CHAPTER IV 



REACHING THE GOAL 



June igtk. — But we were not to have it all our own 

 way. A biting north wind set up, and at 6.30 a.m. we 

 rose, made a fire, boiled water for cocoa, finished the 

 potted pheasant, ate some raisins, and then went down 

 to the marsh to try again for the skua's nest. 



The way these birds ' carried on ' passes all description. 

 They tried to lead us away from the nest by every con- 

 ceivable device. They pretended that their eggs were 

 in two or three places other than where they really were. 

 One very striking phase of the performance was the 

 following : A bird would drop in the water as if shot. 

 Then it would flap helplessly for a bit, and if this did not 

 move you, it would raise itself on its tail, beating forwards 

 slowly with its wings and mewing like a cat. ' Mewing ' 

 exactly describes the sound. 



Sailor was very funny about it. They had a most 

 tempting way of struggling painfully along on the ground 

 about two yards in front of his nose, so that he was quite 

 sure that he could catch one if only allowed to try. But, 

 rated soundly for breaking once, he did not dare to try it 

 again. Only he went crouching along, treading as softly 



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