good hunting-dog.
It has nosed him out." And there was a general laugh.

Then followed a volley of quick, excited ejaculations.

"See there!" cried one. "He still struggles! Look! Out in the middle.
_Ha_!" And Gerard, listening, with all his ears, could hear the sound
of the distant splashing, and knew what had happened. The wounded
alligator had risen again in the middle of the river and was struggling
in its agony or perchance in the throes of death. The savages, watching
from the bank, were under the impression that it was engaged in
devouring him. His heart bounded with the thought. If such was their
belief, assuredly they would abandon the search and go away. But as
against this, it occurred to him that if the alligator should die the
carcase might float; he was not sure whether it would or not. If it
did, why then he was in worse case than ever, for they would discover
that the monster had been slain by him, instead of the other way about,
and redouble their efforts at finding him.

"_Hau_!" he heard one say after a minute of silence. "What a struggle!
The white man dies hard."

"Not so," said another. "They are fighting for his carcase. _Au_!
What a number of them. They are making as much splashing as a
steam-vessel I once saw at Tegwini!" [Durban.]

Again there was an interval of silence, broken only by the sound of
splashing. Then a voice said--

"He is gone! They have eaten him up among them; a leg here, and an arm
there--a head to another, and so on. There is nothing left of the white
man. He is distributed among all the alligators in the river. But,
perhaps, that is better than being bitten on the point of The Tooth."

A general laugh greeted this remark, and then a voice called out,
"_Hlala gahle_! Best easy, white man! Sleep peacefully inside all the
alligators. Don't cause them bad dreams. Farewell. Rest easy!"

This witticism seemed to the listener to be the parting one, for with
the roar of laughter which greeted it the sound of voices seemed to be
receding. With unspeakable and heartfelt thankfulness Gerard realised
that the savages had at length abandoned the search.

Even then he was not without misgivings. Their last words might have
been but a blind to draw him from his concealment. He would cling to
the latter as long as prudence should dictate.

Time went by. Gerard, listening with all his ears, could hear no sound
which betokened the presence of his enem