The Swan And Her Crew Part 8

"Read it again, Jimmy," said Frank.

Jimmy did so.

"Well, I am no wiser. Read it again more slowly."

Jimmy did so again.

"I give it up," said Frank. "What a thing it is to be a scientific man!"

"I take it," said d.i.c.k, rolling himself along the cabin roof towards them, "that it means that different coloured rays of light have corresponding effects upon coloured atoms in the skin of the chameleon.

The rays of light will be affected by the colour of the place where the chameleon is, and the chameleon will be affected by the changed colour of the rays of light, so that if the beast were on a green lawn his colour would be green, and if on a brown tree-trunk his colour would be brown."

"That is my idea," said Jimmy; "but what is the good of using such stilted language, when the same thing might have been said in simple English?"

"I wonder why that water-hen keeps dodging about us in such a fussy manner," said Frank.

"I don't," replied d.i.c.k, "for there is her nest not a yard from our bows."

The mooring rope had parted the reeds, and discovered her nest, and d.i.c.k, on going to the bows had seen it. It contained twelve eggs, one of which was so light in colour as to be almost white, and one so small that it was only half the size of the others. d.i.c.k asked if it were because it was laid last, and if the pale one was so for a similar reason. Frank replied,--

"It may be so in this case, but it does not always happen so. Last year I tried an experiment with a robin's nest. I took out an egg each day, as it was laid, and still the bird went on laying until I let her lay her proper number, five. She laid fifteen eggs altogether, but they were all the same colour and size. So I expect that it is only an accident when the eggs are like these."

"Bell told me the other day that sitting birds have no scent," said d.i.c.k. "Is that true?"

"I am not quite sure, but I am inclined to think that they have not so strong a scent as at other times. This same robin which I have just been telling you about built in a hedge-bank close by a house, and cats were always prowling about, and I have seen puss walk right above the nest while the old bird was on. If birds would only have the sense to shut their eyes, we would often pa.s.s them over, but it is easy to see them with their eyes twinkling like diamonds."

"How pretty that clump of forget-me-nots is on the opposite bank! They seem to smile at you with their blue eyes," said d.i.c.k, who was keenly alive to all that was beautiful. "But what is that flower a little lower down, right in the water, with thick juicy stems and blue flowers. Is that a forget-me-not?"

"No, it is a brooklime, but it is one of the speedwells. There are more than a dozen sorts of speedwells, but the forget-me-not is the prettiest. Another name for the forget-me-not is water-scorpion, but it is too ugly a name for so pretty a plant," said Jimmy, full of his recent learning.

[Ill.u.s.tration: REDBREAST AND EGG.]

"Here comes a breeze at last," cried Frank, as their blue flag fluttered, and the reeds in the surrounding marsh bent their heads together and sighed. "Shall we explore Ranworth Broad?"

"Yes, but let us take Hoveton Great Broad first, and then we can go to Ranworth as we come back," answered Jimmy.

So they hoisted sail, and glided up stream with a freshening breeze, while swallows dipped in the river and whirled about them as they pa.s.sed. While they were sailing steadily along with a breeze on their starboard beam, the flag became fouled in the block through which the halyard of the mainmast was rove, and Jimmy was sent up to put matters right. He clambered up the mast as nimbly as a monkey, and shook loose the flag from its ignominious position. When he had finished this he looked about him, and from his greater height he could see much further than his companions, whose view was limited by the tall reeds which shut in almost every portion of the rivers and broads. The boys did not know that they were near any of the latter, but Jimmy saw on their left hand a sheet of water sparkling in the sun and studded with many reedy islands. He cried out,--

"There is such a jolly broad to leeward! It looks so quiet and still, and there are no end of water-fowl swimming about in it. A little further on I can see a channel leading to it just wide enough for our yacht. What do you say to paying it a visit?"

His friends had not the least objection. Its being unknown to them was an additional reason for their including it in their voyage of discovery. Jimmy said he should stay on his lofty perch for a time and take the bearings of the country, but as they neared the entrance to the broad and turned off before going down the narrow channel, the boom swung further out, and the jerk dislodged Jimmy, who was only saved from falling by clutching at the shrouds, down which he came with a run. They surged along through the d.y.k.e with the reeds brushing their bulwarks, and tossing and swaying in the eddies which followed their wake, and after several twistings and windings they emerged upon the broad.

At the entrance to it was a pole with a notice-board upon it, which stated that the broad belonged to Mr. ----, and that any persons found trespa.s.sing upon it would be prosecuted.

