The Swan and Her Crew

by Burt L. Standish

  CHAPTER IX.

  Chameleon.--Light Coloured Eggs.--Sitting Birds have no Scent.-- Forget-me-nots.--Trespassing.--The Owner.--A Chase.--Capture.-- Pintail Duck.--Drumming of Snipe.--Swallow-tail Butterfly.-- A Perilous Adventure.

  The young voyagers had by this time discovered that sailing about in themanner they were doing gave them tremendous appetites, and on thisparticular morning they found they had run short of bread and butter, soJimmy was despatched to the little shop at Horning to procure some.

  After breakfast they were lounging on deck waiting for a breeze. Dickwas sprawling on the roof of the cabin basking in the sun. Frank wasfishing for roach in the clear slow stream, and Jimmy was perusing thenewspaper in which the provisions had been wrapped. It was a still,lovely morning. White clouds sailed quickly across the blue sky, butthere was no breeze to move the marsh grasses and reeds, or to ripplethe placid stream. A lark sang merrily far above them, filling the airwith melody. Small birds chirped in the sedges, and the water-hens andwhite-headed coots sailed busily to and fro.

  ROACH.]

  Jimmy looked up from his paper just as Frank pulled in a good sizedroach, and said,--

  "Do either of you know how the chameleon changes its colour?"

  Upon receiving an answer in the negative he read as follows from thepaper in his hand:--

  "M. Paul Bert has laid before the French Academy a _resume_ of theobservations of himself and others on the colour-changes of thechameleon. They appear to be due to change of place of certain colouredcorpuscles. When they bury themselves under the skin, they form anopaque background to the cerulescent layer, and when they distributethemselves in superficial ramifications, they either leave the skin toshow its yellow hue, or give it green and black tints. The movements ofthe colour corpuscles are directed by two orders of nerves, one causingtheir descending, and the other their ascending, motions. In a state ofextreme excitation the corpuscles hide below the skin, and do so insleep, anaesthesia, or death. The nerves which cause the corpuscles to gounder the skin have the greatest analogy to vaso-constrictor nerves.They follow the mixed nerves of the limbs, and the great sympathetic ofthe neck, and do not cross in the spinal marrow. The nerves which bringthe corpuscles upwards resemble in like manner the vaso-dilator nerves.Luminous rays belonging to the blue-violet part of the spectrum actdirectly on the contractile matter of the corpuscles, and cause them tomove towards the surface of the skin."

  CHAMELEON.]

  "Now, can you tell me the plain English of that?"

  "Read it again, Jimmy," said Frank.

  Jimmy did so.

  "Well, I am no wiser. Read it again more slowly."

  Jimmy did so again.

  "I give it up," said Frank. "What a thing it is to be a scientific man!"

  "I take it," said Dick, rolling himself along the cabin roof towardsthem, "that it means that different coloured rays of light havecorresponding effects upon coloured atoms in the skin of the chameleon.The rays of light will be affected by the colour of the place where thechameleon is, and the chameleon will be affected by the changed colourof the rays of light, so that if the beast were on a green lawn hiscolour would be green, and if on a brown tree-trunk his colour would bebrown."

  "That is my idea," said Jimmy; "but what is the good of using suchstilted language, when the same thing might have been said in simpleEnglish?"

  "I wonder why that water-hen keeps dodging about us in such a fussymanner," said Frank.

  "I don't," replied Dick, "for there is her nest not a yard from ourbows."

  The mooring rope had parted the reeds, and discovered her nest, andDick, on going to the bows had seen it. It contained twelve eggs, one ofwhich was so light in colour as to be almost white, and one so smallthat it was only half the size of the others. Dick asked if it werebecause it was laid last, and if the pale one was so for a similarreason. Frank replied,--

  "It may be so in this case, but it does not always happen so. Last yearI tried an experiment with a robin's nest. I took out an egg each day,as it was laid, and still the bird went on laying until I let her layher proper number, five. She laid fifteen eggs altogether, but they wereall the same colour and size. So I expect that it is only an accidentwhen the eggs are like these."

  "Bell told me the other day that sitting birds have no scent," saidDick. "Is that true?"

