CHAPTER XL.

Mole Cricket.

"Crickets are the thirstiest of all thirsty creatures."

"Mem. How do flies walk with their heads downwards, and how do they buzz?"—R. C.

"Caught a lizard in the garden to-day, and when I touched it, its tail dropped off. Curious habit some reptiles have of parting with their tails. It is done to divert attention from the body, which makes its escape."—J. B.

"Our keeper set some trimmers on our little lake in the parklast night, and this morning he found on one of them a great crested grebe which had swallowed the bait, and on the other an eel of four pounds weight with a kitten in its inside."—R. C.

"Frank's head has a permanent set to one side, from always looking into the hedges for nests. I noticed it in church."—J. B.

"You'll get a licking, young 'un."—Frank.

Common Lizard.

"Bell says that he has seen an osprey resting on one of the posts in Hickling Broad, and it was so gorged after a meal of fish that he rowed quite close to it."—F. M.

"I saw a squirrel eating some toad-stools which grew at the foot of a tree near Sir Richard's house. I thought they fed only on nuts."—J. Brett.

"They say that hedgehogs will go into an orchard and roll themselves on the fallen fruit, so that it sticks to their spines, and then they walk off with it. Should like to see them do it, and I wonder how they get it off again."—J. B.

Osprey.

Crested Grebe.

"Saw a robin kill a sparrow in fair fight this morning, and it afterwardsatea portion of him! Also saw two rooks fighting like anything, and a third perched on a branch just above them, as if to see fair play."—F. M.

1. Nest of White Ant. 2. Suspended Wasp's Nest. 3. Common Wasp. 4. Demoiselle Dragon-fly. 5, 6. Soldiers of White Ant. 7. Hornet. 8. Worker of White Ant. 9. Wood Ant. 10. Red Ant.

"What a curious instinct it is which leads moths and butterflies, while you are killing them, to lay their eggs. It is their last will and testament!"

Hedgehog.

Honey-Buzzard.

"I found a brood of caterpillars on a hawthorn-bush; they were the caterpillars of the small oak-eggar. They make a silken nest in the branches, and they come out to feed andgo in to sleep. There were at the least five hundred of them. The moth, I see, is a small, dingy brown thing, with white spots on the wings."—R. C.

"Bell's son took a hornet's nest the other day. He was stung by one of them, and was ill for some days, the inflammation was so bad. Bell says that hornets are much rarer now than they used to be, and a good thing too.

"While going to take a wasp's nest to-day, we disturbed a large hawk-like bird, which had been digging it up and apparently eating the grubs. The wasps were flying all about it and settling on it, but it did not seem to mind them. Upon looking at our books we have decided that the bird was the honey-buzzard, one of the short-winged hawks."—F. M.

A Regatta.—The "Waterlog's" Victory.

Thewaters of the broad once more blazed beneath the summer sun. TheSwanlay at anchor in a reedy bay, and the three boys were sitting on deck, busily engaged in discussing some project which seemed to interest them very much.

For some years past a large yacht had been a prominent object on the Norfolk and Suffolk waters, not on account of her speed or her beauty, but because of her great ugliness of form, and her exceeding slowness of sailing. Cram on as much sail as you could, and yet the clumsiest wherry could beat her in sailing. Her owner entered her for many a race, and she was invariably so badly beaten that she became a laughing-stock. Her name was theWaterlily, but she was facetiously christened and universally called the "Waterlog." Her end was tragic. One time when the waters were very high after great floods, her owner sailed her into a small broad, and, not taking her off in time, the waters fell, and there was not depthenough to float her out, and she became fixed in a trap, out of which she could not be removed. She was offered for sale, but no one would buy her; so her owner, in a fit of disgust, first dismantled her and then set fire to her, and so she perished. Her nickname survived her, however, and, to the great indignation of the boys, descended upon theSwan, whose stiff and stately motion and peculiar appearance had made her the mark for it.

They were now holding an "indignation meeting" upon the subject, and a way had just been mooted by which they hoped to sustain the dignity of their boat.

