ull him out."

"No doubt about it, if the line doesn't break."

"What should I do then, Drew, old man?"

"I don't know what you'd do, my little man. I know what I should do."

"Yes. What?"

"Let go."

"Ah, I didn't think of that," said the young officer quite calmly. "I
say, though, if it turned out to be a hippopotamus?"

"I wish it would, Bobby--that is, so long as it was a nice fat calf.
I'm so ragingly hungry that I should look upon a steak off one of those
india-rubber gentlemen as the greatest delicacy under the sun."

"Oh, don't talk nonsense. One of those things wouldn't be likely to
bite. But I say, Drew, old chap, do you think there are any fish to be
caught?"

"I haven't the slightest idea, Bobby. But here's a river; it looks
likely. Fishes live in rivers; why shouldn't they be here?"

"To be sure; why not?" said the other, brightening up and looking
better. "Who knows? There may be carp and tench, eels and pike."

"Not likely, Bobby, my lad; but most probably there are fish of some
kind, such as live on this side of the equator."

"Mahseer, perhaps--eh?"

"Bah! This is Africa, not northern India. Let's get down and make a
beginning. We had better get down through that woody rift."

"I wish I'd got my six-jointed rod, old fellow."

"But as you haven't, we must try what we can do with a line."

"I say, it was lucky you thought to bring some hooks."

"They were meant to try in the sea, old fellow, but I never had a
chance. Come softly, and be on the lookout."

"Eh?" cried the young man addressed, bringing the rifle he carried to
the ready. "Boers?"

"Oh no; our fellows are not likely to let any of those gentlemen
approach. I thought we might perhaps put up a deer, antelope, buck, or
something."

"Venison roast, hot, juicy! Oh Drew, old man, don't; pray don't! You
gave me such an awful pang. Oh dear! oh dear!"

"Pst! Quiet! Don't build your hopes on anything, because I dare say we
shall be disappointed; but still we might."

"Ah, might!" said the young officer. "Oh dear! I thought we might get
wounded, or have a touch of fever, but I never expected that we should
run the risk of being starved to death."

"Then give us a chance of escaping that fate by keeping your tongue
quiet. If we don't get a shot at something down there, we may still hit
upon a bag of fish."

"Forward!" whispered the young officer, and together the pair approached
the wooded gully and cau