Rob Harlow's Adventures Part 50

"Ay, I see," said Shaddy.

"Then you push the needle right into a big worm, and stick the point of the needle into a long thin pole, and push the worm into a hole in a bank where eels are."

"Yes, I see."

"Then one of the eels swallows the worm, and you pull the line."

"And the worm comes out."

"No, it does not," said Rob. "As it's tied in the middle, it is pulled right across the eel's throat, and you can catch it without being obliged to use a hook."

"That's noo and good," said Shaddy eagerly. "I could fish for doradoes that way, but I've got no needle."

"Wouldn't this do, Shaddy?" said the lad, and he took a steel needle-like toothpick out of the handle of his pocket-knife.

"The very thing!" cried Shaddy, slapping his leg, and, after tying his newly made line to the little steel implement in the way described, he bound over it with a silken thread a portion of the refuse of the fish they had previously caught. Going to his former place, he cast in his line, and in five minutes it was fast to a good-sized fish, which after a struggle was landed safely, while before long another was caught as well.

"Man never knows what he can do till he tries," cried Shaddy merrily.

"Why, we can live like princes, gentlemen. No fear of starving! Fish as often as we like to catch 'em, and then there's birds and other things to come. You don't feel dumpy now, Mr Rob, do you?"

"I don't know, Shaddy. I'm very hungry and tired."

"Wait till we've had supper, my lad, and then we'll see what we can do about making a bow and arrows."

As he spoke he rapidly cleaned the fish, treated them as before, and placed them in the embers, which were glowing still.

While the fish cooked Shaddy busied himself in crushing some of the nuts by using one stone as a hammer, another as an anvil, and some of them he set to roast by way of a change.

By the time the fish were ready the sun was rapidly going down, and when the meal was at an end--a meal so delicious, in spite of the surroundings, that it was eaten with the greatest of enjoyment--it was too dark to see about bows and arrows, and the disposition of all three was for sleep.

So the boughs collected on the previous night were carried in beneath the shelter and made into beds, upon which, after well making up the fire, all stretched themselves, and, utterly wearied out by the arduous toil of the day, fell asleep at once, in spite of the chorus of nocturnal creatures around, among which a couple of cicadas settled in their rudely made roof and kept up a harsh chirping loud enough to have kept awake any one who had not gone through as much work as two ordinary men.

"But it can't be morning," thought Rob as he was awakened by Shaddy touching him on the shoulder, and then he uttered his thought aloud.

"Well, if it ain't, my lad, the sun's made a mistake, for he'll be up directly. Coming out?"

"Yes; wait till I wake Mr Brazier."

"Nay; let him be till we've got breakfast ready, my lad. He looked regularly done up last night. He can't bear it all like young chaps such as we."

Rob laughed, and then a cloud came over him as he stepped out into the soft grey morning, for he had caught sight of the hurrying river, and this brought up the boat and the loss of his companion and friend.

"Look here, Mr Rob," said Shaddy, changing the current of the boy's thoughts directly, "I've been thinking out that bow and arrow business."

"Yes, Shaddy."

"And I've found out some splendid tackle for making arrows."

"What! this morning? Then you have been out and about!"

"Yes, soon as I could see my way. I found a bed of reeds which will make capital arrows with a point of hard wood a bit burned, and there's no end of 'em, so there's our shot all straight as--well, as arrows.

Now you and I are going to get a fish and put him to cook, and after that we'll try and find a bit of wood good enough for a bow."

"And where's your string, Shaddy?"

"Round your neck, sir. You don't think you're going to indulge in such luxuries as silk han'kerchers at a time like this, do you? Because, if you do, I don't; so you'll have to pull out all the threads and wind 'em up, like Mr Brazier did. His han'kercher will do for fishing-lines.

Yours shall be bow-strings. Why, who knows but what we may get a deer?

Anyhow we may get one of them carpinchos, and not bad eating, either."

The fish was soon caught in the swift clear water, but all attempts to take another failed. It was, however, ample for their meal, and after it had been placed in the fire, which had never been allowed to go out since first lit, Rob's companion pointed out more footprints of a puma, and soon after those of a deer, both animals having evidently been in the opening within the last few hours, from the freshness of the prints.

The reeds for the arrows were cut, and proved to be firm, strong, and light, but the selection of a branch for the bow proved to be more of a task. One was, however, decided upon at last, roughly trimmed, and thrown on the fire for a few minutes to harden, and it was while the pair were busy over this task, watching the tough wood carefully, that Brazier found them, apologising for his so-called idleness and eagerly asking what he should do to help.

"Nothing, sir, at present, but have your breakfast. Would you mind picking a few plates and a dish, Mr Rob? Let's have the green pattern again."

Rob smiled as he went to the arum-like plant which had supplied him before, and returned to the fire just as Shaddy was apologising seriously for its being fish again for breakfast and promising a change before night.

The apology was uncalled for, the freshly caught, newly roasted fish proving to be delicious; and roasted nuts, though they were not chestnuts and were often flavoured with burned oil, were anything but a bad subst.i.tute for bread.

"There, gen'lemen," said Shaddy as they finished, "next thing seems to be to go down to the waterside and have a good drink of nature's own tea and coffee. Worse things than water, I can tell you. I always think to myself when I've nothing else that what was good enough for Adam and Eve ought to be good enough for me."

"Water's delicious," cried Rob as they reached a convenient place and lay down to scoop up the cool clear fluid with their hands and drink heartily.

"So it is, Mr Rob, sir, 'llcious," said Shaddy; "but wait a bit, and you shall have something to put in the water, if it's only fruit juice to flavour it. But what I want to find is some of those leaves they make into South American tea."

Just then Shaddy smiled and rose to his knees, watching Brazier, who had moved off thirty or forty yards away.

"What are you laughing at?" asked Rob.

"Mr Brazier's want of good manners, sir. Don't seem the thing for a gen'leman like him to go washing his face and hands in his tea and coffee-cup; now do it?"

"Plenty of room, Shaddy!" said Rob. "I'm going to follow his example."

He stretched out over the water from the bank, reached down his hands, and began to bathe his face, the water feeling deliciously cool to his brow and eyes as he scooped up handsful, and he was just revelling in an extra good quant.i.ty, when he uttered an e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.n of alarm, for he felt himself seized by the collar as if he were about to be hurled into the river, but it proved only to be Shaddy s.n.a.t.c.hing him away.

"Why did you do that?" cried Rob angrily, as he pressed the water out of his eyes and darted a resentful look at the big rough fellow, who stood looking at him coolly.

"'Cause we wanted you to be useful, my lad, and because you didn't want to go below yonder and feed the fishes," replied Shaddy, laughing.

"Didn't you see that 'gator?"

"No. Where? Was it near me?"

"Pretty near, sir. I happened to look, and saw him coming slowly nearer and nearer, ready for making a dash at you, and as I'd neither gun nor spear to tackle him, I had to pull you out of the way."

"Was it big?" said Rob, with a shudder.

"No, sir, only a little one, about six foot long, but quite strong enough to have hung on and overbalanced you into the water, where there would have been plenty more to help him. Now I tell you what, sir, Mr Brazier had better be told to be careful," continued Shaddy. "Ah, he sees danger; so it's all right."

For Brazier suddenly shrank away from the edge of the river, rose, and called to them.