m to work with greater diligence while preparing his mesh-net.

The net was now ready, and Ossaroo walked along chuckling and
congratulating himself on the prospect of speedy revenge--for he had
actually become inspired with a revengeful feeling against the poor
fish, because he had not been able to capture and kill them!

The place where Ossaroo intended to set his net was across the strait
that formed the mouth of the aforesaid bay. He had designed the net for
this very place; and had made it of such length, that when at full
stretch, it would just reach from one side to the other.

The upper edge of the net was attached to a strong piece of raw hide,
for this was more easily attainable than a rope of hemp; and on the
lower edge there was another strip of hide, to which were fastened the
sinkers. These, with the floats at the top--made out of a sort of
light-wood that he had found in the valley--would keep the meshes fully
spread, and hold the net in a vertical position.

It would thus form a complete gate, shutting up the little bay, and
leaving neither egress nor ingress for any fish that could not squeeze
itself through the meshes. These last had been made very large; for
Ossaroo did not care for the "small fry."

It was the big fishes he was desirous of capturing--some of those large
fellows who had so often glided from under his arrows, and put him out
of temper by their saucy sporting.

He would see now if they would so easily escape the meshes he had so
cunningly contrived for them.

Proceeding, therefore, to the straits, he set his net across the
narrowest part, and just by the entrance to the bay. The thing was
easily accomplished, he tied the rawhide rope to a sapling on one side,
that grew down by the edge of the water. Then holding the upper edge--
so that the net would settle regularly in the water--he waded across,
carrying the line along with him, and made it secure on the other side.
Of course the sinkers did their work by dragging the lower selvage
downward, while the floats kept the upper edge from dipping below the
surface of the water.

There was a large tree upon the opposite side--so large that its great
branches spread half-way across the little strait--and when the sun was
on that side, which it always was after the hour of noon, this tree,
covered with thick foliage, quite shadowed the water, rendering it of
darkish colour, and somewhat obscure. At this hour the fish could not
b