back again," said Poole coolly. "But it
isn't that that makes you nervous and dull."

"Isn't it? Well, I suppose I am not so brave as you," whispered the
middy.

"Fudge! It's nothing to do with being brave. I don't feel brave. I am
just as low-spirited as you are. It's because we are tired and hungry."

"Why, we are keeping on eating."

"Yes; biscuit-and-water. But that only keeps you from starving; it
doesn't do you good. Why, if old Andy had a good fire and was roasting
a wild turkey, or grilling some fish, we shouldn't feel dull, but be all
expectation, and sniffing at the cooking, impatient till it was done."

"Well, I suppose there is something in that," said Fitz, "for I feel as
faint as can be. I seem to have been so ever since I began to get
better. Always wanting something more to eat."

"Of course you do. That's right enough."

"What's that?" cried Fitz, catching his companion by the arm; for there
was a loud slap, as if the water of the river had suddenly received a
sharp blow with the blade of an oar.

"I d'know," said Poole. "Boat coming, I think. Did you hear that,
father?" And the speaker looked in the direction where the skipper had
last been seen.

"Oh yes," was the reply, coming from outside one of the windows of the
room they had strengthened with a breastwork.

"It's a boat coming, isn't it, father?"

"No, my lad," said the skipper, in a deep-toned growl. "It's one of the
crocodiles or alligators fishing for its supper."

"No, no, Mr Reed," cried Fitz; "we mean that sound like a heavy slap on
the water. There it goes again! That!"

"Yes, that's the sound I meant," said the skipper. "Sounds queer,
doesn't it, in the darkness? But that's right. It's one of the great
alligator fellows thrashing the water to stun the fish. This makes them
turn up, and then the great lizardly thing swallows them down."

Fitz uttered a little grunt as if he thought it was very queer, and then
went on nibbling his biscuit.

"Poole," he whispered, "what stupids we were not to go and fish before
it got dark."

"That's just what I was thinking," was the reply.

"Yes," continued Fitz; "we hadn't as much sense as an alligator. I wish
we had a good fish or two here."

"To eat raw?" said Poole scornfully. "Raw? Nonsense! We'd set old
Andy to work."

"No, we shouldn't. How could we have a fire here? It would be like
setting ourselves up for the enemy to fire at. Why, they could cr