“A tiger fish,” pronounced Mr. Lewis. “Only a small one, though.”
“Small one?” cried Joe, wheeling about. “What are you talking about, Dad? Bet that fish weighs ten pounds!”
“Maybe so,” Mr. Lewis returned. “But it isn’t uncommon to catch tiger fish that weigh as much as twenty pounds. In fact, Howard hooked one in the Zambezi River that tipped the scales at forty-two.”
“No!” Bob and Joe both looked up in amazement.
“That’s right,” vouched Mr. Holton. “It was the biggest I’ve ever caught.”
During the next fifteen minutes Joe caught four more of the big fish, none, however, being as large as the first one. Then, using the knowledge gained on other exploration ventures, he dressed them and placed them over the fire.
“Doggone the luck!” growled Bob. “I didn’t get a single bite. This big bum here walks off with a whole river full.”
“Cheer up,” consoled Mr. Holton. “You can at least share the eating of them.”
“Yeah,” put in Joe. “You can take a whiff at them.”
The tiger fish proved good eating and were a welcome addition to the usual menu.