as the smooth water suddenly became
agitated, and dark shadows appeared to be moving beneath the surface.
Then the jaguar moved suddenly to one side, as if it were alive, then
back, to alter its course directly straight away from them, and again to
begin travelling up stream; while the water boiled all round about it,
and several silvery fish flashed out of the water and fell back; then
heads and tails appeared as the fierce occupants of the river fought for
morsels which they bit out of the flanks and limbs of the dead animal.

"Makes 'em mad to get at it," said Shaddy, as the water grew more
disturbed; "they're coming up the river in shoals. You see there's no
skin to get through and fill their teeth with hair. Say, youngsters,
talk about ground bait, don't you wish you'd got your tackle ready?
Might catch some good ones for supper."

"And eat them after they've been feeding on that animal?"

"Better have them after feeding on that, Rob," said Brazier, "than after
a feast of I don't know what. Why not try, Naylor?"

"No meat for a bait, sir. Let's wait till they've done, and then I'll
fish for a dorado. We've got some oranges left."

He ceased speaking, and they stood watching the carcass, which still
floated, from the simple fact that a shoal of fish were attacking it
from below, while so many came swarming, up from lower down the stream,
attracted by the odour of the pieces of the jaguar, and the many
fragments which ascended and floated away, that the carcass not only
could not sink but was driven higher and higher toward the main river.

"Hah!" ejaculated Shaddy suddenly, "I thought that was coming."

For suddenly there were dozens of silvery fish leaping in the air to
fall back into the water, which ceased to boil, and a wave formed by the
shoal swept down-stream.

"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 direc