CHAPTER VIII.
An Eerie Night.--A Ghostly Apparition.--The Barn Owl.-- A Will-o'-the Wisp.--The Ruff and Reeve.--Snaring Ruffs.-- A Nest.--Wroxham Broad.--Mud-boards and Leaping-pole.-- Wild Duck's Nest in a Tree.
As the night fell the wind rose and moaned dismally over the marsh, andblack clouds covered the sky, so that the night promised to be dirtierthan usual at this time of the year. Lonely marshes stretched far andwide, with nothing to break their wild monotony save the ghostlike ruinsof the Abbey in the foreground. It was not a pleasant night for the boysto spend out for the first time alone, and an eerie sort of feelingcrept over them in spite of their efforts to appear at ease.
At length Dick said--
"I feel as if wild beasts were prowling about on the watch for us, andthat if we went to sleep we should be eaten up alive."
"So do I," admitted Frank; "but I suppose it will wear away in time. Butwhat is that?" he exclaimed, in a startled tone, as an unearthly crysounded among the ruins of the Abbey, and a white shape was dimly seengliding between the broken windows.
The boys gazed in breathless silence at this apparition. The cause oftheir alarm, however, was made plain to them, as a white owl came forthon noiseless wings, and fluttered stealthily over the marsh. Theylaughed heartily at their fright, but their laugh sounded forced andunnatural. It was so weird and lonely outside, that they went into thecabin and lit the lamp, and strove to make a cheerful supper. Then theyundressed and tried to make themselves comfortable for the night. Franktook the hammock, and Dick and Jimmy the berths at each side. They leftthe lamp burning dimly for company's sake, but they could not go tosleep. The water lapping against the planks of the yacht and amid thestems of the reeds, the wind sighing over the waste fen, and thestrange cries of the night-birds--the call of the water-hen, the hoarsebark of the coot, the cackle of wild ducks, and the host of other noiseswhich they could not account for, kept them awake and on the _qui vive_.
"What's that?" said Dick, after they had been quiet for some time.
THE BARN OWL AND EGG.]
A noise like a clap of thunder was to be heard, repeated at regularintervals, and growing louder, as if approaching them. They rushed ondeck to see what was the cause of it, and were relieved to find that itwas only a belated wherry beating up to windward, her canvas flappingeach time she put about on a fresh tack. The men on board of her shouted"Good night" as they passed, and after this the boys felt morecomfortable, and again courted sleep. They were just dropping off, when"patter, patter," went something on deck. Some one, or some thing hadboarded them, and Frank went out to see what it was. A coot had comeaboard to see if there might be anything eatable there, and she flewaway as Frank appeared. He looked about ere he went down again, and tohis astonishment he saw a spot of light dancing about on the marshes ina place where he thought no human being could be at this hour.
"I say, Dick and Jimmy, here is a will-o'-the-wisp dancing about on themarshes."
They came quickly on deck, and watched the strange light, which now andthen disappeared, and then again became visible. It now shone bright,and then faint, and an uncertain glimmer beneath it showed that ithovered over the water as well as over the marsh.
"There is no such thing as _ignis fatuus_ nowadays," said Jimmy, "sowhat can it be?"
"I vote we go and see," said Frank.
"You will only get bogged if you do. It is dangerous enough to walk onthe marsh in the daylight, and almost impossible by night."
"It strikes me there is a narrow channel, or dyke, leading from theriver, which may lead to where that light is. I saw a line of waterabout twenty yards off. We passed it as we were about to anchor. Let ustake the boat and go up it, if you wish to see what it is," said Jimmy.
His suggestion was approved of, and they dressed and stepped into thepunt, and after a little while they found the dyke and pushed their wayalong it. They moved cautiously and with little noise, and at lastemerged upon a small open piece of water, and as they did so, the lightgleamed for a moment and went out. They peered eagerly through thegloom, but could see nothing. All was silent and still, and veryuncanny.
"It is no good staying here," said Frank; "let us go back and try tosleep, or we shall not be fit to be seen to-morrow when we meet theothers at Wroxham."
