The Swan and Her Crew: or The Adventures of Three Young Naturalists and Sportsmen on the Broads and Rivers of NorfolkDavies, G. Christopher (George Christopher)
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The Swan and Her Crew: or The Adventures of Three Young Naturalists and Sportsmen on the Broads and Rivers of Norfolk
Davies, G. Christopher (George Christopher)
Animals -- Juvenile fiction; Birds -- Juvenile fiction; Butterflies -- Juvenile fiction; Children -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Fishing -- Juvenile fiction; Flowers -- Juvenile fiction; Natural history -- Juvenile fiction; Outdoor life -- Juvenile ficti
They jumped into the shallow water, having first taken off their shoes
and stockings, and began to hunt about for nests. They speedily found
several coots' and water-hens' nests, and also a dab-chick's; but they
wanted none of these, and continued their search for the teal's nest. At
last--
"Here it is," said Dick delightedly, and sure enough there the nest was,
in a small bush which grew in the very centre of the rond, where the
soil was pretty firm. The nest was large and thickly lined with
feathers, and it contained twelve cream-coloured eggs. They took six of
them, and then, satisfied with their spoil, they went back to their
yacht, and tried to push her off again. But this was no easy task. They
pushed and pushed, until they were exhausted, and the only effect their
pushing seemed to have was to push their own legs deeper into the mud.
The yacht refused to be moved.
"Well, this is a pretty go, to be wrecked at the very beginning of our
cruise! We have run her almost high and dry. How they will laugh at us
at home!" said Jimmy.
"They sha'n't have the chance of doing that. We will get her off somehow
or other. We ought to have gone to leeward of the rond, and run her up
in the wind's eye into it, and then we could have backed her off with
the sails," said Frank.
"Live and learn," said Dick. "I vote we strip and go overboard again and
try to lift her off. We can get the oars from the boat, and use them as
levers."
This was undoubtedly the best thing to do, and although the water was
not over warm, they took off their clothes and worked and pushed away,
until they made the mud around the yacht as soft as a pudding, and
themselves as black as negroes. Then the yacht moved a little, and
putting forth all their strength they shoved her back into deeper water.
Not waiting to dress themselves, they ran the sails up and steered away
for the Kendal Dyke at the south-east end of the Broad. They meant to
stay at the mouth of the Broad to bathe and dress. There was no one to
see them, so it did not matter. As they neared the mouth of the dyke, to
their great dismay a yacht with several people on board came out of it.
The people stared in blank astonishment at the strange double-bodied
yacht and her still stranger crew. Jimmy and Dick dived at once into
the cabin. Frank could not leave the helm, and yet could not stay where
he was; so without further thought he plunged into the water at the
stern of the yacht, and, holding on by the rudder, he contrived to keep
her on her course until Jimmy reappeared with something thrown over him,
and took hold of the tiller. When they came to an anchorage in a
secluded spot among the reeds, they bathed and dressed.
"Well," said Dick, "if we go on having adventures at this rate, we shall
have plenty to tell when we get home."
"I like adventures, but these are not the sort I like," said Jimmy.
"Well, never mind, better luck next time," said Frank, soothingly.
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