Dick, Marjorie and Fidge A Search for the Wonderful Dodo

Excerpt

CHAPTER I.

THE BEGINNING OF A MARVELOUS JOURNEY.

“Dick! Dick! Wake up, I want to tell you something.” Marjorie stood outside the boy’s bedroom door, and called in as loud a whisper as she dared, fearing lest she should awaken the rest of the household. There was a scuffle and a patter of bare feet inside, and Dick appeared at the door rubbing his eyes, evidently only half awake.

“What’s up?” he demanded.

“Hush! don’t make a noise. There’s such a funny sound down-stairs—I believe it’s burglars. Listen!”

“Pooh! this time in the morning. What nonsense.”

“Well it’s been going on for ever so long, anyhow, and hark, there’s something keeps banging about like anything in the breakfast-room.”

Dick ran to the top of the stairs and listened. Sure enough, there was a most mysterious noise going on below,—a dull banging at regular intervals, and a curious lapping sound, as though there was water in the lower part of the house.

“Let’s go and see what’s up!” said Dick promptly.

“Me too,” said a shrill treble voice, and a little curly-headed apparition came running out of the bedroom, flourishing a wooden spade.

“No! you cut along into bed again, Fidge,” cried Dick.

“Want to go and see the bur-ge-lers!” declared Fidge, pushing past them, and racing down the stairs.

“Come back, you scamp,” cried Dick, running after him; but with a saucy and defiant laugh Fidge sped down to the first landing.

“Ooh!” he cried, looking over the banisters, “It’s all drownded; look, Dick! quick!”

Dick and Marjorie hurried down and leaned over the banisters too.

“Hullo! what a lark!” exclaimed Dick. “There’s been a high tide, and the house is flooded. Come on, this is ripping!” and the boy dashed down-stairs, followed by the others.

The breakfast-room door stood open, and, wading ankle deep in water, the children soon reached it. An extraordinary sight met their eyes.

The French windows were open, and the curtains were blowing about in the breeze, while the sea had risen so high that the white-capped waves were flowing quite into the room, in which the utmost confusion prevailed. Chairs and various light articles were strewn about in all directions, and the table, by some mysterious process, had been turned completely over, and was floating about with its legs sticking up in the air. It was evidently the noise which that had made, dashing against the door, which had awakened Marjorie.

The children stood silently regarding it for a moment, and then Fidge, with a delighted exclamation cried, “I want a ride in the boat,” and began to scramble into the overturned table.

“Oh! yes, jolly!” cried Dick, following his example; and in a moment all three children were comfortably ensconced in the novel craft.

Dick found a stick floating about, which he used as a punting pole, and soon had the table through the window and out into the garden.

“I’ll be captain,” he cried, “and you and Fidge shall be passengers, Sis.” The drawer of the table turned upside down made a capital upper deck, and Marjorie settled herself very comfortably upon it, after Dick had rigged up what he was pleased to call an awning with a little table-cloth, and a piece of string which he had in the pocket of his pyjamas....