s had recovered from their first surprise, they saw him plunge past
the spot where stood the affrighted girl. In another instant his black
head, with the long dark hair trailing behind it, appeared in close
juxtaposition to the opened jaws of the reptile. Then the head was seen
suddenly to duck beneath the surface, while at the same time a
brown-skinned arm and hand rose above it with a pointed stake in its
grasp--like the emblematic representation seen upon some ancient crest.
Then was seen an adroit turning of the stick, so quick as to be scarce
perceptible--immediately followed by a backward spring upon the part of
the lizard, with a series of writhings and contortions, in which both
its body and tail took part, till the water around it was lashed into
foam.

In the midst of this commotion, the head of the Malay once more appeared
above the surface, close to that of the girl; who, under the guidance of
her strangely-skilled and truly courageous rescuer, was conducted to the
bank, and delivered safe into her father's arms; stretched open to
embrace her.

It was some time, however, before the stream recovered its wonted
tranquillity. For nearly half an hour the struggles of the great
saurian continued, its tail lashing the water into foam, as through its
gagged jaws a stream rushed constantly down its throat, causing
suffocation. But, in spite of its amphibious nature, drowning was
inevitable; and soon after became an accomplished fact--the huge
reptilian carcass drifting down stream, towards the all-absorbing ocean,
to become food for sharks, or some other marine monster more hideous and
ravenous than itself.

If, indeed, a more hideous and ravenous monster is to be found! It is
sometimes called the Gangetic crocodile, but it is even uglier than
either crocodile or alligator, and differs from both in several
important particulars.

As, for instance, in its mouth--its jaws being curiously straight, long,
and narrow; and in the shape of its head, which has straight
perpendicular sides, and a quadrilateral upper surface. It has double,
or nearly double, the number [Note 1.] of the teeth of the crocodile of
the Nile, though the latter is well enough supplied with these potent
implements of destruction!

It is an amphibious animal, and fond of the water, in which its webbed
hind feet enable it to move with considerable celerity.

The huge reptile which threatened Helen's safety was twenty feet in
length, but