It was during my holidays in Cornwall that I next met Shin Shira.
I had ridden by motor-car from Helston to the Lizard, and after
scrambling over rugged cliffs for some time, following the white stones
put by the coastguards to mark the way, I found myself at last at the
most beautiful little bay imaginable, called Kynance Cove.
The tide was low, and from the glittering white sands, tall jagged rocks
rose up, covered with coloured seaweed; which, together with the deep
blue and green of the sky and sea, made a perfect feast of colour for
the eyes.
On the shore I met an amiable young guide, who, for sixpence, undertook
to show me some caves in the rocks which are not generally discovered by
visitors.
They were very fine caves, one of them being called The Princess's
Parlour; and while we were exploring this, I suddenly heard a roar as of
some mighty animal in terrible pain.
I turned to the guide with, I expect, rather a white face, for an
explanation.
He smiled at my alarm, however, and told me that it was "only the
Bellows," and suggested a visit to the spot whence the sound proceeded.
We scrambled out of the cave and descended to the sands again, and
passing behind a tall rock called The Tower, we saw a curious sight.
From between two enormous boulders came at intervals a great cloud of
fine spray, which puffed up into the air for about twenty feet,
accompanied by the roaring noise that I had previously noticed. My young
guide explained to me that the noise and the spray were caused by the
air in the hollow between the two boulders being forcibly expelled
through a narrow slit in the rocks as each wave of the incoming tide
entered. Having made this quite clear to me, he took his departure,
warning me not to remain too long on the sands, as the tide was coming
in rather rapidly.
I sat for some time alone on the rocks, gazing with fascinated interest
at the curious effect produced by the clouds of spray coming from "the
Bellows," and was at last just turning to go when I started in surprise,
for there, sitting on another rock just behind me, was the little Yellow
Dwarf, Shin Shira, energetically fanning himself with the little yellow
fan which I had noticed at our previous meeting.
"Oh! it's you, is it?" he remarked, when he caught sight of my face. "I
thought I recognised the back view; you see it was the last I saw of you
when I paid you that visit in your study."
"And disappeared so very suddenly," I answered, going up and offering my
hand, for I was very pleased to see the little man again.
[Illustration]
"I was _obliged_ to. You know of my unfortunate affliction in having to
appear or disappear whenever my fairy great-great-great-grandmother
wishes. _He's_ safe enough, isn't he?" he added, inconsequently nodding
his head towards "the Bellows."
"Who is? What do you mean?" I inquired.
"The dragon, of course," said Shin Shira.
"The dragon!" I exclaimed.
"Certainly--you know that there's a dragon imprisoned behind those
rocks, don't you?"