ried Aunt Isabel.

"Senora," he replied, "I've heard of a poor trumpeter who, from
simply playing on his instrument, became the husband of a rich and
noble lady."

"So he did--the Trumpeter of Saeckingen!" laughed Ibarra.

"Well," said Albino, "we shall see if I am as happy!" and he began
to blow again with still more force. There was a panic: the mamas
attacked him hand and foot.

"Ouch! ouch!" he cried, rubbing his hurts; "the Philippines are far
from the borders of the Rhine! For the same deed one is knighted,
another put in the san-benito!"

At last Andeng announced the kettle ready for the fish.

The fisherman's son now climbed the weir or "purse" of the
enclosure. It was almost circular, a yard across, so arranged that
a man could stand on top to draw out the fish with a little net or
with a line.

All watched him, some thinking they saw already the quiver of the
little fishes and the shimmer of their silver scales.

The net was drawn up; nothing in it; the line, no fish adorned it. The
water fell back in a shower of drops, and laughed a silvery laugh. A
cry of disappointment escaped from every mouth.

"You don't understand your business," said Albino, climbing up by
the young man; and he took the net. "Look now! Ready, Andeng!"

But Albino was no better fisherman. Everybody laughed.

"Don't make a noise, you'll drive away the fish. The net must be
broken." But every mesh was intact.

"Let me try," said Leon, the fiancee of Iday. "Are you sure no one
has been here for five days?"

"Absolutely sure."

"Then either the lake is enchanted or I draw out something."

He cast the line, looked annoyed, dragged the hook along in the water
and murmured:

"A crocodile!"

"A crocodile!"

The word passed from mouth to mouth amid general stupefaction.

"What's to be done?"

"Capture him!"

But nobody offered to go down. The water was deep.

"We ought to drag him in triumph at our stern," said Sinang; "he has
eaten our fish!"

"I've never seen a crocodile alive," mused Maria Clara.

The helmsman got up, took a rope, lithely climbed the little platform,
and in spite of warning cries dived into the weir. The water, troubled
an instant, became smooth; the abyss closed mysteriously.

"Heaven!" cried the women, "we are going to have a catastrophe!"

The water was agitated: a combat seemed to be going on below. Above,
there was absolute silence. Ibarra held his blade in a convulsive
grasp. Then the