e foot of dry
ground.

"Here, Jack?"

"Ay, here."

"But it's--it's all wet. Excuse me, my dear comrade, I've not yet
acquired the habit of sleeping in water."

"No more have I, Bob; we shall sleep on a fallen tree, my boy. Did you
never hear of men sleeping in a swamp on the top of a log? It's often
done, I assure you, and I mean to do it to-night. See, here is a good
large one, three feet broad by twenty feet long, with lots of stumps of
broken branches to keep us from rolling off. Come, let's begin."

We immediately began to make our arrangements for the night. With the
aid of our clasp-knives we cut a quantity of leafy branches, and spread
them on the trunk of a huge prostrated tree, the half of which was sunk
in the swamp, but the other half was sufficiently elevated to raise us
well out of the water. The bed was more comfortable than one would
suppose; and, being very tired, we lay down on it as soon as it was
made, and tried to sleep: having nothing to eat, we thought it well to
endeavour to obtain all the refreshment we could out of sleep.

We had not lain long, when I started up in a fright, and cried--

"Hallo! Jack, what's that? See, through the reeds; it creeps slowly.
Oh; horror! it comes towards us!"

Jack looked at it sleepily. "It's an alligator," said he. "If it
approaches too close, just wake me; but, pray, don't keep howling at
every thing that comes to peep at us."

Just at that moment, the hideous reptile drew near, and, opening its
jaws, let them come together with a snap! Even Jack was not proof
against this. He started up, and looked about for a defensive weapon.
We had nothing but our clasp-knives. The alligator wallowed towards us.

"Oh for an axe!" gasped Jack.

The brute was within a few yards of us now. I was transfixed with
horror. Suddenly an idea occurred to me.

"Your leg, Jack, your leg!"

He understood me. One sweep of his clasp-knife cut all the fastenings--
the next moment he grasped the toe in both hands, and, swaying the heavy
butt of the limb in the air, brought it down with all his force on the
skull of the alligator. It rang like the sound of a blow on an empty
cask. Again the limb was swayed aloft, and descended with extraordinary
violence on the extreme point of the alligator's snout. There was a
loud crash, as if of small bones being driven in. The animal paused,
put its head on one side, and turning slowly round waddled away into the
nois