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 Léon, the fiancée of Iday. "Are you sure no one has been here for five days?"
"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:
The word passed from mouth to mouth amid general stupefaction.
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 struggle seemed to end, and the young man's head appeared. He was saluted with joyous cries. He climbed the platform, holding in one hand an end of the rope. Then he pulled with all his strength, and the monster came in view. The rope was round its neck and the fore part of its body; it was large, and on its back could be seen green moss--to a crocodile what white hair is to man. It bellowed like an ox, beat the reeds with its tail, crouched, and opened its jaws, black and terrifying, showing its long and saw-like teeth. No one thought of aiding the helmsman. When he had drawn the reptile out of the water he put his foot on it, closed with his robust hand the redoubtable jaws, and tried to tie the muzzle. The creature made a last effort, arched its body, beat about with its powerful tail, and escaping, plunged outside the enclosure into the lake, dragging its vanquisher after it. The helmsman was a dead man. A cry of horror escaped from every mouth.