttWell, young lady? declared Will, ttyou owe them. and our life to two patches of olrange-colored fungi. y go back in the cave? she called. Mary broke into .. .1. '3: um um :In'w in a m ha: :- mw :4 llth n u- am- :5 hm taw- 5 Nu