tering
themselves beneath the dark green disk-like leaves, lazily issued from
their lurking places to stare so stupidly, often even with their back
fins out of water, that the boys had no difficulty in startling a few of
them into a knowledge of their danger by gently placing a hand under and
hoisting them suddenly into the boat, where they displayed their alarm
by leaping vigorously and beating the fragile bottom with their tails.

"Better hold hard, young gentlemen!" cried Shaddy, as soon as half a
dozen were caught; "them fish won't keep, and we can easily catch more.
Ah! Why, Mr Joe, sir, I did think you knowed better."

This was to Joe, who had leaned over as far as he could to try and
perform the same feat upon a long dark object floating half hidden by a
leaf, but was met by a quick rush and a shower of water as the creature
twisted itself round and dived down.

"It was only a little one, Shaddy," said Joe.

"Little dogs have sharp teeth, my lad; and them small 'gators can bite
like fury. You take my advice, and don't do it again."

"Hah!" cried Brazier as he leaped ashore, "this is glorious. We can
make quite a collection here. See that the boat is fast, Naylor."

This was soon done, and the men were about to light a fire, but Brazier
checked them, preferring to make a little expedition for exploration
purposes all about their new camping place, partly to see if there were
noxious beasts at hand, partly to try and secure a few natural history
specimens, especially birds, which abounded, before the noise and the
fire should drive them away.

"Hand out the guns and cartridge bags," said Brazier; and this being
done the men were left in charge of the boat, and the little party
started, keeping close up to the trees on their left with the intention
of going all round the opening and so returning by the right side to the
boat.

The walking was hard, for the earth was tangled with dense growth so
that they progressed very slowly, while the heat was intense; but that
passed unnoticed in the excitement caused by the novel objects which met
their eyes at every step--flowers, such as Rob had never before seen,
looking up as if asking to be plucked; butterflies which flapped about
so lazily that they could, he felt, easily be caught, only without net
or appliances it seemed wanton destruction to capture and mutilate such
gorgeously painted objects. There were others too, resembling the
hawk-moths in shape, wi