"Wroxham Regatta is on the 20th of next month," said Frank, "and there is a race open to all classes of yachts except the winners of the previous races. Those will clear off the crack ships, and I don't think we need fear any of the others. I vote we enter theSwanfor it, and show them how she can sail. The prize is a very handsome cup."

"Do you really think she will have any chance, Frank?" asked Jimmy.

"Not with her present rig; but we will add a big top-sail to both main-sail and mizen. Her double shape will enable her to stand any amount of sail, and if we have a good side wind and plenty of it we shall stand a very good chance."

So it was decided that the yacht should be entered for the race, and they set to work to prepare two immense yards and top-sails, and to practise sailing the yacht with them up. Mary Merivale and Edith Rose were invited to be on board during the race; the elders were to be present on board a friend's yacht to witness the regatta.

The day of the regatta arrived, and a strong north-wester was raising mimic waves on the broad. The boys had taken the yacht overnight to Wroxham, and in the morning they met Mary and Edith at Wroxham Bridge, and took them on board.

"Is it not dreadfully windy?" asked Edith Rose, as the wind blew her curls back from her pretty face.

"It is just what we want, Miss Rose," answered Frank.

"Wouldn't it be safer if we were not to be on board during the race? I am afraid you are going to be too venturesome. I heard you were going to put some more sails up, and I am sure these are large enough," said Edith.

"Pray don't desert us now," said Frank, so piteously, that Edith made no more objection for fear of vexing him.

Over the fence of tall reeds which now separated them from the broad they could see scores of white sails and gay pennants, and it was evident that there was a large assemblage.

"Why, Frank," said Mary, "I declare you are quite nervous; I can feel your arm tremble."

Frank indignantly repelled the accusation, but Jimmy, who was sitting on the roof of the cabin kicking his heels, said:—

"I am awfully, miserably nervous, and I believe we are going to make a tremendous mull of it, and we've done all we can to make ourselves conspicuous."

They had entered the yacht, out of a spirit of bravado, under the name of "The Waterlog," and they had painted the name on slips of stout paper, and tacked it over the legitimate name of their yacht.

"Nonsense!" was Frank's somewhat angry commentary on Jimmy's speech.

They now entered the broad, which presented a lively scene. Yachts of all rigs and sizes were skimming about, with gunwales under, to the stiff breeze. When the signal for the first race was given, those yachts not engaged in it came to an anchor, and theSwan, on whom all eyes were turned, took up her station next to the yacht in which were Mr. Merivale and his friends.

The wind continued to freshen and grow more gusty, so that of those yachts which started with their top-sails, two had them carried away in the first round, and the others had to take them down, and the yacht which won had a single reef in her huge main-sail.

There were three races before the open race for which theSwanwas entered under her assumed name. I have not space to dwell upon the incidents of these, nor to dilate upon the glorious life and movement of the broad, with its crowd of white sails, and its waves sparkling in the sunlight. Three of the best yachts were, through being winners in the races, prohibited from sailing in the open race, but there were nevertheless a sufficient number of entries on the card of the races to make our boys dubious as to the result of their somewhat bold experiment. There were six named as to start. Two were lateeners, one a schooner, two cutters, and the sixth was the "Waterlog."

The course was three times round the lake, outside of certain mark-boats; and, as the wind blew, the yachts would catch it abeam for two-thirds the course, dead aft for a sixth, and dead ahead for the remainder. As Frank said, it was a wind in every respect suitable for the raft-likeSwan.

The race excited a great amount of interest. TheSwanwas now well known to all the yachtsmen, and her change of name provoked curiosity and interest, and as the signal came for the yachts to take their station all eyes were upon the "Waterlog" (as we will call her during the race). As the boys ran up her sails and sailed away to the starting-point, a decided manifestation of admiration arose as the great top-sails slowly ascended under the strenuous efforts of Dick and Jimmy. As they fluttered in the wind, Mary threw all her little weight on to the halyard to assist in hauling them tight and flat.

Mary and Edith took up their places in the bows, where they were out of the way, as there is no jib in a lugger rig.

"Now, Dick," whispered Frank, "if any accidentshouldhappen—although it isn't likely—do you see to Mary, and I'll take Edith."

