e, I'll ease him down, and he'll think it's all right and be quiet.
Then you draw in gently, and as soon as he feels the hook run him right
out, and you, Mr Brazier, sir, stand ready at the water's edge to mind
he don't get back. Mind, I don't say it ain't a small 'gator all the
same."

He passed the end of the line to Rob as the captive, whatever it was,
now lay quiet, but as soon as the lad began to draw the line ashore
there was another heavy tug.

"Run him out, sir, not hand over hand; run and turn your back," shouted
Shaddy, and as fast as he could get over the tangled growth amongst the
trees Rob obeyed, with the result that he drew a large golden-scaled
fish right out of the river and up the bank a couple of yards, when
something parted, and Shaddy uttered a yell as he saw the captive
flapping back toward the pool.

"Gone! gone!" cried Rob in dismay. "I knew--"

He said no more for the moment, and then uttered a shout of delight as
he saw the efficacy of their guide's arrangements, for before the fish
reached the edge Brazier had thrown himself upon it, and paying no heed
to slime, spines, or sharp teeth, he thrust his hands beneath, and flung
it far up toward where Rob in turn carried on the attack.

The next minute Shaddy was beside them, knife in hand, with which he
rapidly killed, cleaned, and scaled the fish, finding the tough hook
broken in two before chopping off a couple of great palm-like leaves, in
which he wrapped his prize as he trotted toward the fire. Then with a
half-burned branch, he raked a hole in the glowing embers, laid down the
fish, raked the embers over again, and said,--

"Not to be touched for half an hour. Who'll come and try for more solid
fruit?"

If Rob's spirits had not been so low he would have been amused by the
boyish manner of their companion as he led them here and there. At the
edge of the forest he mounted and climbed about a tree till he was well
out on a great branch, from which he shook down a shower of great fruit
that looked like cricket-balls, but which on examination proved to be
the hard husks of some kind of nut.

"What are these?" cried Rob.

"Don't you know 'em?" said Shaddy as soon as he had descended.

"No."

"Yes, you do, my lad. You've seen 'em in London lots of times," and
hammering a couple together, he broke open one and showed the contents:
to wit, so many Brazil nuts packed together in a round form like the
carpels of an orange.

"I ne