"That is to say, the wound will be healed, and you'll have a souvenir of the Silver City which can never be lost," Cummings added.
"I won't complain, for I came out of the scrape much better than I deserved," the engineer replied with a laugh.
Poyor was now ready to go on the scout, and he delayed only long enough to say:
"There must be no talking while I am away, for one who speaks cannot listen, and if the enemy should come here again his approach will be like that of a serpent."
"You shan't have any cause to complain," Cummings replied, and an instant later the Indian had left the cave.
Teddy now thought the time had come when he should settle the question of whether there were any fish in the stream, and after gaining Cummings' permission to make the attempt he and Neal brought out the lines and flies which had been saved from the wreck of the Sea Dream.
"We shall need bait," he whispered. "If there were a million fish there they couldn't see a fly in the dark, and, besides, if this river runs underground entirely not one of them knows anything about insects."
"A piece of roasted toh will be the very best we could have," and Neal soon brought out some of the toughest portions of the remnants left from the last meal.
Cummings would not listen to their proposition that a fire be lighted, therefore it was necessary to work in the dark, and they experienced considerable difficulty in beginning the task.
Then, while Jake sat near by deeply interested in the experiment, the boys moved their lines to and fro, forced to wade quite a distance into the water, and ten minutes passed before there was any sign that their efforts would be rewarded by success.
"I've got a bite," Teddy whispered excitedly. "By the way he pulled it must have been a big fel---- Hello, he's taken hook and all!"
"Tie on another quick while I try to catch him," and Neal ventured further into the water, throwing the line as far as possible toward the other side.
The thought came into Jake's mind that, while no alligators had been seen when they first entered it was by no means certain one or more would not follow down the course of the stream, and he was on the point of warning Neal not to venture too far from the edge of the shore, when there was a mighty splash, a cry of fear and pain from the fisherman, and the engineer shouted regardless of the fact that the enemy might be close at hand: