Bevis Part 80

"I can't think; something magic. It doesn't matter."

They had dinner, and then, as usual, went up on the cliff to wait for Charlie's signal.

"I shall try and catch some perch to-morrow," said Mark, "if there's any wind. We're always eating the same thing."

"Every day," said Bevis, "and the cooking is the greatest hatefulness ever known."

"Takes up so much time."

"Makes you hot and horrid."

"Vile."

"It wants Frances, as I said."

"No, thank you; I wish Jack would have her."

Mark looked through the telescope for Charlie, and then swept the sh.o.r.es of the New Sea.

"How could anything get to our island?" he said. "Nothing could get to it."

From the elevation of the cliff they saw and felt the isolation of their New Formosa.

"It was out of your magic wave," said Bevis; "something magic."

"But you put the wizard's foot on the gate?"

"So I did, but perhaps I did not draw it quite right; I'll do it again.

But rats are made to gnaw the lines off sometimes, and let magic things in."

"Draw another in ink."

"So I will. There's a sea-swallow."

"There's two."

"There's four or five."

The white sea-swallows pa.s.sed them, going down the water, coming from the south. They flew a few yards above the surface, in an irregular line--an easy flight, so easy they scarcely seemed to know where each flap of the wing would carry them.

"There will be a storm."

"A tornado."

"Not yet--the sky's clear."

"But we must keep a watch, and be careful how we sail on the raft."

The appearance of the sea-swallow or tern in inland waters is believed, like that of the gull, to indicate tempest, though the sea-swallows usually come in the finest of weather.

"There's Charlie. There are two--three," said Mark, s.n.a.t.c.hing up the telescope. "It's Val and Cecil. Charlie's waving his handkerchief."

"There, it's all right," said Bevis.

"They are pointing this way," said Mark. "They're talking about us.

Can they see us?"

"No, the brambles would not let them."

"I dare say they're as cross as cross," said Mark.

"They want to come. I don't know," said Bevis, as if considering.

"Know what?" said Mark sharply.

"That it's altogether nice of us."

"Rubbish--as if they would have let _us_ come."

"Still, we are not them, and we might if they would not."

"Now, don't you be stupid," said Mark appealingly. "Don't _you_ go stupid."

"No," said Bevis, laughing; "but they must come after we have done."

"O! yes, of course. See, they're going towards the firs: there, they're going to cross the Nile. I know, don't you see, they're going round the New Sea, like we did, to try and find us--"

"Are they?" said Bevis. "They shan't find us," resentfully. The moment he thought the rest were going to try and force themselves on his plans, his mind changed. "We won't go on the raft this afternoon."

"No," said Mark; "nor too near the edge of the island."

"We'll keep out of sight. Is there anything they could see?"

"The raft."

"Ah! No; you think, when they get opposite so as to be where they could see the raft, then Serendib is between."

"So it is. No, there's nothing they can see; only we will not go too near the sh.o.r.e."

"No."

"What shall we do this afternoon?" said Mark, as they went down to the hut. Pan was idly lying in the narrow shade of the fence.

"We mustn't shoot," said Bevis, "and we can't go on the raft, because the savages are prowling round, and we mustn't play cards, nor do some chopping; let's go round the island and explore the interior."

"First-rate," said Mark; "just the very thing; you take your bow and arrows--you need not shoot, but just in case of savages--and I'll take my spear in case of the tiger in the reeds, or the something that comes out of the wave."

"And a hatchet," said Bevis, "to blaze our way. That would not be chopping."