To the despair of all, the day passed on till it was getting late in the afternoon, and still the water spread around them right into the forest; but it was literally alive with fish which they could not see their way to catch.
Rob and Shaddy set to work making a fishing-line. A piece of the toughest wood they could find was fashioned into a tiny skewer sharpened at both ends and thrust into a piece of fruit taken from high up the tree, where Rob climbed, but soon had to come back on account of the puma following him.
Then they angled, with plenty of shoals swimming about the tree, as they could see from the movement of the muddy water; but so sure as a fish took the bait there was a short struggle, and either the line broke or the apology for a hook gave way, till first one and then the other gave up in sheer despair, and sat looking disconsolate, till Shaddy’s countenance expanded into a broad grin.
“I don’t see anything to laugh at,” said Rob. “Here we have only a few scraps to save for to-morrow, and you treat it all as if it were a matter of no consequence.”
“Warn’t laughing at that, Mr Rob. I was only thinking of the fox and the grapes, for I had just said to myself the fish ain’t worth ketching, just as the fox said the grapes were sour.”
“But unless the waters go down ours is a very serious position,” said Brazier.
“Very, sir. And as to that bit of food, strikes me that it will be good for nothing soon; so I say let’s wait till last thing to-night, and then finish it.”
“And what about to-morrow?” said Rob gloomily.
“Let to-morrow take care of itself, sir. Plenty of things may happen to-morrow. May be quite dry. If not, we must kill the puma and eat it.”
“What!” cried Rob in horror.