CHAPTER XIV.
Oulton Broad.--Lateeners.--Lowestoft.--Ringed-Plover's Nest.-- Oyster-catcher.--Shore Fishing.--A Perilous Sail.
LATEEN SAIL.]
They sailed quietly down the river again, and excited much attentionfrom the many yachts they met. They turned off along Oulton Dyke, and onto Oulton Broad. The lake was full of craft of all rigs and sizes. Therehad been a regatta there the day before, and the major part of theyachts still remained. There was a stately schooner, moving withdignity; a smart cutter, heeling well over, but dashing along at a greatpace; a heavy lugger; and, most graceful of all, the lateeners. Theseare a class of boats peculiar to the Norfolk waters and to theMediterranean. The shape of them will be familiar to all who have everlooked at a picture of the Bay of Naples. They carry immense yards, theyard of a boat thirty feet long being about sixty feet in length. Such ayard, of course, carries a very large sail. In addition to this largesail they have a fore and aft mizen astern. They sail wonderfully closeto the wind, but in running before it they sometimes take it into theirheads to duck under, because the weight of the sail is all thrown on thefore-part of the boat, and sometimes proves too much for it.
A boat which attracted our boys' attention was a lugger, with her sailscrossed by strips of bamboo, so that they looked something like Venetianblinds. These made the sails stand very flat and firm, and the boat sorigged seemed to sail very fast. The sun-lit waters of the broad,covered as they were with rapidly-moving yachts, whose white sailscontrasted with the blue water and sky and the green fringe of tallreeds which encircled the lake, presented a very pretty spectacle, andone that called forth the admiration of our young yachtsmen. As theythreaded their way through the numerous vessels, they saw that theythemselves were an object of curiosity, and as sound travels far on thewater, and people seldom think of that when they speak on it, the boysoverheard many comments upon themselves. Those upon their boat weresometimes not flattering, but those upon their skill in handling herupon that crowded water were very appreciative, and at length Franksaid, with something like a blush--
"Look here, this is getting too warm. I vote we moor her, and go toLowestoft to have a dip in the sea."
The others agreed to this, and having moored the yacht in a safe place,they took their departure. At the lower end of Oulton Broad is a lock,by which vessels can be raised or lowered, as the case may be, to orfrom Lake Lothing, a tidal piece of water, communicating with the seathrough Lowestoft harbour. A brigantine collier was in the lock when ourboys came up, and they stood and watched it come through, going out upona floating raft of wood, so as to see it better entering the broad.
"Why, look at her bows. They are carved all over like an old-fashionedmantel-piece."
As it came through the lock, it knocked against their raft, andthreatened their safety, so seizing hold of the chains that hung overits bows, they climbed on board and entered into a conversation with herskipper. He told them that his ship was 100 years old, and he consideredher still stronger than many a ship of more recent build. He had onboard some beautiful little dogs of the Spanish breed, pure white andcurly-haired, with sharp noses, and bright black eyes. Dick insisted onbuying one.
"We cannot have it on board with the hawks," said Frank.
"But I shall send it home by the carrier from Lowestoft," answered Dick.
RINGED-PLOVER.]
They walked along the shores of Lake Lothing to Lowestoft, and went andhad a bathe. Then they walked along the cliffs towards Pakefield, andwhile crossing a sandy spot Dick discovered a ringed plover's nest.There were three eggs, cream-coloured, and blotched with brown. Theywere simply laid in a hole in the sand. They saw the old birds runningalong the shore before the wind, as is their habit, and looking verypretty with their grey beaks, and white stomachs, and black collars. Onthe shore they also saw some oyster catchers, with their plumage nearlyall black, except a white belt, and white bars on their wings; and alsoa pair of redshanks, with their long red legs and bills, and French greyplumage; but although their nests are common enough in Suffolk (in whichcounty our boys now were), they failed to find their eggs. The redshanksnest on the ground in marshy places, and lay eggs of a great familylikeness to those of other birds which lay in similar positions.
On the shore men and boys were fishing in the following manner:--
They had long lines with a number of hooks on at regular intervals,which were baited with mussels. One end of the line was pegged into thesand; the other was heavily weighted with lead. They had athrowing-stick with a slit at one end. Into this slit the line next theweight was introduced. With the aid of the stick the line was thrown outa considerable distance. After being allowed to rest some time it washauled in, and the fish taken off. In this way they caught flat-fish andsmall codlings, and some of them had accumulated a large heap of fish.
OYSTER-CATCHER.]
Two boatmen came up to the boys, and asked them if they would like asail. "We'll take you for an hour for sixpence each."
"Well, it's reasonable enough," said Frank; "I vote we go." So theystepped on board and were soon tacking merrily about, a mile or two fromland.
"Did you ever see two uglier fellows than our boatmen?" said Dick in awhisper to Frank.
"No--but what are they staring at that steamer so hard for?" A largeyacht was making direct for Lowestoft harbour.
"I say," said Frank, "is not that steamer standing too close in shore?There is a bank of sand somewhere about there. I remember seeing remainsof a wreck there not long ago."
"Hush! hold your tongue," answered the steersman.
"What do you mean, sir? If she goes on in that course she'll strike."
The man looked savagely at him, and replied,
"Look here, young man, if she strikes there will be no harm done. Thesea is too smooth, and we shall be the first on the spot to help themoff, and we shall get a good long sum of money for salvage. If you holdyour tongue and say nothing you shall go shares. If you don't, I'llcrack your head for you, so mind you don't give her any signal."
"You unfeeling fellow!" said Frank. "Shout, Jimmy and Dick, with allyour might. I will settle this blackguard."
Jimmy and Dick obeyed and waved their hats to the advancing yacht. Theman at the helm could not let go the tiller, but his mate made the sheetfast, and rose to strike Frank. Frank seized the stretcher from thebottom of the boat and raised it in the air.
"Touch me, if you dare!" he said.
The brute struck at him, enraged at the prospect of losing so large asum of money as his share of the salvage would amount to. Frank avoidedthe blow, and with all the strength of his lithe young body, brought thestretcher down on the fellow's skull. He dropped to the bottom of theboat, and lay there as still as a log.
"Now we are three to one," he said to the steersman, "so you must do aswe tell you."
The man was a coward at heart, though a bully by nature, so he daredmake no objection.
Meanwhile the yacht sheered off, but not soon enough to avoid justtouching the end of the shoal, and getting a bump, which threw thepeople on her deck down, and gave them a fright. They passed on withoutso much as shouting "thank you."
They now steered for the shore, Frank retaining the stretcher in hishand, in case of an attack. The man whom he had stunned soon came tohimself, and growled and swore horribly, but dared not do more. Whenthey landed Frank said, "Now you are a pair of blackguards, and I shallnot pay you anything;" and followed by his companions he turned away.Before he had gone many steps, however, he turned back and said, whilehe pitched them half-a-crown: "There, that's for plaster!"