t, and
swelled itself out fiercely.

This gave Rob ample time to fit another arrow to his string, correct his
aim, and loosen the shaft after drawing it to the head. This one
whizzed by the iguana, making it flinch slightly; but treating it as if
it had been a bird which had suddenly flashed by, the lizard fixed its
eyes on the spot where this second arrow struck.

"I shall never hit the thing," thought Rob as he fitted another arrow
and corrected his aim still more, but this time too much, for the arrow
flew off to the lizard's right.

"Three arrows gone!" muttered the lad as he prepared for another try,
took a long aim, and, to his great delight, saw the missile strike the
bough just below where the iguana stood, but only for it to make a rush
forward out of his sight.

"But I should have hit it if I had only aimed a little higher," he
thought.

The lizard being invisible, he was about to return to Shaddy, thinking
of his companion's disappointment, when, to his surprise, he suddenly
saw the reptile reappear upon a lower branch, where it stood watchful
and eager, and once more presenting a splendid opportunity for a skilled
archer.

"It's of no good," thought Rob. "I must practise every day at a mark,"
and once more taking aim without exercising much care, but more with an
idea of satisfying his companion if he were watching his actions than of
hitting his mark, he drew the arrow quickly to the head, gave one glance
along the slight reed at the iguana, the bow-string twanged, and the
next moment the reptile was gone.

"That settles it," said Rob as he listened to the rustling of the leaves
and twigs; "but I must have gone pretty near for it to have leaped off
the bough in such a hurry. I'll be bound to say poor old Joe would have
made a better shot. Italian! Genoese archers!" he continued
thoughtfully. "No, they were cross-bow-men. Poor old Joe, though! Oh,
how shocking it does seem for a bright handsome lad like he was to--"

"Here! hi! T'other way, my lad! He dropped down like a stone."

"No, no; leaped like a deer off the branch. I saw him."

"Well, so did I," cried Shaddy, hurrying up. "The arrow went clean
through him."

"Nonsense!"

"Nonsense, sir? What do you mean?"

"I did not go near him."

"What? Why, you shot him right through the shoulder. I haven't got
much to boast about except my eye, and I'll back that against some
people's spy-glasses. That iguana's lying down there