In a minute out came a moorhen, then another, and a third, scuttling over the surface with their legs hanging down. Two minutes more and Pan drove a coot out, then a young duck rose and flew some distance, then a dab-chick rushed out and dived instantaneously, then still more moorhens, and coots. “Why, there are hundreds!” said Mark. “What a place for our shooting!” “First-rate,” said Bevis. “It’s full of moorhens and all sorts.” So it was. The island of Serendib was but a foot or so above the level of the water, and completely grown over with willow osiers (their blue gum), the spaces between the stoles being choked with sedges and reed-grass, vast wild parsnip stalks or “gix,” and rushes, in which mass of vegetation the water-fowl delighted. They had been undisturbed for a very long time, and they looked on Serendib as theirs; they would not move till Pan was in the midst of them. “We must bring the matchlock,” said Mark. “But we can’t swim with it. Could we do it on the catamarans?” “They’re awkward if you’ve got anything to carry,” said Bevis, remembering his dip. “I know--we’ll make a raft.” “Then we can go to all the islands,” said Mark, “that will be ever so much better; why we can shoot all round them everywhere.” “And go up the river,” said Bevis, “and go on the continent, the mainland, you know, and see if it’s China, or South America--” “Or Africa or Australia, and shoot elephants--” “And rabbits and hares and peewits, and pick up the pearls on Pearl Island, and see what there is at the other end of the world up there,” pointing southwards. “We’ve never been to the end yet,” said Mark. “Let’s go back and make the raft directly.” “The catamaran planks will do capital,” said Bevis, “and some beams, and I’ll see how Ulysses made his, and make ours like it--he had a sail somehow.” “We could sail about at night,” said Mark, “nobody would see us.” “No; Val or Charlie would be sure to see in the daytime; the stars would guide us at night, and that would be just proper.” “Just like they used to--” “Yes, just like they used to when we lived three thousand years ago.” “Capital. Let’s begin.” “So we will.” “Pan! Pan!” Pan was so busy routing out the hitherto happy water-fowl that he did not follow them until they had begun to swim, having waded as far as they could. The shoals reduced the actual distance they had to swim by quite half, so that they reached New Formosa without any trouble, and dressed. They went to the hut that Bevis might read how Ulysses constructed his ship or raft, and while they were looking for the book saw the duck which they had plucked the evening before.