ir. I'll get the chopper and take his head off
first."

"But we are not going to eat that fish now, Mr Brazier, are we?"

"Well, I don't know, Rob. If it is well washed and skinned, it cannot
be any the worse, and we have nothing else in the way of fish or meat."

"Wrong, sir," said Shaddy, making a very wide smile; "look at that."

He pointed toward the top of the little clearing where the boatman had
forced his way in amongst the tangled growth, and gone on hewing his way
through bush, thorn, vine, and parasitical growth, to reappear just in
the nick of time with the bustard-looking bird hanging from his left
hand, dead.

"Says he had to go in a long way," said Shaddy, after a short
conversation with the man, who, weary though he was with his exertions,
immediately set to work by the fire picking the bird and burning its
feathers, with the result that the Europeans of the little expedition
confined themselves to the windward side of the fire till the man had
done.

"Never had such a delicious supper before in my life," said Rob two
hours later, as they sat in the boat eating oranges and watching the
gorgeous colours of the sky.

"Think this place 'll do, sir?" said Shaddy, after washing down his
repast with copious draughts of _mate_ made by his men.

"Excellently, Naylor."

"And you ain't hardly begun yet," said Shaddy, smiling. "Wait till you
get higher up, where it's wilder and wonderfler: this is nothing. Suit
you, Master Rob? Never had such fishing as that before, did you?"

"Never, Shaddy; but what did you do with the alligator and the fish?"

"My lads cut all off as the 'gator hadn't had down his throat, and
tumbled the other into the stream. Ain't much of him left by this
time."

The night came on almost directly after, with the remarkable tropical
absence of twilight; and, as if all had been waiting for the darkness,
the chorus of the forest began. Then, well making up the fire with an
abundance of wood, the boatmen came on board, and immediately settled
themselves down to sleep.

CHAPTER TEN.

THE WONDERS OF THE WILDS.

It was a weird hour that next which was passed with the fire sending up
volumes of smoke, followed by glittering sparks which rose rapidly and
looked like specks of gold-leaf floating away over the river, red now as
blood, now orange and gold, as the fire blazed higher and cast its
reflections on the rapid stream.

The bright light had a singular attraction for