rent position from the others, placing himself on the stem. He
fired, and the saurian still kept on his course. He did better the
second time; and the reptile floundered for a moment, and then turned
over dead. The boat was run up alongside, and Achang was required to
bring out his parong latok, with which he decapitated the game at a
single blow this time; but the creature was only nine feet long.

Pitts called the cabin party to breakfast at this time. The Blanchita
went ahead again, and the repeating rifles were left on the cushions. At
Louis's suggestion the captain gave the four men off duty permission to
use the arms on crocodiles, but not on monkeys.

Ham and eggs, with hot biscuit and coffee, was the bill of fare; and the
young men had sharpened their appetites in the sports of the morning.
Before they were half done they heard the crack of a rifle. They
listened for the second shot, but none followed it.

"Who fired that shot, Pitts?" asked the captain, as the steward brought
in another plate of biscuit.

"Clinch, sir," replied the man. "He knocked the crocodile over at the
first shot, sir."

"Then he is a better shot than I am," said Scott, laughing.

"Or any of the rest of us who had their turns," added Felix. "Louis is
the only fellow that brings 'em down the first time trying."

"The rest of you would have done better if the sun had not reflected on
the water, and shaken your aim," said Louis.

Before the meal was finished, another shot was heard, followed by two
more. When the party went forward they found that the little steamer had
gone around a bend so that the forest shaded the surface of the water.
Wales had fired the last three times at a crocodile still in sight; but
he declared that he could not hit the side of a barn twenty feet from
him, and did not care to fire again. The men went to breakfast, and the
cabin party picked up the rifles. It was Achang's turn; and he missed
twice, but killed the game at the third shot.

"I can see four more of them. We seem to have come to a nest of them,
and the family are out for a morning airing," said Louis, as he picked
up his rifle, while Felix was filling the other chambers with
cartridges. "They have all started to go across the river."

"That must be the father of the family at the head of the procession,"
added the captain. "It is your turn now, Louis."

"Go ahead a little, Pitts," said the next one in turn; for the cook had
taken the wheel wh