So they rowed back, wondering what the cause of the light had been. Theytumbled into their berths again and got just an hour's broken sleepbefore the dawn effectually aroused them. It was very early, but theyhad no choice but to rise and get something to eat. The morning wasbright and cloudless, the lark sang merrily in the sky, waterfowl swamon the quiet stretches of the river in peaceful security, the freshnessand charm which always accompanies the early dawn of day in the countryhad its natural effect upon them; and their spirits, which had beensomewhat depressed by the uncomfortable night which they had passed,rose again to their natural height. Dick now suggested that they shouldagain explore the windings of the creek, and try to find out the causeof the mysterious light which had so puzzled them the night before. Theyaccordingly rowed up the lane of water as they had done the previousnight, until they came to the piece of open water. Just as they wereabout to emerge from the narrow opening in the belt of reeds whichsurrounded it, Frank checked the motion of the boat by clutching hold ofthe reeds, and warned his companions to be silent. Looking in thedirection in which he pointed, they saw the most curious bird they hadever seen, or were ever likely to see. On a little hillock on the edgeof the reeds was a bird with a body like a thrush, but with long legs.It had a long beak, staring eyes, brown tufts of feathers on each sideof its head, and a large flesh-coloured ruff of feathers round its neck.
"I know what that is; it is a ruff," said Jimmy.
"Yes, yes, but be quiet and watch it."
They drew back behind the green fringe of reeds and watched themovements of the ruff, for such it was. Its movements were as strange asitself. It pranced up and down on the little hillock and fluttered itswings, and uttered a defiant cry. It seemed as if it were particularlydesirous of attention from one spot in the marsh, for towards that spotits glances and movements were directed. Looking more eagerly towardsthis spot the boys saw a smaller bird, with no ruff around her neck, andclad in sober brown. This was a female, or reeve, and the male wasshowing himself off before her and trying to attract her attention,while she, with the tantalising nature of her sex, appeared to be quiteunconscious of his blandishments, and went on composedly picking up herbreakfast from the insects and worms in the marsh. Presently anotherruff appeared on the scene, and, joining his rival on the littlehillock, he commenced to emulate his performances, and the two danced awar-dance in the most amusing fashion, to the great delight of the threeobservers. The natural consequence of this rivalry soon followed, andthe two ruffs began to fight in good earnest, laying hold of each otherwith their bills, and striking with their wings. The one drove the otherto the bottom of the hill, and was apparently master of the field; butinstead of returning to his post on the top, he flew away, leaving hisadversary fluttering vainly, and evidently fast by the leg. Then therushes on the other side of the open space were pushed aside, and a manin a rude boat made his appearance, and proceeded to seize the ruff andkill it.
"The mystery of the light is explained," said Frank. "Hallo! you there,what are you doing that for?"
The man started and looked round, answering surlily,
"What's that to you?"
"Oh, don't get into a wax. We only want to know for information's sake.What will you sell that ruff for?"
"Two shillings, sir," replied the man, in a much more civil tone.
"Well, here you are. Are there many ruffs about here?"
"No, sir, I have not seen any for the last two years until this spring.They used to be common enough when I was a lad, and I have taken a scorein one morning with these snares. I have seen more than a dozen togetheron one hill, and twice as many reeves around looking on. Those were finetimes for us fowlers, those were."
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br /> The boys asked to be allowed to look at his snares. They were made ofhorsehair, and were set in this fashion:--A length of hair with arunning noose at each end was fixed by the middle into the slit of apeg, which was then driven into the ground. A number of these were setround the base of the hill with the nooses projecting about an inchabove the surface of the herbage, and as the birds were driven off thehill they were caught by them. It was necessary, the man said, to keep astrict watch on the snares, for the birds sometimes broke away, or therats and weasels, of which there are plenty in the marshes, would bebeforehand with the fowler and seize the captured birds.
"I suppose you were setting your snares last night?"
"Ay, sir," replied the man, laughing; "I heard you coming after me, so Iput my light out. I did not know what sort of men you might be, and theymake believe to preserve these marshes now, and it is hard work for usto get a living."
"Don't you think there may be a ruff's nest somewhere about?" saidJimmy.
"I found one this morning with four eggs in it, but they are hard sat."
"Never mind that, we can blow them, if you will show us where it is."
"Get out of the boat, then, and come into this rond; but mind how youwalk. Put your foot on the roots of the reeds, or you will go up to yourmiddle in mud directly."
The nest was made of coarse grass, and was placed in a clump of sedges.It contained four eggs of an olive-green colour, spotted with brown. Asthe man said that if they did not take them he should, and sell them forwhat they would fetch, the boys felt no hesitation in plundering thenest of all its contents, giving the man a gratuity of a shilling forshowing the nest to them.
This commercial transaction completed, they returned to their yacht andmade a second breakfast.
They had arranged to meet their elders at Wroxham Bridge at twelveo'clock, and spend the rest of the day sailing and pic-nicking on theBroad, so about ten o'clock they started. The breeze was light, as itgenerally is in the summer; and as for a portion of the way they had tobeat to windward in a rather narrow channel, it took them some time toreach Wroxham.
