The Swan And Her Crew Part 6

d.i.c.k was a long time away; and when he came back, flushed with exercise, he had no less than eight orange-tips in his net, which he proceeded to kill and set there and then.

They sailed on very slowly, for the breeze had fallen, until they came to the Thurne Mouth, and then they turned up the Bure until they came to St. Benedict's Abbey, the ruins of which stand on the northern bank of the river. Here they determined to camp for the night, and accordingly ran their boat into a marshy creek, and made her fast to the reeds. They were much amused at the remarks of the people whom they pa.s.sed, whether on the bank or on board the wherries and yachts. The like of the _Swan_ had never before been seen on Norfolk waters. She was a _rara avis in terris_ and excited any amount of appreciatory and depreciatory comment.

After making the boat snug and comfortable, the boys proceeded to cook their dinner. They brought out from the lockers some cold beef and ham, and boiled the potatoes in a small tin saucepan over the spirit-lamp.

The meal was soon ready, and they sat down to it with most excellent appet.i.tes.

"Where have you put the salt, Frank?" asked d.i.c.k.

"The salt?" replied Frank, thoughtfully.

"Yes, the salt."

"Well, let me see. Dear me, we must have forgotten it."

"But Frank, how can you--how can anybody eat beef without salt?" said Jimmy reproachfully.

"Never mind, we will get some to-morrow," said Frank, looking guilty.

"There are no shops about here, and there are no salt-mines in the marsh," said Jimmy, who refused to be comforted.

"Talking about salt-mines, have you ever been down one?" said Frank, who was eager to turn the subject.

"No; have you?"

"Yes, and a jolly sort of place it is."

"Then tell us all about it as a punishment."

"It was at Northwich, in Cheshire, last year, when I was on a visit to my uncle. We drove over one day to look at the mines. They get an enormous quant.i.ty of salt from that district, and it is of two kinds, the white table salt and that dark lumpy salt they put in fields for cattle. They get the white salt from brine-pits, which are full of salt water. The water is pumped up and put into basins until it evaporates, and the white salt is left behind. There must be big holes in the earth filled with salt water, for as it is pumped away the surface of the earth caves in, and the houses lean against each other in a very tumble-down sort of fashion. The brown or rock-salt is dug out of mines, and we went down one of these. My cousin and I went down in a tub hardly large enough to hold us, and a workman clung to the rope above our heads. The shaft was dirty, narrow, and crooked, and we b.u.mped finely against the sides. I didn't like it at all, I a.s.sure you; and when we cleared the shaft and hung suspended over a vast cavern, at the bottom of which were some dim lights, I felt rather in a funk. The man below reached up to us with a long pole, and pulled us away from the end of the shaft for fear of falling stones, and then we were lowered to the ground, and stepped out of the bucket and looked about us. We were in a very large cave, the roof of which was supported by immense square pillars of the salt rock. It was brown, of course, but it was quite translucent, and the light gleamed from it very prettily. Our guide lit a piece of magnesium-wire, and I never saw anything so magnificent in my life. The whole place seemed set with precious stones, and the dirty, half-naked men, leaning on their tools, looked as picturesque as you could well imagine. Then one of the men had finished boring a blast hole, and we waited while he filled it with powder and fired a shot. We all huddled in one corner of the cave, and then there was such a roar and smoke! The rock under our feet heaved and shook, and pieces of rock and stone flew about far too near for my liking."

"I never knew how salt was got before," said d.i.c.k.

"Nor I," said Jimmy; "and as Frank has told us so well we will forgive him for forgetting the salt."

CHAPTER VIII.

An Eerie Night.--A Ghostly Apparition.--The Barn Owl.-- A Will-o'-the Wisp.--The Ruff and Reeve.--Snaring Ruffs.-- A Nest.--Wroxham Broad.--Mud-boards and Leaping-pole.-- Wild Duck's Nest in a Tree.

As the night fell the wind rose and moaned dismally over the marsh, and black clouds covered the sky, so that the night promised to be dirtier than usual at this time of the year. Lonely marshes stretched far and wide, with nothing to break their wild monotony save the ghostlike ruins of the Abbey in the foreground. It was not a pleasant night for the boys to spend out for the first time alone, and an eerie sort of feeling crept over them in spite of their efforts to appear at ease.

At length d.i.c.k said--

"I feel as if wild beasts were prowling about on the watch for us, and that if we went to sleep we should be eaten up alive."

"So do I," admitted Frank; "but I suppose it will wear away in time. But what is that?" he exclaimed, in a startled tone, as an unearthly cry sounded among the ruins of the Abbey, and a white shape was dimly seen gliding between the broken windows.

The boys gazed in breathless silence at this apparition. The cause of their alarm, however, was made plain to them, as a white owl came forth on noiseless wings, and fluttered stealthily over the marsh. They laughed heartily at their fright, but their laugh sounded forced and unnatural. It was so weird and lonely outside, that they went into the cabin and lit the lamp, and strove to make a cheerful supper. Then they undressed and tried to make themselves comfortable for the night. Frank took the hammock, and d.i.c.k and Jimmy the berths at each side. They left the lamp burning dimly for company's sake, but they could not go to sleep. The water lapping against the planks of the yacht and amid the stems of the reeds, the wind sighing over the waste fen, and the strange cries of the night-birds--the call of the water-hen, the hoa.r.s.e bark of the coot, the cackle of wild ducks, and the host of other noises which they could not account for, kept them awake and on the _qui vive_.

