ck's wrist, I held on tightly.

"Now, then," I said, as I gazed wonderingly in his ghastly face and
staring eyes, "let go, and we'll draw you ashore."

"No, no," he cried hoarsely. "Got hold of me--drag me in."

"Got hold? Of course," I said, "we'll drag you in."

"One of those brutes has got him, Joe," cried the doctor excitedly, and
his words sent such a thrill through me that I nearly loosed my hold.
"Here, pull both together," he said, as he got down by my side and
seized Jack Penny by the other arm.

We gave a fierce drag, to find that it was answered from below, Jack
being nearly drawn out of our hands, his head going down nearly to the
eyes, and for the moment it seemed as if we were to be drawn in as well.

But fortunately Jack still had tight hold of the branch, to which he
clung in the agony of desperation, and he uttered such a piercing cry
that it served to arouse the sleeping blacks, the result being that, as
we were holding on, and just maintaining our ground, Jimmy and Ti-hi,
the black who had attached himself to me, came running down.

They saw what was wrong, and Jimmy seized me, the black doing the same
by Jimmy, with the effect of dragging poor Jack Penny farther and
farther from the water in spite of the struggles of the reptile that was
trying to haul him back. First we had him out to the chest, then to the
hips, then nearly to the knees, and I never till then thoroughly
realised what a lot there was of him, for it seemed as if he would never
end.

"Hold on!" cried the doctor suddenly. "I'm going to loose him."

"No, no!" panted Jack, with a horrified look; but the doctor did loose
his hold and caught up his gun.

"Now, then," he cried. "All together. Haul with all your might."

We obeyed, and though we were for the moment mastered we gave a good
swing again, and it seemed as if Jack Penny must be dragged in two.

It was like playing a game of French and English, and we were in danger
of getting the worst of it. We saw what the doctor wanted, and that was
to get the reptile so near the surface that he could fire; but as soon
as we got poor Jack nearly ashore the creature gave a tremendous tug,
making the water swirl and the mud and sand from the bottom rise in
clouds.

This went on for five minutes, during which we were striving with all
our might, when I nearly loosed my hold, for Jack said in a low
despairing tone of voice:

"Joe Carstairs, don't let him have me till you've