urst
out laughing.

"What makes the stranger laugh?" said the old Gunga-mulgar. "It's very
good broth."

"I was laughing," said Nod, "laughing at that last fish I caught."

"Was it a big fish--a fat, heavy fish?" said the Gunga.

Nod stared, with one eye shut and his head a little awry, at the two
hog-fish dangling on the wall. "Five times as big as them," he said.

"Five?" said the Gunga.

"Five or six," said Nod.

"Or six!" said the Gunga.

"Truly," said Nod softly, "he fishes not for minnows who knows the magic
fish-song of the Water-middens."

The old Gunga turned his great black skull, and beneath the beetling
porches of his eyes glowered greedily on Nod. "And what," he said
cunningly--"what song is that, O Royal Stranger?" And he stooped down
suddenly and pushed Nod's jacket under the bench.

"Why do you push my sheep's-coat under the bench?" said Nod angrily.

"I smelt--I smelt," said Gunga, throwing back his head, "scorching. But
softly, Mulla-mulgar. What is this Water-middens' song that catches
fishes five--six times as big as mine? And if you know all this wisdom,
and are truly a Prince of Tishnar, why do you sit here, this freezing
night, supping up a poor old Fish-catcher's broth?"

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER V

By this time, it was plain, Thimble and Thumb had found something to
raise them to the window-hole, for Nod, as he glanced up, saw half of
both their astonished faces (one eye of each) peering in at the window.
He waved his lean little arms, and their faces vanished.

"Why do you wave your long thumbs in the air?" said the old Gunga
uneasily.

"I wave to Tishnar," said Nod, "who watches over her wandering Princes,
and will preserve them from thieves and cunning ones. And as for your
filthy green-weed soup, how should a Mulla-mulgar soil his thumbs with
gutting fish? And as for the Water-middens' song, _that_ I cannot teach
you, nor would I teach it you if I could, Master Fish-catcher. But I can
catch fish with it."

The old Gunga squatted close on his stool, and grinned as graciously as
he could. "I am poor and growing old," he said, "and I cannot catch fish
as once I could. How is that done, O Royal Traveller?"

Nod stood up and put his finger on his lips. "Secrets, Puss!" says he,
and stepped softly over and peeped out of the door. He came back.
"Listen," he said. "I go down to the water--at daybreak; oh yes, just at
daybreak. Then I row out a little