  "I am not quite sure, but I am inclined to think that they have not sostrong a scent as at other times. This same robin which I have just beentelling you about built in a hedge-bank close by a house, and cats werealways prowling about, and I have seen puss walk right above the nestwhile the old bird was on. If birds would only have the sense to shuttheir eyes, we would often pass them over, but it is easy to see themwith their eyes twinkling like diamonds."

  "How pretty that clump of forget-me-nots is on the opposite bank! Theyseem to smile at you with their blue eyes," said Dick, who was keenlyalive to all that was beautiful. "But what is that flower a little lowerdown, right in the water, with thick juicy stems and blue flowers. Isthat a forget-me-not?"

  "No, it is a brooklime, but it is one of the speedwells. There are morethan a dozen sorts of speedwells, but the forget-me-not is theprettiest. Another name for the forget-me-not is water-scorpion, but itis too ugly a name for so pretty a plant," said Jimmy, full of hisrecent learning.

  REDBREAST AND EGG.]

  "Here comes a breeze at last," cried Frank, as their blue flagfluttered, and the reeds in the surrounding marsh bent their headstogether and sighed. "Shall we explore Ranworth Broad?"

  "Yes, but let us take Hoveton Great Broad first, and then we can go toRanworth as we come back," answered Jimmy.

  So they hoisted sail, and glided up stream with a freshening breeze,while swallows dipped in the river and whirled about them as theypassed. While they were sailing steadily along with a breeze on theirstarboard beam, the flag became fouled in the block through which thehalyard of the mainmast was rove, and Jimmy was sent up to put mattersright. He clambered up the mast as nimbly as a monkey, and shook loosethe flag from its ignominious position. When he had finished this helooked about him, and from his greater height he could see much furtherthan his companions, whose view was limited by the tall reeds which shutin almost every portion of the rivers and broads. The boys did not knowthat they were near any of the latter, but Jimmy saw on their left handa sheet of water sparkling in the sun and studded with many reedyislands. He cried out,--

  "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 littlefurther on I can see a channel leading to it just wide enough for ouryacht. What do you say to paying it a visit?"

  His friends had not the least objection. Its being unknown to them wasan additional reason for their including it in their voyage ofdiscovery. Jimmy said he should stay on his lofty perch for a time andtake the bearings of the country, but as they neared the entrance to thebroad and turned off before going down the narrow channel, the boomswung further out, and the jerk dislodged Jimmy, who was only saved fromfalling by clutching at the shrouds, down which he came with a run. Theysurged along through the dyke with the reeds brushing their bulwarks,and tossing and swaying in the eddies which followed their wake, andafter several twistings and windings they emerged upon the broad.

  At the entrance to it was a pole with a notice-board upon it, whichstated that the broad belonged to Mr. ----, and that any persons foundtrespassing 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 thatnarrow channel, and now that we are on the broad we may as well sailabout 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" andbroad floating lily-leaves, that the boys sailed about for some timebefore they thought of leaving it, and when they turned their faces
again towards the river, what was their surprise to see a large yachtcreeping along the connecting canal between them and the river. Thereeds hid the body of the yacht from them, but its sails betokened thatit was one of considerable size.

  The boys wondered who it could be who had thought of paying thesequestered little broad a visit, never for a moment thinking of theowner, when the yacht shot out into the open water, and lo! it was a'_big blue yacht_.'

  YACHT.]

  "It is Mr. ----," said Jimmy.

  "Now we shall get into a row for trespassing," said Dick.

  "They have got to catch us first. If we can only dodge them, and get onto the river again, we can show them a clean pair of heels," saidFrank, taking a pull at the sheet and trying to creep up to windward ofthe dyke. The blue yacht, however, stood by so as to meet them, andFrank saw, by the way she went through the water, even when her sailswere hauled almost flat, that she could beat the Swan in sailing towindward. A gentleman stood up in the strange yacht and called out,--

  "Bear, up alongside, you young rascals, and give me your names andaddresses. I shall summon you for trespassing."

  "Not if I know it," said Frank, bringing the _Swan_ sharply round on herheel, and scudding away before the wind, followed by the other in fullchase.

