cliff stretching overhead, and covered with bushes and bracken, amongst
which nestled the red-tiled cottages. Then below the cliff the level
green, covered with strong, hardy fishermen and their sunburnt wives,
and surrounding the green, on the sand-hills, the visitors old and
young, dressed in bright colours and holiday attire. Is it too late to
paint it from memory, I wonder? I see it all still so distinctly.

The sports lasted a long time, and went off well. Polly distinguished
herself by winning the egg and spoon race, much to the joy of little
John, who watched all the proceedings from his father's arms.

Then came the greatest event of all, the tug of war. A long cable was
brought out and stretched across the green, and a pocket-handkerchief
was tied in the centre of it. Two stakes were then driven into the
ground, and between these a line was chalked on the grass. The
handkerchief was then placed exactly over the line. After this all the
fishermen who entered the lists were divided into two parties. Then each
side laid hold of one end of the rope, and at a given signal they began
to pull. It was a trial of strength; whichever side could draw the
handkerchief past the two stakes and over the line, that side would win.

How tremendously those men pulled! What force they put into it! Yet for
a long time the rope did not move a single inch. All the strength of
those powerful fishermen was put out; they were lying on the ground,
that their pull might be all the stronger. Every sinew, every nerve,
every muscle seemed to be on the strain, but so evenly were the two
sides matched, that the rope was motionless, and it seemed impossible to
tell which party would win.

Little John was eagerly watching his father.