104 THE SWAN AND HER CREW. 



its broad mouth. It was the only standing room there was, for 

 the cuckoo more than covered the whole of the nest. 



" Who wouldn't be a naturalist ! " said Frank, " when he can 

 see such things as that ? " 



Dick replied, " I did not know that life could possibly be so 

 jolly, until I learnt something of natural history. I do wonder 

 that so few fellows take to it. I suppose it is because books 

 make it appear so dry. Books don't seem to me to go into 

 the sport of the thing. They only show you the surface of it, 

 and not the life. I will try to write a book some day when 

 and he hesitated. 



"When you get more conceited, eh, Dick?" said Frank 

 laughingly. 



Then they sailed up to Bramerton, and when they brought 

 up at the Wood's-end public-house they found a number of 

 old school-fellows there, and the racing four-oar belonging to 

 the school club. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



Old School fellows. Tom-tit's Nest in Boot. Nuthatch. Wryneck. 

 Ant-hill. Marsh-Tit. A Comical Fix. 



As the Swan was brought up to her moorings^ at the Staithe 

 the boys who were assembled on the green before the front 

 of the house rushed down to inspect the strange boat and 

 then to claim acquaintanceship with Frank and Jimmy. 

 They were their old school-fellows, and were glad to see 

 their old companions again. They swarmed over the yacht, 

 criticising her, and asking questions about her and the cruise 

 of the boys. 



Marston, a great big fellow, dived into the cabin exclaiming, 

 " What a jolly little box ! " and sat down on a berth to see 

 how it felt. No sooner, however, had he sat down than he 

 jumped up and out on deck, as quickly as a Jack in a box 