  "Now, Jimmy and Dick, stand by the sheets, and when we get opposite thebottom of that long island, we will bring her sharp round the otherside, and then they can't get across and meet us, and then we'll cut andrun for the dyke."

  They executed this manoeuvre very neatly, but the other was too quickfor them, and instead of following them round the island, they turnedback and made for the mouth of the dyke to intercept them, and at a muchbetter angle of the wind than that at which the _Swan_ had to sail.

  "We shall come into collision," said Jimmy, as he took a hearty pull atthe mizen sheet. "We cannot both get through the dyke."

  "Never mind. We'll cram her at it. Stand by with the boat-hook to pushthe blue 'un off, Dick!" but as Dick stood ready with the boat-hook topush off, a man stood in the other yacht with his boat-hook to pull themin, and as Dick pushed, his adversary pulled. The two boats ranalongside for a few yards, and then were jammed together at the mouth ofthe creek, and Mr. ---- stepped on board.

  "Now what is the meaning of this?" he exclaimed angrily.

  "We came into the broad out of curiosity, sir," said Frank; "and wecould not see the notice-board until we were in the broad, and then wethought we might as well take a turn round before going out, but we aresorry you have caught us."

  "Oh, are you really! Well, I want to preserve the broad for wild-fowl,so I don't like it to be disturbed; but where did you get this strangeboat built?"

  "We built it ourselves," answered the boys,--and then in reply to theinquiries, they told him all about it, and their object, and by the timeall was explained to him they found that he was a very jolly sort offellow, and he found that they were very pleasant, unaffected lads, andthe end of it was that they lunched with him on board his yacht, and hadfull permission to go on the broad whenever they liked.

  Frank's attention was arrested by a pretty, light grey duck swimmingabout in the centre of the broad.

  "Is that a pintail duck?" he inquired of Mr. ----.

  "Yes, and the only one on the broad, I am sorry to say. Its mate hasbeen killed, and my man found the deserted nest with four eggs in it,among the reeds on the other side of the broad. If he has not taken ityou may have it."

  His man had not taken it, and in a few minutes the boys were thepossessors of the eggs of this rare duck. The nest and eggs were of theusual duck type, and did not correspond in any degree with the extremeprettiness of the duck, which, with its mottled grey back and red-brownhead and neck, is as fair to look at as it is good to eat.

  The yachts were disengaged from their position without any damage, andthe boys took leave of their entertainer with a cheer, and made for theriver again.

  "I hope all our adventures will end as nicely as that one," said Dick.

  The wish was echoed by the others; but that very day they had anadventure which startled them considerably, and might have had veryserious and fatal consequences. But of this anon.

  Presently Dick said,--"I have noticed whenever we see a mud-bank that itis almost sure to be perforated by a number of small holes. What is thereason of that?"

  "Oh, that is done by the snipes, when boring in search of food.Woodcocks will do it as well, and the woodcock's upper bill is so longand flexible that it can twist and turn it about in the mud with thegreatest ease," answered Frank, who was always ready with an answer onornithological subjects.

  By and by Dick was observed to be looking all about with a very puzzledand curious air, peeping into the cabin, and scrutinizing the deck andthe banks with the utmost attention.

  "What is the matter, Dick?" said Jimmy at length.

  "What on earth is that buzzing noise? It seems to be close to us, and Ican't find out the cause of it. I did not like to ask before--it seemedso simple. Is it a big bee, or wasp, or what?"

  Frank and Jimmy laughed heartily, and the former said,--

  "Look up in the air, Dick."

  Dick did so, and saw a bird which he knew to be a snipe, hoveringsomewhat after the manner of a kestrel, or windhover, as the countrypeople sometimes call it. It was evident now that the noise came fromit, but how was it produced, and why?

  Frank could not answer either of these questions. It was a habit of thesnipes in breeding time to rise and 'drum' in that way.

  COMMON SNIPE.]

  "No doubt he does it for a lark, and no doubt he thinks he does it aswell as a lark, but no one seems to be sure how the noise is produced.The general opinion seems to be that it is caused by a vibration of thetail-feathers."

