Rob Harlows Adventures | Page 2

like an Indian's, stepped from thwart to thwart till he was alongside of Rob, of whom he asked the question respecting the biting, his inquiry relating to the fish, while Rob's reply applied to the insects which worried him in their search for juicy portions of his skin.
But they were not allowed to feed in peace, for Rob smacked and slapped sharply, viciously, but vainly, doing far more injury to himself than to the gnat-like flies, so, to repeat his words,--
"I say, Shaddy, do they always bite like this?"
"Well, yes, sir," said Shaddy, "mostlings. It's one down and t'other come on with them. It's these here in the morning, and when they've done the sand-flies take their turn till sun goes down, and then out comes the skeeters to make a night of it."
"Ugh!" ejaculated Rob, giving himself a vicious rub. "I'm beginning to wish I hadn't come. It's horrible."
"Not it, youngster. You'll soon get used to 'em. I don't mind; they don't hurt me. Wait a bit, and, pretty little creeturs, you'll like it."
"What! Like being bitten?"
"To be sure, sir. 'Livens you up a bit in this hot sleepy country; does your skin good; stimmylates, like, same as a rub with a good rough towel at home."
Rob gave vent to a surly grunt and jerked his line.
"I don't believe there are any fish here," he said.
"No fish! Ah! that's what we boys used to say o' half-holidays when we took our tackle to Clapham Common to fish the ponds there. We always used to say there was no fish beside the tiddlers, and them you could pull out as fast as you liked with a bit o' worm without a hook, but there was fish there then--big perch and whacking carp, and now and then one of us used to get hold of a good one, and then we used to sing quite another song.--I say, sir!"
"Well?"
"This here's rather different to Clapham Common, isn't it?"
"Yes," said Rob, "but it isn't what I expected."
"What did you 'spect, then? Ain't the river big enough for you?"
"Oh! it's big enough," said the lad, snatching his line in. "Didn't seem like a river down behind there."
"Right, my lad; like being at sea, ain't it?"
"Yes, and it's all so flat where you can see the shore. An ashy, dusty, dreary place, either too hot or too cold! Why, I wouldn't live at Monte Video or Buenos Ayres for all the money in the world."
"And right you'd be, my lad, says Shadrach Naylor. Ah! Why, look at that! Fish is fish all the world over. You don't expect they'll bite at a bare hook, do you?"
"Bother the bait! it's off again," said Rob, who had just pulled in the line. "It always seems to come off."
"Not it, lad. There, I'll put a bit o' meat on for you. It's them little beggars nibbles it off.--There you are; that's a good bait. Perhaps you may get a bite this time. As I says, fish is fish all the world over, and they're the most onaccountable things there is. One day they're savage after food; next day you may hold a bait close to their noses, and they won't look at it. But you're hot and tired, my lad. Why don't you do as others do, take to your sister?"
"My sister!" cried Rob, staring. "I haven't got one."
"I didn't say sister," said Shaddy, showing his yellow teeth; "I said sister--nap."
"I know you did," grumbled Rob; "why don't you say siesta?"
"'Cause I don't care about making mouthfuls of small words, my lad."
Splash! went the freshly thrown-in bait.
"I don't like sleeping in the middle of the day," said Rob as he took a fresh hold of his line.
"Wait a bit, my lad, and you'll like getting a snooze on there when you can get a chance. And so you're a bit disappynted in the country, are you?"
"Yes, but it's been getting better the last few days."
"Yes," said Shaddy, "ever so much; and as soon as you get used to it you'll say it's the beautifullest place in the world."
Rob turned to him quickly, his irritation passing away.
"Yes, it is getting beautiful," he said; "the trees all along that side are very grand."
"Ah," said Shaddy, replacing the great sheath-knife with which he had been cutting up his tobacco in his belt, "and it's bigger and wilder when we get higher up. I don't wonder at their calling it the Grand Chaco."
"The trees are wonderful," said Rob softly as he gazed at the great wall of verdure.
"And it's wonderfuller inside as you go on and up the little rivers or creeks. Just you wait a bit, my lad, and you'll see. I can show you things as'll open your eyes. You won't think the place dull."
"I suppose we are getting up