pen
water near the center of the morass on the frontier of Pal-ul-don it
seemed to the man that this indeed must be the futile termination of an
arduous and danger-filled journey. It seemed, too, equally futile to
pit his puny knife against this frightful creature. Had he been
attacked on land it is possible that he might as a last resort have
used his Enfield, though he had come thus far through all these weary,
danger-ridden miles without recourse to it, though again and again had
his life hung in the balance in the face of the savage denizens of
forest, jungle, and steppe. For whatever it may have been for which he
was preserving his precious ammunition he evidently held it more sacred
even than his life, for as yet he had not used a single round and now
the decision was not required of him, since it would have been
impossible for him to have unslung his Enfield, loaded and fired with
the necessary celerity while swimming.

Though his chance for survival seemed slender, and hope at its lowest
ebb, he was not minded therefore to give up without a struggle. Instead
he drew his blade and awaited the oncoming reptile. The creature was
like no living thing he ever before had seen although possibly it
resembled a crocodile in some respects more than it did anything with
which he was familiar.

As this frightful survivor of some extinct progenitor charged upon him
with distended jaws there came to the man quickly a full consciousness
of the futility of endeavoring to stay the mad rush or pierce the
armor-coated hide with his little knife. The thing was almost upon him
now and whatever form of defense he chose must be made quickly. There
seemed but a single alternative to instant death, and this he took at
almost the instant the great reptile towered directly above him.

With the celerity of a seal he dove headforemost beneath the oncoming
body and at the same instant, turning upon his back, he plunged his
blade into the soft, cold surface of the slimy belly as the momentum of
the hurtling reptile carried it swiftly over him; and then with
powerful strokes he swam on beneath the surface for a dozen yards
before he rose. A glance showed him the stricken monster plunging madly
in pain and rage upon the surface of the water behind him. That it was
writhing in its death agonies was evidenced by the fact that it made no
effort to pursue him, and so, to the accompaniment of the shrill
screaming of the dying monster, the man won