"All right, old man."

The yachts started from slip anchors, with the canvas set; and at the flash of the starting-gun, sheets were hauled in, and the six yachts which came to the starting-point bounded away almost simultaneously, the white water flashing away from their bows, and boiling and eddying in their wake. The wind was now blowing very fresh indeed, the other yachts were not only gunwales under, but the water swept all over the leeward half of their decks, and even the "Waterlog," in spite of the width of her beam and double shape, had her leeward pontoon completely submerged.

On they surged, the two girls clinging to the forestay, heedless of wet feet, and breathless with the swift excitement: Frank firmly grasping the tiller, his teeth set and his blue eyes gleaming; Dick at the main-sheet, and Jimmy standing on the counter with the mizen-sheet in his grasp, both watching their captain, to be instant at his commands.

The first round was quickly over, and then the position of the competing yachts was this:—The schooner was ahead, then at a little distance came the "Waterlog," and close behind her the rest of the yachts in a body. As they passed Mr.Merivale he cried out, "Well done, boys! you'll get a good place."

Next they passed a small boat, in which they saw Bell, who shouted,—"Haul in your sheets a bit more,—your top-sails will hold more wind."

Frank saw the wisdom of this advice, and as he followed it, the "Waterlog" shot forward and gained a little upon the schooner.

"If the wind were to freshen a little we should come in second," said Frank.

But as they commenced the third round the wind dropped most unexpectedly. The schooner in front rose nearer the perpendicular and her speed increased; the "Waterlog" fell back, and a large lateener behind fast overhauled her.

"How dreadfully annoying," said Frank; and he hated that lateener with a very vigorous hate. They passed Bell's boat again, and the old man shouted—

"Look out, Master Frank, a squall will be on you in a minute."

The sudden lull was but the precursor of a tremendously violent gust. As the yachts were beating up to round the last mark-boat before getting a straight run in to the goal, the boys saw the trees on the land bow their heads with a sudden jerk, and then the squall was upon them. It did not affect them so much when they were close hauled, but as the leading schooner rounded the boat and presented her broadside to the wind there was a great crash, and her cloud of white canvas descended upon the water. Her foremast had broken close by the deck, and in falling had snapped the remaining mast half way up, and she lay like a log on the water. The lateener, close upon her heels, heeled over so much, that she began to fill through the hatchway, and to save her from an upset her sheets were let go, and with her sails wildly fluttering she drifted on to the disabled wreck. All this was the work of a few seconds, but there was time for Frank to unloose the halyards of the top-sails, which were purposely made fast just in front of him, and to give a warning shout of "heads!" and then, to the great alarm of the girls, the sails came clattering down to leeward, and they rounded the boat in safety, though cannoning violently against the wreck as they did so. And now they werefirst! The cutter next behind them, in shooting upinto the wind to save herself, lost way, and was no longer a dangerous enemy, and although the other yachts rounded the boat, yet they were far astern, and the victory of the "Waterlog" was secure. At a word from Frank the two girls, one on each side, stripped off the assumed name, and let the papers float away on the wind, and, amid vociferous cheering and clapping of hands and waving of handkerchiefs, theSwanshot past the winning-post, and so gained the prize.

Although gained partly by accident it was a great triumph for the boys, and the girls were quite as proud and delighted as they were.

"You are a dear good boy, and I'll give you a kiss," said merry Mary Merivale to her brother, "although you would rather have one from somebody else than from me, I know."

"I say, Molly, I wish you'd get her to give me one."

"You will have to wait a very long time for that, Mr. Frank."

"If you would give Dick one, she would give me one."

"That's all you know about it, sir," said Mary, making him a saucy curtsey.

The Conclusion.

Nowthis chronicle of the doings of my three boys must come to an end. I have grown very fond of them, and I hope you have too.

