CHAPTER FIVE.
THE ROMAN BANK.
It was like standing on a very long low narrow island, with thepeculiarity that one side was sea, the other inland lake. The sun shonebrilliantly, and the punt in which the squire, Farmer Tallington, Dave,Warren, Hickathrift, and the two lads had come was lying on the innerside of the sandy ridge covered with thin, wiry, harsh grass.
This ridge formed the island upon which they stood, in company with somesheep and cattle which had instinctively made their way to the highground as the water rose.
The tide was down now; a great deal of the water had drained away, andthe party were standing by a great breach in the bank through which athigh-tide during the storm the sea had made its way.
"I can't quite understand how it could have broken through here," saidthe squire; "but I suppose it was quite a small crack at first, and thewater soon washed it bigger."
There was a great channel at their feet, cut clean through theembankment; and though the party were standing amongst the sand, theycould see that the bank which protected the fen from the sea, and ran upalongside of the river, running inland, was formed of thick clay, mattedwith the long roots of the grass.
"Who was it made this great bank, father?" said Dick.
"Your old friends you read about at school, they say, the Romans, first;but of course it has been added to since. Well, neighbour, we can do nogood by ourselves. We must call together the adventurers, and it cansoon be mended and made stronger than it was at first. Let's go back.Unless we have a gale, no more water will come through this. It's yearssince I've been here. If one had taken a look round one would have seenthe weak spot."
They re-entered the punt, and Hickathrift poled them back, beingrelieved in turn by Dave and Warren, by whose solitary cottage theypaused--a mere hut upon a sandy patch, standing like an island out ofthe watery waste, and here he elected to stay with the rabbits whichfrisked about and showed their cottony tuft tails as they darted downinto their holes.
"How about your cottage, Dave?" said the squire, shading his eyes as helooked across the flooded fen.
"Wet," said Dave laconically.
"Yes, there are four feet of water yonder, I should say. You will haveto stop at the Toft for the present."
"Not I, mester," said the rough fellow. "I don't mind a drop o'watter."
"Not to wade through, perhaps, my man; but you can't sleep there."
"Sleep in my boat," said Dave laconically. "Won't be the first time."
"Do as you please," said the squire quietly; and he turned to talk toFarmer Tallington.
"I say, Dave," whispered Dick, "you're just like an old goose."
"Eh?" said the man with his eyes flashing.
"I mean being able to sleep on the water floating," said Dick, laughing,and the angry look died out.
It was plain enough that the water had sunk a good deal already, but thefarmers had to face the fact that it would be weeks before the fen wasin its old state, and that if the breach in the sea-wall were not soonrepaired, they might at any time be afflicted with a similar peril.
But notice was sent to those interested, while the farmers here andthere who held the patches of raised land round the borders of the fenobeyed the summons, and for about a month there was busy work going onat the sea-wall with spade and basket, clay being brought from pitsbeneath the sand upon the sea-shore, carried up to the breach, andtrampled down, till at last, without further mishap, the gap in theembankment was filled up strongly, and the place declared to be safe.
Of those who toiled hard none showed so well in the front as Dave o' the'Coy, and John Warren, and the squire was not stinted in his praise oneday toward the end of the task.
"Wuck hard, mester!" said Dave. "Enough to mak' a man wuck. JohnWarren here don't want all his rabbits weshed away; and how am I tomanage my 'coy if it's all under watter."
"Ah, how indeed!" said the squire, and he went away; but Dick stayedbehind with Tom Tallington, and sat upon the top of the embankment,laughing, till the rough fen-man stood resting on his spade.
"Now then, what are yow gimbling [grinning] at, young mester?" he said.
"At yow, Dave," said Dick, imitating his broad speech.
"Then it arn't manners, lad. Thowt you'd been to school up to townyonder to larn manners both on you?"
"So we did, Dave, and a lot more things," cried Dick. "How to know whenanyone's gammoning."
"Gammoning, lad?" said Dave uneasily.
"Yes, gammoning. You don't want the flood done away with."
"Not want the flood done away wi'!"
"No; and you don't want the fen drained and turned into fields."
"Do yow?" said Dave fiercely, and he took a step nearer to the lad.
"No, of course not," cried Dick. "It would spoil all the fun."
"Hah!" ejaculated Dave, as his yellow face puckered up with a dry smile,and in a furtive way which fitted with his fox-skin cap he turned andgave John Warren a peculiar look.
"When may we come over to the 'coy, Dave?"
"When you like, lads. Soon as the watter's down low enough for us towork it."
"It's sinking fast, Dave," said Tom. "It's all gone from our gardennow, and the rooms are getting dry."
"Ay, but my pipes are covered still, and it'll be a good month, my lads,'fore we can do any good. But I might ha' took you both out in the puntfor a bit o' shooting if you hadn't played that game on me, and spoiledmy horn and wasted all my powder."
"Ah, it was too bad, Dave; but there are a couple of fine large horns athome I've saved for you, and we've bought you a pound of powder."
"Nay, I sha'n't believe it till I see 'em," said Dave. "I did mean tohev asked you lads to come netting, but I can't ask them as playstricks."
"Netting! What, the ruffs?"
"Ay, I weer thinking about heving a try for 'em. But I shall give itup."
"Dave, you promised me a year ago that you'd take us with you some time,and you never have," cried Dick.
"Nay, did I though?"
"Yes; didn't he, Tom?"
"Nay, yow needn't ask him; he'll be sewer to say yes," said Dave,grinning.
"Look here," cried Dick, "I'm not going to argue with you, Dave. Areyou going to take us?"
"Some day, lad, when the watter's down, if my live birds aren't alldrownded and my stales [stuffed decoys] spoiled."
"Oh, they won't be!" cried Dick. "When will you go?"
"When the watter's down, my lad."
"It's low enough now. There are plenty of places where you can spreadyour nets."
"Ay, but plenty of places don't suit me, my lad. You wait a bit andwe'll see. Get John Warren to tek you ferreting."
"Yes, that will do," cried Tom. "When are you going, John?"
The man addressed shook his head.
"Rabbuds don't want no killing off. Plenty on 'em drownded."
"Why," cried Dick, "it was only the other day you said that none werehurt by the flood."
"Did I, Mester Dick? Ah, yow mustn't tek no notice o' what I say."
"But we shall take notice of what you say," cried Tom. "I don't believehe has any ferrets left."
"Ay, bud I hev. Theer I'll tek you, lads. Why don't thou tek 'em wi'you, Dave, man? Let un see the netting."
Dave smiled in a curious way, and then his eyes twinkled as he lookedfrom one to the other.
"Well, you wait a week, lads, and then I'll fetch you."
"To see the netting?"
"Ay. In another week there'll be a deal more dry land, and the ruffsand reeves'll be ower in flocks, I dessay. If they aren't, we'll tryfor something else."
"Hooray!" cried Dick; and that evening there was nothing talked of butthe projected trip.