"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 dyke 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 trespassing upon it would be prosecuted.
"Hallo! do you see that?" said Dick.
"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 canal 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.'
