Finally Uncle Henry began to recite,
“The eagle of Starland
Got tired of his tree,
And challenged the swan to a race.
‘Come up from the water!
Fly up and be free!
To northward I’ll beat you a chase.’
The swan thought of shivers
And icebergs and frost—
He made up his mind to race South.
So they are still flying—
Their race can’t be lost—
Till Gabriel blows with his mouth.”
“What’ll Gabriel blow?” inquired Peter when the hand-clapping had stopped.
“His trumpet, of course, silly!” answered Betty for Uncle Henry.
Just then the children heard a toot from an automobile horn that they all recognized, and the Society of Star-Gazers raced with Uncle Henry back up to “Seven Oaks Cottage.”
“Sister” and “the Children’s Father” had come back from their trip and had surprised everybody.
The summer sessions of the Society were over.