  "Look!" cried Dick excitedly, diving into the cabin for his butterflynet. Over the marsh there fluttered one of the grandest of Englishbutterflies, the swallow-tail. Large in size, being about four inchesacross the wings, which are of a pale creamy-yellow, barred and marginedwith blue and black, velvety in its appearance, and with a well-defined'tail' to each of its under wings, above which is a red spot, theswallow-tail butterfly is one of the most beautiful of all butterflies.It is rare save in its head-quarters, which are the fens of Norfolk andCambridge, and is justly considered a prize by a young collector. Frankimmediately ran the yacht ashore, and Dick jumped out and rushed at thegorgeous insect with his net. Alas! he struck too wildly and missed it,and it rose in the air and flew far away, leaving Dick lamenting. Franklaughed and said,--

  "Ah, you went at it too rashly. You should have given it him with moreof the _suaviter in modo_ and less of the _fortiter in re_. Here comesanother. Let me have a try!"

  SWALLOW-TAIL BUTTERFLY.]

  Dick yielded up possession of the net to him, and he advanced slowly andcautiously to where the swallow-tail was sunning himself on an earlytuft of meadow-sweet, which the warm weather had tempted to bloomearlier than usual, and to perfume the air with its strong fragrance onthe last day of May.

  Frank's approach had too much of the _suaviter in modo_, for thebutterfly flew away long before he reached it. Frank forgot all aboutthe _suaviter in modo_ then. He dashed after it at the top of his speed,making frantic dashes at it with his net, and jumping over soft ground,with utter disregard to all dangerous places. He followed it for somedistance, and then he suddenly disappeared, and to their dismay theyheard him shouting loudly for help.

  "He has got into a bog-hole," said Jimmy, "come along as fast as youcan."

  They ran with breathless speed to where he had disappeared, and sodeceptive are distances on flat surfaces, that they were surprised tosee how far he had gone. When they reached him they saw him up to hiswaist in the soft bog, whose bright vivid green would have shown itsdanger had he not been too eager in his pursuit of the butterfly tonotice it. He was rapidly sinking deeper into the mud, which held himfast with cruel tenacity, and sucked him further into its horrid embracethe more he struggled to g
et out of it. He had taken a big jump rightinto the very middle of it, and he was too far from them to reach theirhands. His face was pale, but he was cool and collected.

  "All right," he said, "don't be frightened. I've got the butterfly, andif you will do what I tell you, I will soon get out of this fix. Dick,do you run to the yacht and get a rope, and you, Jimmy, get some reeds,and pitch them to me to put under my arms, and keep me from sinkingfurther into this fearful mess."

  Dick sped off like an arrow, and Jimmy tore up a bundle of reeds andthrew them to his friend, who had now sunk up to his shoulders, and asthe reeds broke beneath his weight he sunk deeper still.

  "I hope Dick won't be long, or it will be all up with me, Jimmy," hesaid, and brave as he was, he could not keep his lips from quivering.Jimmy was in an agony of excitement. He took off his coat, and threw oneend of it to Frank, but he could not reach him. Then he did what evenraised a smile on Frank's face, imminent as was his danger. He took offhis trousers and threw one leg to Frank, retaining the other in hishand. Pulling hard at this improvised rope, he held Frank up until Dickcame tearing up with the rope trailing behind him.

  "Thank God!" said Frank, and Jimmy then knew by his fervent tone howgreat he knew the danger had been. Clinging to the rope, he was hauledout by his companions, and so tightly did the mud hold him, that it tookall their strength to drag him out. They walked slowly and quietly backto the yacht, and Frank changed his clothes, and lay down and was veryquiet for some time, and they none of them recovered their usual spiritsfor some time after this occurrence.

  The butterfly was set, and ever afterwards kept apart in Dick'scollection as a memento of this time.

  Before they went home again they had got several specimens of thishandsome butterfly, and still better, they discovered numbers of thebright green caterpillars and chrysalides on the meadow-sweet and wildcarrot, which grew in the marsh, and so were able to breed several finespecimens, enough for their own collection and for exchange.