e of his curious dry smiles,
as he took off his hat and pointed with the corner.

"Just you go to the far end of the shed, Pomp, and you'll find in the
damp place an old pot with a lot of bait in it as I put ready. On'y
mind this, it's not to be all games."

"What do you mean?" I said, for Pomp had rushed off to get the bait.

"Bring us a bit o' fish. Be quite a treat."

Half an hour after Pomp and I were pulling up the river close in beneath
the over-spreading boughs, ready to shout for joy as the golden sunbeams
came down through the leaves and formed a lace-work of glory on the
smooth deep water. Every now and then there was a familiar rustle and a
splash, a flapping of wings, and a harsh cry as a heron or stork rose
from his fishing-ground; then some great hawk hovered over the stream,
or we caught sight of the yellow and orange of the orioles.

Pomp was for rowing on and up to a favourite spot where there was a
special haunt of the fish, where the stream curved round and formed a
deep pool. But I felt as if I must stop again and again to let the boat
drift, and watch humming-birds, or brightly-painted butterflies and
beetles, flitting here and there, so that it was quite a couple of hours
before we reached the spot, and suddenly turned the curve of the river
into the eddy.

As we did so silently I turned to look, and sat there petrified for a
few moments, before I softly laid my hand on Pomp's arm. He turned
round sharply and saw what I did--a party of six Indians on the opposite
bank.

Before either of us could dip oar again we were seen; there was a deep,
low exclamation, and the party turned and plunged into the forest and
were gone.

With one sweep of my oar I sent the boat round into the stream, and we
rowed back as rapidly as we could, expecting to hear arrows whizzing by
us every moment. But we reached the landing-place in safety, secured
the boat, and ran to the newly-erected house to give the alarm. I saw
my father's brow contract with agony, but he was prompt in his measures.

"We will face them here," he said, "if they come." And, summoning in
Morgan and Hannibal, the door and windows were barricaded, the weapons
loaded, and we waited for the attack.

But we waited in vain. The severe lesson dealt to the Indians by our
people and the Spaniards had had its result, and though I had not
understood it then, the savages were more frightened of us than we of
them; and the very next day, w