d at the stained fingers. "What's
the matter with my head?"

He threw it back as he spoke, shook it, and then, as if the mist which
troubled his brain had floated away like the smoke from Brazier's gun,
he cried:

"I know; I remember. Oh! I say, Mr Brazier, you haven't shot that
poor cat?"

"Rob, my boy, pray, pray, pray lie down till we have examined your
injuries."

"Nonsense! I'm not hurt," cried the lad--"only knocked my head on a
stump. I remember now: I caught my right foot in one of those canes,
and pitched forward. Where's the cat?"

He looked round sharply.

"Never mind the wretched beast," cried Brazier. "Tell me, boy: you were
not hit?"

"But I do mind," cried Rob. "I wouldn't have had that poor thing shot
on any account."

"Are you hurt?" cried Brazier, almost angrily.

"Of course I am, sir. You can't pitch head first on to a stump without
hurting yourself. I say, did you hit the cat?"

"Then you were not shot?" cried Brazier.

"Shot? No! Who said I was?"

"Ourai!" shouted the young Italian, with the best imitation he could
give of an English hurrah.

"Then I have frightened myself almost to death for nothing," cried
Brazier. "How dare you pretend that you were shot!"

"I didn't," cried Rob angrily, for his smarting head exacerbated his
temper. "I never pretended anything. I couldn't help tumbling. You
shouldn't have fired."

"There, hold your tongue, Mr Rob, sir. It's all right, and instead of
you and the guv'nor here getting up a row, it strikes me as you ought
both to go down on your knees and be very thankful. A few inches more
one way or t'other, and this here expedition would have been all over,
and us going back as mizzable men as ever stepped."

The guide's words were uttered in so solemn and forcible a way that
Brazier took a step or two forward and caught his hand, pressing it
firmly as he looked him full in the eyes.

Brazier was silent for a few moments, and then, in a voice rendered
husky by emotion, he said,--

"You are quite right, Naylor. Thank you, my man, for the lesson. I
deserve all you have said, and yet I am thankful at heart for the--"

He did not finish his words, but dropped Shaddy's hand, and then turned
to Rob and laid his hand upon the boy's shoulder.

"Come to the boat, Rob," he said. "I'll sponge and strap up that little
cut. Naylor spoke truly. We have much to be thankful for. I ought not
to have spoken so harshly to you."