right enough. We'll try."

The first beast we loosed was the python. Ivy did the loosing and I
stood by with a big rifle to guard against trouble; but, bless you,
there was no need. One and all, the beasts knew the old _Boldero_ was
doomed, and one and all they cried and begged and made eyes and signs to
be turned loose. As for knowing where the nearest land was--well, if
you'd seen the python, when he came to the surface, make a couple of
loopy turns to get his bearings and his wriggles in order, and then hike
off to leeward in a bee-line--you'd have believed that he--well, that he
knew what he was talking about.

And the beasts, one and all, big and little, the minute they were
loosed, wanted to get overboard--even the cats; and off they went to
leeward in the first flush of dawn, horned heads, cat heads, pig
heads--the darnedest game of follow-my-leader that ever the skies looked
down on. And the birds, white and colored, streaked out over the beasts.
There was a kind of wonder to it all that eased the pinch of fear. Ivy
clapped her hands and jumped up and down like a child when it sees the
grand entry in Buffalo Bill's show for the first time--or the last, for
that matter.

There was some talk of taking a tow-line from around Bahut's neck to the
raft; but the morning breeze was freshening and with a sail rigged the
raft would swim pretty fast herself. Anyway, we couldn't fix it to get
big Bahut overboard. The best we could do was to turn him loose, open
all the hatches, and trust to his finding a way out when the _Boldero_
settled.

He did, bless him! We weren't two hundred yards clear when the _Boldero_
gave a kind of shudder and went down by the bows, Bahut yelling bloody
murder. Then, just when we'd given him up for lost, he shot up from the
depths, half-way out of water. After blowing his nose and getting his
bearings he came after the raft like a good old tugboat.

We stood up, Ivy and I did, and cheered him as he caught up with us and
foamed by.

The worst kind of remembering is remembering what you've forgotten. I
got redder and redder. It didn't seem as if I could tell Ivy; but I did.
First I says, hopeful:

"Have you forgotten anything?"

She shakes her head.

"I have," says I. "I've left my rifle, but I've got plenty of
cartridges. I've got a box of candles, but I've forgotten to bring
matches. A nice, thoughtful husband you've got!"

V

The beasts knew.

There was land just around the