ded, the crocodile also
believed that there was no living thing in all the land of Borneo, or in
its waters either, that could withstand its terrible onslaught. It
therefore advanced to the attack with no idea of danger to itself, but
only the thought of seizing upon the half-crouching, half-upright form
that had intruded upon its domain, and which possibly appeared to it
only a weak human being--a poor Dyak, like some of its former victims.

In this respect it was woefully deceiving itself; and the slight retreat
made by the mias toward the dry land no doubt further misled its
assailant. The reptile paused for a moment, lest the retreat should be
continued, at the same time sinking its body beneath the water as low as
the depth would allow.

Remaining motionless for a few seconds, and seeing that its victim was
not only not going any further, but maintained its defiant attitude, the
gavial crawled silently and cautiously on till the reeds no longer
concealed it. Then suddenly rising on its strong fore-arms, it bounded
forward--aiding the movement by a stroke of its immense tail--and
launched the whole length of its body on the bank, its huge jaws flying
agape as they came in contact with the shaggy skin of its intended prey.
For an instant of time its snout was actually buried in the long red
hair of the gorilla, and the spectators expected to see the latter
grasped between its jaws and dragged into the lake.

They were even congratulating themselves on the chance of thus getting
rid of it, when a movement on the part of the mias warned them they were
not to be so conveniently disembarrassed of its dangerous proximity.
That movement was a leap partly to one side, and partly upward into the
air. It sprang so high as completely to clear the head of its
assailant, and so far horizontally, that when it came to the ground
again, it was along the extended body of the crocodile, midway between
its head and its tail. Before the unwieldy reptile could turn to
confront it, the ape made a second spring, this time alighting upon the
gavial's back, just behind his shoulders. There straddling, and taking
a firm hold with its thick short legs, it threw its long arms forward
over the crocodile's shoulder-blades, as with the intent to throttle it.
And now commenced a struggle between the two monstrous creatures--a
conflict strange and terrible--such as could only be seen in the depths
of a Bornean or Sumatran forest, in the mid