They found that the _Swan_ was not so handy in tacking as asingle-hulled yacht would have been, and they had to use the mizen toswing her round each time they put about. Their progress was, therefore,slower than they had calculated upon, and they did not reach Wroxhamuntil 12.30. Their way was past Ranworth Broad and the two Hovetons,besides some smaller broads, all connected with the river by dykes, halfhidden by tall reeds, and looking deliciously lonely, and invitingexploration. Although they were so close they could see nothing of thebroads' surface, and their existence was only made manifest to them bythe white sails of yachts which were now and then to be seen glidinghither and thither through forests of reeds.
Sir Richard, Mr. and Mrs. Merivale, Mrs. Brett, Mary and Florrie, wereall waiting for them on the staithe by the bridge, and hailed theirappearance with joy.
"Well, boys, we thought you were lost," said Mr. Merivale.
"No fear, father," answered Frank; "the _Swan_ sails grandly, and wehave had no end of fun."
"And how did you sleep last night? Wasn't it very lonely?" said hismother.
The boys unanimously affirmed that it had been most awfully jolly, andthat they had been most comfortable.
Whilst the party were embarking, Frank went to the village carpenter'sand got a stout leaping-pole with a block of wood at the end, so that itmight not sink into the mud when they were jumping the ditches. He alsoobtained a pair of mud boards to put on his feet when walking over softground. These were pieces of wood a foot long by eighteen inches wide,with rope loops to slip over the feet. He expected to find them usefulwhile bird-nesting on the marshes.
They sailed at a good pace down the river, and then, while Mary wasasking where the Broad was, Frank put the helm over, and they sailedthrough a narrow channel, on either side of which the reeds were sevenfeet high, and while the question was still on Mary's lips, they weregliding over the fine expanse of water which is known as Wroxham Broad.
They had a very pleasant afternoon, and as the breeze was steady and theyacht behaved herself very well, the two elder ladies lost much of thenervousness with which they had regarded the boys' expedition. Dick wasmuch impressed with the loveliness of the Broad. On the one side thewoods came down to the water's edge, and on the other the wide marshstretched away miles on miles, with its waving reed beds, tracts ofwhite cotton-grasses, and many-coloured marsh grasses, which varied insheen and tint as the wind waved them or the cloud-shadows passed overthem. Here and there a gleam of white showed where the river or a broadlay, but for the most part the whereabouts of water was only shown bythe brown sails of the wherries, or the snow-white sails of the yachts,which glided and tacked about in a manner that seemed most mysterious,seeing that there was no water visible for them to float on.
At one end of Wroxham Broad is a labyrinth of dykes and pools, betweenwooded islands and ferny banks. The boys took the two girls in the puntthrough this charming maze, and they pushed their way through the largefloating leaves of the water-lily, and the more pointed leaves of thearrowhead, gathering the many-coloured flowers which nestled amid theluxuriant growth of plant-life that fringed the water, stooping toavoid the trailing branches of the trees, and enjoying themselvesmightily in exploring.
"Is that a crow's nest in yonder tree?" said Jimmy.
"I expect so, and there is the bird on, but her head does not look likea crow's. Hit the trunk with the oar," said Frank.
WILD DUCK.]
As the blow vibrated through the tree, the sitting bird flew off, andwhat do you think it proved to be? A _wild-duck_! The boys wereastounded. They had heard of ducks building in hollow trees, and at somedistance from water, but to build a nest on the top of a high treeseemed incredible, so Frank said he would climb up and see the eggs,but--
"Let me go," said Dick, "I have never climbed a tall tree, and it looksan easy one, although it is tall, for there are plenty of branches."
"Oh, please take care, Dick," said Mary.
"Oh, he will be all right. You never tell me to take care, young woman,"said Frank, laughing, while Mary blushed.
Dick was soon up the tree, showing skill worthy of a practised climber,and rather to the surprise of his companions.
"It is a duck's nest in an old crow's nest, and there are ten eggs in,"shouted Dick from his lofty perch.
"Bring two of them down then. We will write on them where they werefound. I wonder how the old birds get the young ones down to the water?They can't fly for a long time after being hatched, and they must taketo the water soon, or they will die."
The question which Frank put has never been satisfactorily answered.
The young ones must either perch on their mother's back, and hold onwhilst they are being transported to their native element, or the oldbird 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 ofthe red sunset, and as night stole over the marshes, they anchored byHorning ferry, and so tired were they that they fell asleep the momentthey laid themselves down, forgetting their fears of the night before.They turned in at ten, and none of them awoke until eight the nextmorning.
Before breakfast Frank and Jimmy spent some time in teaching Dick how toswim, and found him an apt pupil.
The Swan and Her Crew Page 10