spar had his gun, and went forth to search for game;
while Ossaroo proceeded towards the lake, with the intention of
capturing fish.

As nothing particular happened to Caspar--not even so much as the
starling of a head of game, or the getting a shot at any thing--there is
nothing to tell about him; and I shall therefore proceed at once to
Ossaroo and his adventure.

The shikarree, on arriving at the lake, soon found a proper place to set
his net in. There was a little bay on one side that ran for some twenty
or more yards into the land, and ended just at the embouchure of the
little rivulet that came from the hot springs.

This bay was narrower at its mouth than elsewhere, where it formed a
kind of miniature "straits." The water in the bay was of considerable
depth; but just at its entrance, where the straits were, it was not over
three feet, with a white sandy bottom that could be seen shining like
silver. Any one standing near this point, in clear weather, could
easily observe fishes of several sorts and different sizes passing into
the bay and out of it, and disporting themselves over the white sand bed
that shone sparkling beneath them. It was an interesting sight to watch
them at their innocent gambols, and the boys had more than once gone
down to the edge of the straits to observe them.

But Ossaroo had always regarded the sight rather with feelings of
chagrin than pleasure; for plainly as these beautiful fish could be
seen, not one of them could he capture. Even the shoal-water of the
straits, where there was a sort of bar, was too deep to be dammed up in
any way, and Ossaroo had tried one or two plans for taking the fish,
without effect. He had used his bow, and endeavoured to kill them with
arrows; but they swam too deep, and, somehow or another, he always
missed them. The fact was that Ossaroo was not practised in shooting
fish with the arrow; and not understanding any thing about optics or the
laws of refraction, he missed his mark by aiming too high.

Had he been an Indian of North or South America, instead of an Indian of
the "East Indies," he would have pierced those fishes with an arrow at
every twang of his bow.

Instead of that, he only missed them, and was constantly wading in to
recover his arrows, but never to bring out any fish. He was, therefore,
rather chagrined than pleased to see them so fearlessly and freely
playing about over the silvery sand; and this very chagrin had caused
hi