“But wasn’t your place horribly wet?”
“What care I for a drop o’ watter?” said Dave contemptuously.
“Look here, Dick, at the decoys,” cried Tom running to a large wicker cage in which were four of the curious long-legged birds known as ruffs and reeves.
“Was six,” said Dave. “I lost two.”
“How?”
“Fightin’, lad. I niver see such bonds to fight. Gamecocks is babies to ’em. I’m going to try a new improved way of ketching of ’em by challenging the wild ones to fight.”
“Never mind about them,” said Dick eagerly; “are you going to start now?”
“Ah! you’re so precious eager to begin, lad,” said Dave; “but when you’ve been sitting out there on the boat for about a couple of hours you’ll be glad to get back.”
“Oh, no, we sha’n’t!” cried Dick. “Now, then, let’s start.”
“Ay, but we’ve got to get ready first.”