We will take a big jump from the doings recorded in the last chapter, and look in upon them at a time fraught with importance to each of them. Their pleasant school with Mr. Meredith is broken up. Frank and Dick are going to college, and Jimmy is about to be articled to a Norwich solicitor. They will always remain the best of friends, but still the newtimes will never again be like the old. New interests, new companions, new ambitions, all will leave their mark and have their influence, although this I am sure of, that the memory of this glorious partnership of three will always remain green and fresh with them, and have the greatest of all influences on their future lives.

Mr. Meredith had invited all three of them to dinner, and when Mrs. Meredith had retired the conversation grew more personal and confidential. They looked upon Mr. Meredith as an intimate friend and counsellor, as well as a tutor and schoolmaster, and they told him their plans and hopes, just as if he were one of themselves.

Presently a silence fell upon the table. Frank looked at Dick, and Dick looked at Frank, and Jimmy kicked him under the table, and at last Frank cleared his throat with a preparatory "ahem" and said,—

"I am not good at making speeches, Mr. Meredith, but we wish to express how very much obliged we have been to you for the kindness and the—in fact the—the—well, what we mean to say is—that you are a brick of a good fellow, sir."

"What an awful muddle you have made of it, Frank," said Dick, in a reproachful whisper, and Jimmy launched a vicious kick at him under the table.

There was a twinkle in Mr. Meredith's eye as he drank off his wine, which was partly due to mirth, and partly to a deeper feeling. He said,—

"I know what you mean, Frank, and in return I may say, that I am both glad and sorry that the hour has come for us to part for a time. I am sorry, because I have much enjoyed your companionship for the last three years, and I believe you have done me as much good as I have done you. I am glad, because you have become such fine young fellows, and I have had a hand in the making of you, and you must do us all credit. Jimmy will make a good lawyer, I think; and he must remember that the law is an honourable profession, and that lawyers take the place of the knights of old; they must do all they can to succour the widows and fatherless, and never allow themselves to be made instruments of oppression. I will give Jimmy just one piece of advice: Go straight, and never attempt to finesse. I believe that this clever finessing, and attempting to outdo other lawyers in cleverness, has been thecause of the moral ruin of many an able lawyer. Dick, I am sorry to say, will have no need to be of any occupation, but he must try to get plenty of voluntary work, nevertheless, for no man's life can be noble unless he does some of the world's work. And Frank, what are you going to be?"

"I don't know yet, sir," replied Frank, "I should like to be a soldier, if I could be sure of active service pretty often."

"I wish you would be a soldier in a purer army, my boy. We want some more men of your strength and energy to fight the devil with. We want men who will not only do what they have to do with all their might, but who have plenty of might to use."

"I haven't the gift of the gab, sir," said Frank modestly.

"That would come with practice and study, and, 'out of the fulness of the heart the mouth speaketh.' But come, we must not leave Mrs. Meredith so long alone on this your last night here."

So they went into the drawing-room and had a quietly pleasant evening.

When they left, they walked together down by the broad, talking of many things. It was bright moonlight, and theSwanlay still and distinct on the water. It was warm, being in the middle of summer, and it was not late; and as they stood looking at the boat which they had built, and which had served them so well, they saw Mary and Edith Rose, who was staying with her, coming towards them, and Mr. and Mrs. Merivale not far behind.

"Good night," said Jimmy, "I shall see you both in the morning;" and off he went.

"Poor Jimmy," said Frank, "he does not like both of us going away, and he to be left behind alone."

The two girls joined them, and Frank and Edith walked off together, and Dick and Mary did the same in another direction.

"Mary," said Dick, "Mr. Meredith said that I ought to do some work in the world."

"So you ought, Dick," she replied; "both Frank and Jimmy are going to be busy, and I did so hope you would do something too."

"I mean to do something," he replied, with a quiet smile, "but I shall not tell you what it is yet. But if I do somethingwhich will show that I am of some use in the world, and not a mere drone, will you marry me?"

It was not light enough to see if she blushed, but I am sure she did so very sweetly. What she said, very naively, was this:—

"I thought you would ask me some time, Dick, but I did not want you toquiteask me until you came from college. We are only boy and girl, you know."

"I am quite satisfied, Mary," he said, in that quiet, gentle voice of his which made you like him so much,—and so a compact was made, which both of them faithfully kept.

