was then wound around the stick
so that the game could not bite it in two. A big fish for bait was then
attached to the alir, and carefully fastened to it so that the reptile
could not tear it off.

Thus prepared, the apparatus was thrown overboard, and the sampan
paddled away from it to give the game an opportunity to approach it, the
Malays each paying out his forty feet of line, one on each side of the
boat. The spectators watched the result with great interest. As the
sampan receded from the saurians, they approached the bait. Crocodiles
and alligators do not nibble at their prey, but bolt it as a snake does
a frog.

The bait nearest to the observers on the yacht was soon gobbled up by
the hungry crocodile, who appeared not to have been to breakfast that
morning; and the Malay at the other end of the line gave a sharp jerk to
his gear, the effect of which was to draw the pointed crescent "athwart
ships," as the sailors would say, or across his stomach; and the harder
it was pulled the more the pointed ends would penetrate the interior of
the organ.

The first Malay had hardly hooked his game before the second had another
ready to haul in. Both of the saurians struggled and lashed the dark
water into a foam; but both of the men in the sampan kept the line as
taut as they could with all their strength; and this is the rule in
hauling in all gamey fish.

"Tell them we will go ahead, Achang, and all they need to do is to make
fast their rattans to the sampan," said Captain Scott, when he had taken
in the situation.

In reply to the message the Bornean delivered to them, the Malays nodded
their heads vigorously, and smiled their assent.

"Go ahead, down the river, Clinch," added the captain to the helmsman.

"I fancy there will be a lively kick-up on the part of the game," said
Louis, as the boat came up to her course.

"Not much," added Scott. "If we put them through the water at the rate
of eight knots an hour, the crocs will not feel much like doing any
gambolling. We are not making more than four knots now."

"They are as lively now as a parched pea in a hot skillet."

"I will ring the speed-bell now, and see how that will affect them,"
replied the captain, suiting the action to the word.

The Blanchita darted ahead at her usual speed. Clingman began to
overhaul the painter of the sampan, for it did not look strong enough
for the present strain. He had scarcely got hold of it before it snapped
in the mi