Out in the garden the water became deeper, and Captain Dick's pole would not reach the bottom; still, owing to some mysterious influence, their curious boat drifted merrily on, and the children did not puzzle themselves in the least as to the cause of their progress. It was quite enough for them to notice how strange and unnatural the gardens and all the familiar surroundings appeared in their present inundated state. The rosebushes and hedges looked so funny, growing out of the water, and there were such a lot of curious things floating about--a hen-coop, a wash-tub, and an old hamper had hurried past; and their boat had drifted as far as the gate leading out into the roadway, when Marjorie jumped up and pointed excitedly to something floating rapidly towards them. "Look! Dick, look! there's an old turkey on a chair coming along." As the object drew nearer, however, they could see that it was not a turkey, or, indeed, any bird with which they were familiar, but a most curious-looking creature. It had an oddly-shaped beak, webbed feet, and a funny great tuft of feathers for a tail. "Why, the thing has gloves on!" cried Captain Dick. "And a blue bow around its neck," chimed in Fidge, his eyes dancing with excitement. "Ship ahoy!" shouted the bird, as it came close up to the table. "Good gracious! Why it can talk," said Marjorie. "Talk! Of course I can," answered the bird. "Why not, pray?" "Well, birds don't generally talk, except parrots," added Marjorie, as an afterthought. "Parrots!" exclaimed the bird, stamping furiously on the seat of the chair; "I hate 'em--nasty, showy, pretentious, ill-bred creatures; regular shrieking hypocrites, that's what I call 'em." "What sort of a bird are you, then?" asked Dick. "I'm a Dodo," said the creature, with a consequential air. "Oh! then you are extinct," said Dick. "I read it in a natural history book." "Yes, I am," admitted the Dodo. "It's lovely being extinct," he added, complacently. "Have you ever tried it?" "Good gracious, no," cried Dick. "What does it mean, Dick, dear?" whispered Marjorie, who didn't like to appear ignorant. "Gone out, I think," explained Dick. "Anyhow, they say a volcano is extinct when it has gone out." "Yes, that's quite right," explained the Dodo, with a wink. "Haven't you ever heard the vulgar expression, 'Does your mother know you're out?' Well, where I come from, we just say, 'Is your maternal relative aware of your extinction?' instead. It's the same thing, you know, and sounds ever so much better. Then, again, it's most convenient, if any one calls whom you don't wish to see, just to tell the servants to say that you are extinct, and there is an end of the matter. But I mustn't stop all day, I must be off to sea." "Are you going to sea on that chair?" cried Marjorie.