and that he had found a roc's[36] egg in the island as big
as Sindbad's[37] and clouded like a titlark's, in blowing[38] which,
Martin and he had nearly been drowned in the yolk.

[36] #Roc#: a monstrous, imaginary bird.

[37] #Sindbad#: a sailor in the "Arabian Nights' Tales," who
had many wonderful adventures.

[38] #Blowing#: two small holes are made at opposite ends of
an egg, and the contents are then blown out by the breath.

CHAPTER IV.

THE BIRD-FANCIERS.

"I have found out a gift for my fair,
I have found where the wood-pigeons breed:
But let me the plunder forbear,
She would say 'twas a barbarous deed."--_Rowe._

"And now, my lad, take them five shilling,
And on my advice in future think;
So Billy pouched them all so willing,
And got that night disguised in drink."--_M S. Ballad._

TOM PUT OUT.

The next morning at first lesson Tom was turned back in his lines, and
so had to wait till the second round, while Martin and Arthur said
theirs all right and got out of school at once. When Tom got out and
ran down to breakfast at Harrowell's they were missing, and Stumps
informed him that they had swallowed down their breakfast and gone off
together,--where, he couldn't say. Tom hurried over his own breakfast,
and went first to Martin's study and then to his own, but no signs of
the missing boys were to be found. He felt half angry and jealous of
Martin,--where could they be gone?

He learnt second lesson with East and the rest in no very good temper,
and then went out into the quadrangle. About ten minutes before school
Martin and Arthur arrived in the quadrangle breathless, and catching
sight of him, Arthur rushed up all excitement and with a bright glow
on his face.

"Oh, Tom, look here," cried he, holding out three moor-hen's eggs; "we
have been down the Barby road to the pool Martin told us of last
night, and just see what we've got."

Tom wouldn't be pleased, and only looked out for something to find
fault with.

"Why, young un," said he, "what have you been after? You don't mean to
say you've been wading?"

The tone of reproach made poor little Arthur shrink up in a moment and
look piteous, and Tom, with a shrug of his shoulders, turned his anger
on Martin.

"Well, I didn't think, Madman, that you'd have been such a muff as to
let him be getting wet through at this time of day. You might have
done the wa