t for the lights of the anchored vessels, ready to
raise his false alarm as soon as he got abreast.

But he looked in vain; the Spaniards had taken the precaution to cover
their riding lights, and Joe Cross was about to draw his bow at a
venture, when a sharp shock which made the boat thrill suggested that
they had struck upon a floating tree trunk, washed probably out of the
bank during the past flood.

But the next moment they were aware that the boat's stem had come in
contact with one of the crocodiles, which gave a tremendous plunge and
began to send the water flying in all directions as it beat heavily upon
the surface with its tail.

"Starn all!" roared Joe Cross involuntarily, and then recollecting
himself, he roared out, "Pull, lads! Pull for your lives!" For a light
suddenly appeared some thirty or forty yards to their left, followed by
another lower down the river.

There was the buzz of voices upon the anchored vessels' decks, and Joe
kept on yelling wildly to the men to pull, the noise and excitement
being increased by the reports of muskets fired at them in a hurried
ungoverned way, the flashes of light giving them faint instantaneous
glimpses of the vessels and the faces of the men on board.

"Steady, my lads, steady! Ease off," said Joe, "gently. We have got to
come back again, you know, so we needn't go too far. Two or three
cables' lengths is plenty. How do you think we're getting on, sir?"

"Is it possible they may come in pursuit?" whispered the doctor.

"Nay, sir, I don't think it's likely. If it was us aboard those
schooners we should think that we--meaning us--there, sir--you know what
I mean--we should think t'other side was making for the sea. Well,
that's what they think, and now, sir, if they'll only show their lights
for the rest of the night, why, so much the better for we."

"I don't see why, Joe," said Rodd, after a few minutes' thought.

"Well, I'll tell you, my lad," whispered Joe.--"Steady there--steady! I
am going to lower down the grapnel, for I dursen't run in among the
trees. They'd crackle too much if we tried to moor to a branch, and we
don't want to capsize. Harry Briggs, look alive, and drop the flukes
overboard; make fast, and let us swing."

This was all done almost without a sound, and just then a faint gleam of
light as the boat swung round showed them that certainly one of the
anchored vessels was still showing her light, while as it swung round a
litt