"What's that?" said d.i.c.k, after they had been quiet for some time.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE BARN OWL AND EGG.]

A noise like a clap of thunder was to be heard, repeated at regular intervals, and growing louder, as if approaching them. They rushed on deck to see what was the cause of it, and were relieved to find that it was only a belated wherry beating up to windward, her canvas flapping each time she put about on a fresh tack. The men on board of her shouted "Good night" as they pa.s.sed, and after this the boys felt more comfortable, and again courted sleep. They were just dropping off, when "patter, patter," went something on deck. Some one, or some thing had boarded them, and Frank went out to see what it was. A coot had come aboard to see if there might be anything eatable there, and she flew away as Frank appeared. He looked about ere he went down again, and to his astonishment he saw a spot of light dancing about on the marshes in a place where he thought no human being could be at this hour.

"I say, d.i.c.k and Jimmy, here is a will-o'-the-wisp dancing about on the marshes."

They came quickly on deck, and watched the strange light, which now and then disappeared, and then again became visible. It now shone bright, and then faint, and an uncertain glimmer beneath it showed that it hovered over the water as well as over the marsh.

"There is no such thing as _ignis fatuus_ nowadays," said Jimmy, "so what can it be?"

"I vote we go and see," said Frank.

"You will only get bogged if you do. It is dangerous enough to walk on the marsh in the daylight, and almost impossible by night."

"It strikes me there is a narrow channel, or d.y.k.e, leading from the river, which may lead to where that light is. I saw a line of water about twenty yards off. We pa.s.sed it as we were about to anchor. Let us take the boat and go up it, if you wish to see what it is," said Jimmy.

His suggestion was approved of, and they dressed and stepped into the punt, and after a little while they found the d.y.k.e and pushed their way along it. They moved cautiously and with little noise, and at last emerged upon a small open piece of water, and as they did so, the light gleamed for a moment and went out. They peered eagerly through the gloom, but could see nothing. All was silent and still, and very uncanny.

"It is no good staying here," said Frank; "let us go back and try to sleep, or we shall not be fit to be seen to-morrow when we meet the others at Wroxham."

So they rowed back, wondering what the cause of the light had been. They tumbled into their berths again and got just an hour's broken sleep before the dawn effectually aroused them. It was very early, but they had no choice but to rise and get something to eat. The morning was bright and cloudless, the lark sang merrily in the sky, waterfowl swam on the quiet stretches of the river in peaceful security, the freshness and charm which always accompanies the early dawn of day in the country had its natural effect upon them; and their spirits, which had been somewhat depressed by the uncomfortable night which they had pa.s.sed, rose again to their natural height. d.i.c.k now suggested that they should again explore the windings of the creek, and try to find out the cause of the mysterious light which had so puzzled them the night before. They accordingly rowed up the lane of water as they had done the previous night, until they came to the piece of open water. Just as they were about to emerge from the narrow opening in the belt of reeds which surrounded it, Frank checked the motion of the boat by clutching hold of the reeds, and warned his companions to be silent. Looking in the direction in which he pointed, they saw the most curious bird they had ever seen, or were ever likely to see. On a little hillock on the edge of the reeds was a bird with a body like a thrush, but with long legs.

It had a long beak, staring eyes, brown tufts of feathers on each side of its head, and a large flesh-coloured ruff of feathers round its neck.

"I know what that is; it is a ruff," said Jimmy.

"Yes, yes, but be quiet and watch it."

They drew back behind the green fringe of reeds and watched the movements of the ruff, for such it was. Its movements were as strange as itself. It pranced up and down on the little hillock and fluttered its wings, and uttered a defiant cry. It seemed as if it were particularly desirous of attention from one spot in the marsh, for towards that spot its glances and movements were directed. Looking more eagerly towards this spot the boys saw a smaller bird, with no ruff around her neck, and clad in sober brown. This was a female, or reeve, and the male was showing himself off before her and trying to attract her attention, while she, with the tantalising nature of her s.e.x, appeared to be quite unconscious of his blandishments, and went on composedly picking up her breakfast from the insects and worms in the marsh. Presently another ruff appeared on the scene, and, joining his rival on the little hillock, he commenced to emulate his performances, and the two danced a war-dance in the most amusing fashion, to the great delight of the three observers. The natural consequence of this rivalry soon followed, and the two ruffs began to fight in good earnest, laying hold of each other with their bills, and striking with their wings. The one drove the other to the bottom of the hill, and was apparently master of the field; but instead of returning to his post on the top, he flew away, leaving his adversary fluttering vainly, and evidently fast by the leg. Then the rushes on the other side of the open s.p.a.ce were pushed aside, and a man in a rude boat made his appearance, and proceeded to seize the ruff and kill it.

"The mystery of the light is explained," said Frank. "Hallo! you there, what are you doing that for?"

The man started and looked round, answering surlily,

"What's that to you?"

"Oh, don't get into a wax. We only want to know for information's sake.

What will you sell that ruff for?"

"Two shillings, sir," replied the man, in a much more civil tone.

"Well, here you are. Are there many ruffs about here?"

"No, sir, I have not seen any for the last two years until this spring.

They used to be common enough when I was a lad, and I have taken a score in one morning with these snares. I have seen more than a dozen together on one hill, and twice as many reeves around looking on. Those were fine times for us fowlers, those were."