ney found it almost
impossible to fix his attention on any particular individual. At length
he made up his mind, whirled the coil round his head, discharged the
noose, caught the Senhor Antonio round the neck, and jerked him
violently to the ground!

There was a simultaneous pause of horror among the slaves; but it was
too much for their risible faculties to withstand; with one accord they
rushed howling into the water to conceal their laughter, and began to
stir up and belabour the alligators with their poles, until the surface
of the lake was a sheet of foam.

Meanwhile the Senhor Antonio sprang to his feet and began to bluster
considerably in Portuguese; but poor Barney seemed awfully crestfallen,
and the deep concern which wrinkled his face, and the genuine regret
that sounded in the tones of his voice, at length soothed the indignant
Brazilian, who frowned gravely, and waving his hand, as if to signify
that Barney had his forgiveness, he stalked up to the shed, lighted a
cigarito, and lay down in his hammock.

"Well," said Martin, in an undertone, "you did it that time, Barney. I
verily thought the old fellow was hanged. He became quite livid in the
face."

"Och! bad luck to the lasso, say I. May I niver more see the swate
groves o' Killarney if iver I meddle with wan again."

"Hi-i; you is fuss rate," said Sambo, as he and his comrades returned
and busied themselves in cutting up the dead alligators. "You beat de
Niggers all to not'ing. Not any of dis yere chiles eber lasso Sen'or
Antonio yet; no, neber!"

It was some time before the Negroes could effectually subdue their
merriment, but at length they succeeded, and applied themselves
vigorously to the work of cutting out the fat. The alligators were all
cut open,--a work of no small difficulty, owing to the hard scales which
covered them, as with coats of mail; then the fat, which accumulates in
large quantities about the intestines, was cut out and made up into
packets in the skins of the smaller ones, which were taken off for this
purpose.

These packets were afterwards carried to the Senhor's dwelling, and the
fat melted down into oil, which served for burning in lamps quite as
well as train oil. The flesh of a smaller species of alligator, some of
which were also taken, is considered excellent food; and, while the
Negroes were engaged in their work, Barney made himself useful by
kindling a large fire and preparing a savoury dish for "all hand