The young ones must either perch on their mother's back, and hold on whilst they are being transported to their native element, or the old bird must seize them in her bill, like a cat does her kittens.
When the others left, the boys sailed down stream again by the light of the red sunset, and as night stole over the marshes, they anchored by Horning ferry, and so tired were they that they fell asleep the moment they laid themselves down, forgetting their fears of the night before. They turned in at ten, and none of them awoke until eight the next morning.
Before breakfast Frank and Jimmy spent some time in teaching Dick how to swim, and found him an apt pupil.
CHAPTER IX.
Chameleon.—Light Coloured Eggs.—Sitting Birds have no Scent.—Forget-me-nots.—Trespassing.—The Owner.—A Chase.—Capture.—Pintail Duck.—Drumming of Snipe.—Swallow-tail Butterfly.—A Perilous Adventure.
The young voyagers had by this time discovered that sailing about in the manner they were doing gave them tremendous appetites, and on this particular morning they found they had run short of bread and butter, so Jimmy was despatched to the little shop at Horning to procure some.
After breakfast they were lounging on deck waiting for a breeze. Dick was sprawling on the roof of the cabin basking in the sun. Frank was fishing for roach in the clear slow stream, and Jimmy was perusing the newspaper in which the provisions had been wrapped. It was a still, lovely morning. White clouds sailed quickly across the blue sky, but there was no breeze to move the marsh grasses and reeds, or to ripple the placid stream. A lark sang merrily far above them, filling the air with melody. Small birds chirped in the sedges, and the water-hens and white-headed coots sailed busily to and fro.
