*BY STREAM AND RIVERA 



159 



certainly have had a try at her if she had stayed. 

 I have no doubt that she would have tasted quite 

 nice if I could only have got my teeth into her 

 neck. However, I did not, and she and her 

 husband made a hideous noise in the rushes. I 

 did not particularly mind their abuse, though they 

 pitched it pretty strong — my skin is fairly tough ; 

 but I object to noise on principle, as you never can 

 tell who may come, like a policeman, to see what 

 is the matter. There are too many policemen in 

 the world to suit my taste, and they all seem to 

 have their evil eye on me, from the stately game- 

 keeper down to the meanest little weasel or small 

 boy. 



I judged it wise, therefore, not to stay too long, 

 so I tipped one of the eggs over the edge of the 

 nest, thinking that I could easily float it to the 

 bank. And would you believe it ? the silly thing 

 sank. I did not know then that eggs sink when 

 they are fresh, and only float when they have been 

 sat on for a long time. Now, I can never quite 

 make up my mind whether it is better to take 

 them when they are nice and fresh, in which con- 

 dition I certainly prefer them, and to have all the 

 trouble of pushing them along the bottom, or 

 whether 1 prefer to wait and float them in easily, 