"Hallo! do you see that?" said d.i.c.k.

"Yes, I see it," replied Frank, "but we could not turn back in that narrow channel, and now that we are on the broad we may as well sail about a bit. What a number of water-fowl there are!"

"I know Mr. ---- by sight," said Jimmy. "He has a big blue yacht."

The little lake was so picturesque with its islands and "ronds" and broad floating lily-leaves, that the boys sailed about for some time before they thought of leaving it, and when they turned their faces again towards the river, what was their surprise to see a large yacht creeping along the connecting ca.n.a.l between them and the river. The reeds hid the body of the yacht from them, but its sails betokened that it was one of considerable size.

The boys wondered who it could be who had thought of paying the sequestered little broad a visit, never for a moment thinking of the owner, when the yacht shot out into the open water, and lo! it was a '_big blue yacht_.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: YACHT.]

"It is Mr. ----," said Jimmy.

"Now we shall get into a row for trespa.s.sing," said d.i.c.k.

"They have got to catch us first. If we can only dodge them, and get on to the river again, we can show them a clean pair of heels," said Frank, taking a pull at the sheet and trying to creep up to windward of the d.y.k.e. The blue yacht, however, stood by so as to meet them, and Frank saw, by the way she went through the water, even when her sails were hauled almost flat, that she could beat the Swan in sailing to windward. A gentleman stood up in the strange yacht and called out,--

"Bear, up alongside, you young rascals, and give me your names and addresses. I shall summon you for trespa.s.sing."

"Not if I know it," said Frank, bringing the _Swan_ sharply round on her heel, and scudding away before the wind, followed by the other in full chase.

"Now, Jimmy and d.i.c.k, stand by the sheets, and when we get opposite the bottom of that long island, we will bring her sharp round the other side, and then they can't get across and meet us, and then we'll cut and run for the d.y.k.e."

They executed this manoeuvre very neatly, but the other was too quick for them, and instead of following them round the island, they turned back and made for the mouth of the d.y.k.e to intercept them, and at a much better angle of the wind than that at which the _Swan_ had to sail.

"We shall come into collision," said Jimmy, as he took a hearty pull at the mizen sheet. "We cannot both get through the d.y.k.e."

"Never mind. We'll cram her at it. Stand by with the boat-hook to push the blue 'un off, d.i.c.k!" but as d.i.c.k stood ready with the boat-hook to push off, a man stood in the other yacht with his boat-hook to pull them in, and as d.i.c.k pushed, his adversary pulled. The two boats ran alongside for a few yards, and then were jammed together at the mouth of the creek, and Mr. ---- stepped on board.

"Now what is the meaning of this?" he exclaimed angrily.

"We came into the broad out of curiosity, sir," said Frank; "and we could not see the notice-board until we were in the broad, and then we thought we might as well take a turn round before going out, but we are sorry you have caught us."

"Oh, are you really! Well, I want to preserve the broad for wild-fowl, so I don't like it to be disturbed; but where did you get this strange boat built?"

"We built it ourselves," answered the boys,--and then in reply to the inquiries, they told him all about it, and their object, and by the time all was explained to him they found that he was a very jolly sort of fellow, and he found that they were very pleasant, unaffected lads, and the end of it was that they lunched with him on board his yacht, and had full permission to go on the broad whenever they liked.

Frank's attention was arrested by a pretty, light grey duck swimming about in the centre of the broad.

"Is that a pintail duck?" he inquired of Mr. ----.

"Yes, and the only one on the broad, I am sorry to say. Its mate has been killed, and my man found the deserted nest with four eggs in it, among the reeds on the other side of the broad. If he has not taken it you may have it."

His man had not taken it, and in a few minutes the boys were the possessors of the eggs of this rare duck. The nest and eggs were of the usual duck type, and did not correspond in any degree with the extreme prettiness of the duck, which, with its mottled grey back and red-brown head and neck, is as fair to look at as it is good to eat.

The yachts were disengaged from their position without any damage, and the boys took leave of their entertainer with a cheer, and made for the river again.

"I hope all our adventures will end as nicely as that one," said d.i.c.k.

The wish was echoed by the others; but that very day they had an adventure which startled them considerably, and might have had very serious and fatal consequences. But of this anon.

Presently d.i.c.k said,--"I have noticed whenever we see a mud-bank that it is almost sure to be perforated by a number of small holes. What is the reason of that?"