“What’s that mean?” cried Rob. “Why, they’ve left it.”
“Yes, sir, they have,” said Shaddy, emphasising the personal pronoun. “Look!”
A fresh splash about twenty yards from them had already taken Rob’s attention, and then there was another caused by a peculiar dark-looking object, which rose above the surface.
“’Gator’s tail,” said Shaddy, grimly. “It’s their turn now, and the hungry fishes have to make room.”
Just then a long black, muddy-looking snout glided out of the water, followed by the head, shoulders and back of a hideous lizard-like creature, which glided over the carcass of the jaguar and disappeared, followed directly by a head twice as large, and as it rose clear of the water the jaws opened wide and closed with a loud snap. Directly after this head sank down out of sight there was a tremendous swirl in the water, and then it began to settle down, but only to be disturbed once more about opposite to where the party stood, and again some twenty yards lower down, after which the river ran swiftly and smoothly once more.
“That was an old bull ’gator,” said Shaddy. “The small ones, three or four, came first and scared off all the fish that didn’t want to be eaten, and then the old chap came and soon sent them to the right-about, and he has carried off the carkidge to enjoy all to himself down in some hole under the bank.”
“Plenty of natural history for you here, boys,” said Brazier, “eh?”
“Yes; but how horrid!” cried Rob. “And yet how beautiful it all is to compensate!” said Brazier, thoughtfully. “But what about something fresh to eat, Naylor? We must shoot something, or you must fish. There, Rob, you said how horrid just now; and yet we are as bad. The alligators and fish only sought for their daily food. We are going to do worse than they did with our guns and tackle. Well, Naylor, what are we to do?”
“I’m thinking, sir, that if the young gents here, or one of them, will try a fishing-line with an orange or half an orange bait, you might sit quiet at your corner and watch for something—bush turkey, or parrots even, for they’re good eating.”
“But suppose I shoot a bird, and it falls in the river, what then?”