ch it. "Mahogany is one of the most valuable woods of Honduras, and
if this is a log of that nature----

"Bless my watch chain!" he suddenly cried. "It's alive!"

And the "log" was indeed so, for there was a sudden flash of white
teeth, a long red opening showed, and then came a click as an immense
alligator, having opened and closed his mouth, sank out of sight in a
swirl of water.

Mr. Damon drew back so suddenly that he tilted the canoe, and the black
paddlers looked around wonderingly.

"Alligator," explained Jacinto succinctly, in their tongue.

"Ugh!" they grunted.

"Bless my--bless my----" hesitated Mr. Damon, and for one of the very
few times in his life his language failed him.

"Are there many of them hereabouts?" asked Ned, looking back at the
swirl left by the saurian.

"Plenty," said the guide, with a shrug of his shoulders. He seemed to
do as much talking that way, and with his hands, as he did in speech.
"The river is full of them."

"Dangerous?" queried Tom.

"Don't go in swimming," was the significant advice. "Wait, I'll show
you," and he called up the canoe just behind.

In this canoe was a quantity of provisions. There was a chunk of meat
among other things, a gristly piece, seeing which Mr. Damon had
objected to its being brought along, but the guide had said it would do
for fish bait. With a quick motion of his hand, as he sat in the
awning-covered stern with Tom, Ned and the others, Jacinto sent the
chunk of meat out into the muddy stream.

Hardly a second later there was a rushing in the water as though a
submarine were about to come up. An ugly snout was raised, two rows of
keen teeth snapped shut as a scissors-like jaw opened, and the meat was
gone.

"See!" was the guide's remark, and something like a cold shiver of fear
passed over the white members of the party. "This water is not made in
which to swim. Be careful!"

"We certainly shall," agreed Tom. "They're fierce."

"And always hungry," observed Jacinto grimly.

"And to think that I--that I nearly had my hand on it," murmured Mr.
Damon. "Ugh! Bless my eyeglasses!"

"The alligator nearly had your hand," said the guide. "They can turn
in the water like a flash, wherefore it is not wise to pat one on the
tail lest it present its mouth instead."

They paddled on up the river, the dusky Indians now and then breaking
out into a chant that seemed to give their muscles new energy. The
song, if song it was, pass