They left the shore awhile, and went into the quarry, and winding in and out the beds of nettles and thistles climbed up a slope, where they sank at every step ankle deep in sand. It led to a broad platform of sand, above which the precipice rose straight to the roots of the grass above, which marked the top of the cliff with brown, and where humble-bees were buzzing along the edge, and, bending the flowers down on which they alighted, were thus suspended in space. In the cool recesses of the firs at the head of Fir-Tree Gulf a dove was cooing, and a great aspen rustled gently.
They took out their knives and pecked at the sand. It was hard, but could be pecked, and grooves cut in it. The surface was almost green from exposure to the weather, but under that white. When they looked round over the ocean they were quite alone: there was no one in sight either way, as far as they could see; nothing but the wall of sand behind, and the wide gleaming water in front.
"What a long way we are from other people," said Mark.
"Are there not strange creatures in these deserted places?"
"Sometimes," said Bevis. "Sometimes there are things with wings, which have spikes on them, and they have eyes that burn you."
Mark grasped his knife and spear, and looked into the beds of thistles and nettles, which would conceal anything underneath.
"Pan!" came back in an echo from another part of the quarry. "Pan!" shouted Bevis and Mark together. Pan did not come. They called again and whistled; but he did not come.
"Perhaps something has eaten him," said Mark.
"Very likely," said Bevis. "We ought to have a charm. Don't forget next time we come to bring a talisman, so that none of these things can touch us."
"I know," said Mark. "I know." He took his spear and drew a circle on the platform of sand. "Come inside this. There, that's it. Now stand still here. A circle is magic, you know."
"What's in those holes?" said Mark, pointing to some large rabbit-burrows on the right side of the quarry.
"Mummies," said Bevis. "You may be sure there are mummies there, and very likely magic writings in their hands. I wish we could get a magic writing. Then we could do anything, and we could know all the secrets."
"All," said Bevis, looking round and pointing with an arrow in his hand. "All the trees, and all the stones, and all the flowers--"