s feet for a few moments, and then he disappeared altogether, while
Brazier and Shaddy both returned to their stations.

"What a pity!" grumbled the latter. "'Bout the nicest birds I know--
when you're hungry. There'll be another shot for him soon, though, for
they go in flocks in open bits of land near water."

"What bird was it?" said Rob--"a turkey?"

"Nay, not so big as a turkey, lad; I dunno what they call 'em. I call
'em Argentine larks."

"What?" cried Rob, with a laugh.

"Ah, you may grin, my lad, but it ain't such a bad name; and if you'd
seen 'em do what I have, you'd say so too."

"What do you mean?" said Rob; "do they make their nests on the ground?"

"I don't know nothing about their nests, but I'll tell you what they do:
they rise off the ground and fly up in the air higher and higher, and
sail round and round singing just like a lark does, only lots of times
as loud."

Rob looked keenly in the man's face.

"Oh, I ain't a-stuffing of you with nonsense, my lad; that 'ere's a
nat'ral history fact. They flies up singing away till they're out of
sight, and the music comes down so soft and sweet then that it makes you
want more and more, as you get thinking of when you was away in the
country at home."

"But that bird was so big," cried Rob.

"All the better, my lad. Holds more music and sings all the longer."

"Caught anything?" asked Joe from the boat, for both lines had been cast
now, and the lads were patiently holding the ends.

"No; haven't had a bite," replied Rob; and the words had hardly left his
lips when Brazier's gun raised an echo across the river, which ran to
and fro, reflected by the wall of trees in zigzag course till it died
out.

But no one listened to the echo, for all attention was taken by a large
duck, one of about a dozen which had come skimming along over the
surface of the water till its course had been stopped by Brazier's
accurate shot, when it fell flapping heavily and raising quite a spray
around it as it began to float rapidly down-stream.

"Come, we mustn't lose that," cried Shaddy, running to unfasten the rope
which moored the boat. "We'll go together. Mr Joe, sir, haul in your
line."

But before the boy could obey there was a cry of annoyance from Brazier
as, with a slight splash, something seized the duck and drew it under.

"'Nother supper gone!" growled Shaddy.

"What was it?" cried Brazier.

"Didn't see, sir. Either a 'gator or a big fish. L