r safe down
there in the mud, and we shall never see him again. Well, never mind, I
daresay we shall get plenty of other chances. But I'll watch out and
not be caught napping next time."

What Earle said was true; the jaguar was gone beyond hope of recovery,
and the only thing to be done was to turn back. Back they accordingly
went, to resume their work of putting their battery in order; nor did
they cease their labours until every weapon had been unpacked, put
together, thoroughly cleaned, and loaded in readiness for any emergency.
Then they retired to their respective couches, and after Peter had
carefully closed the mosquito curtains round them and extinguished the
hurricane lamp, proceeded to "woo the drowsy god."

But the novelty of their surroundings, the enervating heat, and the
multitudinous sounds that filled the night kept sleep at bay for several
hours, and it was not until the cool air that usually heralds morning in
the tropics blew in upon them through the open flap of the tent that
they actually sank into a sound slumber, from which they were awakened
only too soon by Peter with their matutinal cup of chocolate.

"I suppose," mused Dick, as he stepped out of the tent, pyjama-clad, and
gazed down into the turbid waters of the river, "it would be hardly wise
to indulge in a swim, though I feel that it is just the one thing I need
above all others to freshen me up."

"Swim!" retorted Earle, who stood beside him. "My dear chap, I don't
know the precise depth of water just here, but I would be prepared to
bet a substantial sum that if a man were foolish enough to take a header
off here, he would never come up again; for if he didn't stick in the
mud of the bottom, that alligator who stole my jaguar last night, or
some of his relations, would have him before he could come to the
surface again. No, no; no swimming for us at present, my boy; we shall
have to make out as best we can with our collapsible `tubs,' which I see
Peter has already filled for us, aft there. There! what did I tell you?
See that? What sort of a chance do you think you would have with a
chap like that?" And as he spoke he pointed to a spot not half a dozen
yards away, where the head of an alligator had suddenly broken water,
lazily swimming up against the current. The ripples which marked the
slight movements of the brute's tail showed that he must have measured
quite fifteen feet from end to end.

They bathed and breakfasted a