g the muzzle against the
saurian's body. Luckily the magazine still remained above water, and
he fired several shots in swift succession into the vast brute, the
water boiling and swirling as the gases of the discharge came to the
surface in huge bubbles. One of these shots must have reached a vital
part; the alligator gave a final convulsive shudder, its jaws ground
savagely together, then they gaped wide, and the pony was free.

Jack was pushing on swiftly with the pony under his charge. That was
his business, and he hurried forward, feeling joyfully that the water
was growing shallower with every step. His shoulders were out, and now
the pony's withers began to rise. Suddenly a horrid dark snout was
thrust up in front of him. It was the wounded alligator, which had
returned to the assault.

Before Jack could fire the saurian dived, and Jack saw the huge dark
form dart at him under water. He felt his legs swept from under him
at the next instant, and down he went. He had not been seized, he had
simply been knocked from his foothold by the rush of the great brute,
and he landed full on the alligator's back. He felt plainly with his
hand its rough scaly covering like knobs of horn. He had kept his eyes
open, and saw clearly the horrid brute below him, and the dark forms
of his companions at hand.

He dropped his pistol, whipped out a great hunting-knife from his
belt, and drove it time and again into the underside of the big
reptile. Then he struck out for the surface and came up gasping for
breath. He swam a dozen swift strokes before he dared to drop his feet
again and find the easy depth which the whole party had now reached.
He saw that the Burman was leading ashore the pony he had been torn
away from, and that Buck and Jim were doing their utmost to keep the
second pony on its legs. Suddenly the bottom began to rise swiftly,
and the whole party, fearfully exhausted, but very luckily unhurt,
staggered ashore and threw themselves down on the warm sand.

"You all right, Jack?" snapped Buck. "I thought I saw you go under."

"Yes," said Jack, "the brute that Jim knocked an eye out of attacked
me and fetched me off my legs. But I dug a knife into him and got
away. How are you two?"

"Oh, we've come through with a sound skin," replied Jim. "But that was
a near shave. And look what we've missed." He pointed to the water,
where, thirty yards out, half-a-dozen huge ridged backs were now to be
seen cruising to and fro.