as past and the time for action
had arrived, so, raising his bow, he drew his arrow to its head, and
aimed it full at the breast of the Indian who had addressed him so
abusively. For a single moment he hesitated, then he released the
arrow, and the next moment, with the shaft buried so deep in his body
that the point protruded nearly a foot out of his back, the savage flung
up his arms, reeled backward, and fell into the water, capsizing the
canoe in which he had been standing as he did so.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

HOW THEY FELL INTO THE HANDS OF THE MAYUBUNA.

A yell, expressive in about equal proportions of amazement at the
strength which could drive an arrow very nearly through the body of a
man, and fury against the audacious slayers of that man--who happened to
be a cacique--immediately arose from the occupants of the companion
canoe, to be almost immediately succeeded by loud cries of dismay as a
sudden swirl and rush along the surface of the stream toward the spot
where the occupants of the capsized canoe were splashing in the water
betrayed the presence of a hungry alligator. Paddles were dashed into
the water with frantic energy as the occupants of the other canoe,
abandoning all attempts to bar the passage of the Englishmen, whirled
their craft round and sped to the assistance of their friends. But the
alligators were beforehand with them, for before they could reach the
spot where the capsized canoe floated, bottom up, surrounded by her
crew, two piercing shrieks were followed by the abrupt disappearance of
two Indians beneath the surface of the water; and a few seconds later a
third Indian vanished in the same terrible manner.

"The caimans are among them!" shouted Stukely to Dick. "This is our
chance to get past, lad. Starboard your helm a little. So, steady!
Keep her at that. Now, if we were vindictively inclined, we could
hamper their efforts very considerably by galling them with our arrows
as we slip past. But let be; perhaps the lesson which they have already
had will teach them the folly of interfering with Englishmen!"

The Mayubuna, however, had not yet received their full lesson; for when
the canoe of the would-be rescuers dashed in among the swimmers the
latter, frantic with fear of the alligators, seized her gunwale and made
such frenzied and reckless efforts to scramble into her that, despite
the warning cries of her occupants, she, too, was instantly capsized.
And now blind, sensele