12 



THE SWAN AND HER CRE\V. 



" I have often heard of birds flying against the telegraph 

 wires and being killed in the dark, and of their dashing against 

 windows, either attracted by the light, or not seeing the glass, 

 but I have not heard of anything so curious as this. One can- 

 not help feeling sorry for the poor bird. After a long and tiring 

 journey, and expecting to find all its troubles over, to meet with 

 a sad end like this ! " 



WOODCOCK. 



The boys then unfolded their plan to Bell. Anything out of 

 the common was sure to interest him, and hence, though he 

 was not so sanguine of success as the boys were, yet he thought 

 it might be done, and offered to help them as much as he could, 

 and to let them use his yard. 



" There is nothing like making a beginning," said Frank, 

 who was quick and impetuous in action, and he took off his 

 coat and set to work vigorously to clear a space close by the 

 water's edge, where the keel of a yacht might be laid, while 

 Jimmy went through their calculations of cost with Bell. 



