“Sure to have been a crow. The sedges do not move.”
“No, it was a mistake—they couldn’t get here.”
They went on again and found a wild bullace.
“This is the most wonderful island there ever was,” said Bevis; “there’s always something new on or about it. The swan—I shall shoot the swan. No, most likely it’s sacred, and the king of the country would have us hunted down if we killed it.”
“And tied to a stake and tortured.”
“Melted lead poured into our mouths, because we shot the sacred swan with leaden bullets.”
“Awful. No, don’t shoot it. There are currant-trees on the island too—I’ve seen them, and there’s a gooseberry bush up in the top of an old willow that I saw,” said Mark. “Of course there are bananas; are there any breadfruit-trees here?”
“Certain to be some somewhere.”
“Melons and oranges.”
“Of course, and grapes—those are grapes,” pointing to bryony-berries, “and pomegranates and olives.”