customer to
tackle. I say, look out, sir," he whispered, "yonder across the river."

Brazier glanced a little to his left, and directly after his piece rang
out with a loud report and a deer fell dead--not having moved an inch,
when the boat was with difficulty rowed across, and the welcome addition
to their larder secured amidst the chattering of monkeys and the
screaming of great macaws.

An hour later breakfast was at an end, the boat loosened from the
moorings where the anaconda still lay asleep in ten feet of water, and
they glided down the stream to commence another adventurous day, amidst
scenery which grew more wondrously beautiful with every mile.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

THE LILY LAGOON.

"Like it, gentlemen? That's right. On'y you are sure--quite sure?"

"Oh yes, we're sure enough!" replied Rob, as he watched the endless
scenes of beautiful objects they passed. "It's glorious."

"Don't find it too hot, I s'pose, sir?"

"Oh, it's hot enough," interposed Giovanni; "but we don't mind, do we,
Rob?"

"Not a bit. What fruit's that?"

"Which?" said Shaddy.

"That, on that tree, high up, swinging in the wind--the dark brown
thing, like a great nut with a long stalk."

He pointed to the object which had taken his attention.

"G'long with yer," growled Shaddy. "I thought you was in arnest."

"So I am," cried Rob, looking at the man wonderingly. "I mean that one.
It isn't a cocoa-nut, because the tree is different, and I know that
cocoanuts grow on a kind of palm."

"And that kind o' nut don't, eh?" said Shaddy, puckering his face. "Why
you are laughing at me."

"Nonsense! I am not!" cried Rob. "You don't see the fruit I mean.
There, on that tallest tree with the great branch sticking out and
hanging over the others. There now! can you see?"

"No," said Shaddy grimly; "it's gone."

"Yes; how curious that it should drop just at that moment. I saw it go
down among the trees. You did see it?"

"Oh yes. I see it plain enough."

"And you don't know what fruit it was?"

"Warn't a fruit at all, sir."

"What then? some kind of nut?"

"No, sir; warn't nut at all. It was a nut-cracker."

Rob looked at him seriously.

"Who's joking now?" he said.

"Not me, sir," replied Shaddy. "That was a nut-cracker sure enough."

"Is that the native name?"

Joe burst into a roar of laughter, and Rob coloured, for there was a
feeling of annoyance rising within him at being the butt of the other