Frank had not dared to say half so much to Edith; but the next morning, when he was saying good bye to them all, and it came to her turn, he looked her steadily in the face as she took his hand, and, moved by a sudden impulse, she put up her face to be kissed as Mary had done, and as he gravely kissed her, he said in a low tone, designed for her ear alone,—

"I am going to do my very best, Edith, and what I do will be for your sake."

These were sweet words to the little maiden; but Frank received by the next morning's post a little Testament from her, with these words written on the fly-leaf—

"Not altogether formysake, Frank," and the half rebuke was of great service to Frank.

And so, God be with them!

THE END.

LONDON:R. CLAY, SONS, AND TAYLOR, PRINTERS,BREAD STREET HILL,QUEEN VICTORIA STREET.

Archaic spelling, and variations in hyphenation, punctuation, and accents appear as in the original. Several words appear both with and without hyphenation. End-of-line hyphenations in the original are rejoined here.An image of the original title page has been used in place of the cover. Footnotes appear in a box immediately following the referencing paragraph.Obvious typographical errors have been changed.Page 4: added comma ("Yes, Frank he is)Page 26: "loth" to "loath" (were loath to destroy)Page 51: added full stop (The Owner.—)Page 54: added opening quote mark ("What a thing)Page 54: comma to full stop (said Dick. "Is that)Page 57: added comma (Mr.----." said Jimmy)Page 79: "Rows". to "Rows." (The "Rows."—A)Page 80: "Swan" italicized (found that theSwan)Page 86: "affect" to "affects" (it sometimes affects)Page 87: removed opening quote mark (On the ground)Page 92: added full stop (sixty feet in length.)Page 93: removed comma (to or from Lake)Page 96: added comma (said Frank, "is not)Page 98: added comma (external accident,)Page 113: added comma (Frank's boat, "but)Page 127: added opening quote mark ("Well, sir, a lot)Page 142: added full stop (about the birds.)Page 152: added comma ("So have I," said Frank.)Page 159: added comma (law of nature,")Page 160: removed closing quote mark (Wild Flowers:—)Page 164: single to double opening quote mark ("Up with the)Page 168: removed closing quote mark (its last change)Page 227: "Heron.—Hawking." to "Heron-hawking." (chapter heading)Page 236: added closing quote mark (tempt him by size.")Page 250: "perfectlv" to "perfectly" (perfectly free from snow.)Page 253: "fastastic" to "fantastic" (in fantastic masses,)Page 258: added closing quote mark (last will and testament!")

An image of the original title page has been used in place of the cover. Footnotes appear in a box immediately following the referencing paragraph.

Obvious typographical errors have been changed.

Page 4: added comma ("Yes, Frank he is)Page 26: "loth" to "loath" (were loath to destroy)Page 51: added full stop (The Owner.—)Page 54: added opening quote mark ("What a thing)Page 54: comma to full stop (said Dick. "Is that)Page 57: added comma (Mr.----." said Jimmy)Page 79: "Rows". to "Rows." (The "Rows."—A)Page 80: "Swan" italicized (found that theSwan)Page 86: "affect" to "affects" (it sometimes affects)Page 87: removed opening quote mark (On the ground)Page 92: added full stop (sixty feet in length.)Page 93: removed comma (to or from Lake)Page 96: added comma (said Frank, "is not)Page 98: added comma (external accident,)Page 113: added comma (Frank's boat, "but)Page 127: added opening quote mark ("Well, sir, a lot)Page 142: added full stop (about the birds.)Page 152: added comma ("So have I," said Frank.)Page 159: added comma (law of nature,")Page 160: removed closing quote mark (Wild Flowers:—)Page 164: single to double opening quote mark ("Up with the)Page 168: removed closing quote mark (its last change)Page 227: "Heron.—Hawking." to "Heron-hawking." (chapter heading)Page 236: added closing quote mark (tempt him by size.")Page 250: "perfectlv" to "perfectly" (perfectly free from snow.)Page 253: "fastastic" to "fantastic" (in fantastic masses,)Page 258: added closing quote mark (last will and testament!")

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