DUCK'S NEST IN A CROW'S. 51 



Dick was soon up the tree, showing skill worthy of a 

 practised climber, and rather to the surprise of his companions. 



" It is a duck's nest in an old crow's nest, and there are ten 

 eggs in," shouted Dick from his lofty perch. 



" Bring two of them down then. We will write on them 

 where they were found. I wonder how the old birds get the 

 young ones down to the water ? They can't fly for a long time 

 after being hatched, and they must take to the water soon, or 

 they will die." 



The question which Frank put has never been satisfactorily 

 answered. 



The young ones must either perch on their mother's back, 

 and hold on whilst they are being transported to their native 

 element, or the old bird must seize them in her bill, like a cat 

 does her kittens. 



When the others left, the boys sailed down stream again 

 by the light of the red sunset, and as night stole over the 

 marshes, they anchored by Horning ferry, and so tired were they 

 that they fell asleep the moment they laid themselves down, 

 forgetting their fears of the night before. They turned in at 

 ten, and none of them awoke until eight the next morning. 



Before breakfast Frank and Jimmy spent some time in 

 teaching Dick how to swim, and found him an apt pupiL 



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 the manner they were doing gave them tremendous 

 appetites, and on this particular morning they found they had 

 run short of bread and butter, so Jimmy was despatched to the 

 little shop at Horning to procure some. 

 ' After breakfast they were lounging on deck waiting for a 



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