Quicksilver Part 74

"Owl! calling like that!"

"Yes, to be sure. I've heerd 'em lots o' times when I've been late fishing up the river."

"But there was a big thing flew over my head, and it shrieked out."

"That was a howl too. Some of 'em shouts, and some of 'em screeches. I say, I hope you've kept a heye on the boat!"

"Are you sure that other was an owl too!" said Dexter excitedly.

"Course I am. Think I've been out in the woods with father after the fezzans, and stopping out all night, without knowing a howl?"

Dexter felt quite warm now.

"I never heard one before, and it frightened me."

"Yes, you're easily frightened," said Bob contemptuously. "You haven't been to sleep, have you!"

"Yes, I have."

"Then you oughtn't to have been. If you've been to sleep and let that boat go, I'll never forgive you."

Bob had hardly uttered the words when Dexter, who had forgotten all about the boat, ran to the water's edge feeling sure that it was gone.

But it was quite safe, and he went back to Bob.

"What shall we do now!" he said.

"Do?" said Bob, yawning. "You sit and keep watch while I go to sleep for a quarter of an hour. Then you may call me, and I'll take my turn."

Bob curled himself up after the fashion of a dog, and went off to sleep directly, while, as Dexter, who felt chilly, began to walk up and down between the water's edge and the steep cliff-like bank, he could not help once more wishing that he was in his comfortable bed at the doctor's.

He waited for long over a quarter of an hour, keeping his lonely watch, but Bob slept on and snored.

At the end of about an hour and a half he thought it would only be fair to call his companion to take his turn, but he called in vain.

Then he tried shaking, but only to elicit growls, and when he persevered Bob hit out so savagely that Dexter was fain to desist.

"I'll let him sleep half an hour longer," he said to himself; and he walked to and fro to keep himself warm.

It must have been after an hour that he called Bob again.

"All right," said that worthy.

"But it isn't all right," cried Dexter. "It ain't fair. Come: get up."

"All right! I'll get up directly. Call me in about ten minutes."

Dexter waited a little while, and called his companion. But in vain.

And so it went on, with the sleeper sometimes apologetic, sometimes imploring, till it was broad daylight; and then Bob rose and shook himself.

"I say, 'tain't fair," said Dexter ill-humouredly.

"Well, why didn't you make me get up!"

"I did try, lots of times."

"But you didn't half try. You should have got me quite awake."

"It's too bad, and I'm as sleepy as can be," grumbled Dexter.

"Here! whatcher going to do?" cried Bob.

"Lie down and sleep till breakfast-time."

"Oh, are yer?" cried Bob. "We've got to go and catch our breakfasts."

"What, now?"

"To be sure. I'm getting hungry. Come along. I'll find a good place, and it's your turn now to get some cray-fish."

"But I'm so cold and sleepy."

"Well, that'll warm yer. There, don't look sulky."

Bob got into the boat and unfastened the chain, so that there was nothing left for Dexter to do but follow; and they rowed away down the river, which was widening fast.

The exercise and the rising sun sent warmth and brighter thoughts into Dexter, so that he was better able to undertake the task of searching the holes for cray-fish when the boat was brought up under a suitable bank, and urged on by Bob he had to undress and take an unwilling bath, and a breakfast-hunt at the same time.

He was clumsy, and unaccustomed to the task, but driven by Bob's bullying tones, and helped by the fact that the little crustaceans were pretty plentiful, he managed to get a dozen and a half in about an hour.

"There, come out, and dress now," said Bob ill-humouredly. "It's more trouble to tell you than to have got 'em myself. I'd ha' found twice as many in the time."

Dexter shivered, and then began to enjoy the warmth of his garments after as good a wipe as he could manage with a pocket-handkerchief. But it was the row afterwards that gave the required warmth--a row which was continued till another farm-house was seen beside a great cider orchard.

Here Dexter had to land with sixpence and the empty bottle.

"I promised to take that there bottle back," said Bob, with a grin, "but I shan't now. Lookye here. You make 'em give you a good lot of bread and b.u.t.ter for the sixpence, and if they asks you any questions, you say we're two gentlemen out for a holiday."

Dexter landed, and went up to the farm-house, through whose open door he could see a warm fire, and inhale a most appetising odour of cooking bacon and hot coffee.

A pleasant-faced woman came to the door, and her ways and looks were the first cheery incidents of Dexter's trip.

"Sixpennyworth of bread and b.u.t.ter, and some milk?" she said. "Yes, of course."

She prepared a liberal exchange for Dexter's coin, and then after filling the bottle put the boy's chivalry to the test.

"Why, you look as if you wanted your breakfast," she said. "Have a cup of warm coffee?"