In a few seconds, several alligators were seen swimming over the bayou,
coming from all sides at once. They were not long in reaching the bank
where Francois lay concealed, and foremost of all a large male, throwing
up his snout, crawled out of the water. He was calculating, no doubt,
on making a meal of something; but was doomed to disappointment, and
worse than that, for the sharp crack of Basil's rifle rang upon the air,
and the hideous reptile rolled over in the mud; and, after sprawling
about for a while, lay motionless. He was quite dead, as the well-aimed
rifle had sent a bullet right into his eye.

Basil and Francois now showed themselves--as they did not care to waste
their ammunition by shooting any more--and the rest of the alligators,
seeing them, swam off faster than they had come. By the aid of Lucien's
hatchet, the largest teeth were knocked out of the jaws of the one that
had been killed; and the horrid carcass was left where it lay, to feed
the wolves and vultures, or anything else that chose to make a meal of
it.

After cooking a pot of coffee and a venison-steak for supper, our
adventurers spread their buffalo-robes within the tent, and went to rest
for the night.

Next morning they were astir by daybreak; and after breakfasting
heartily, they saddled their horses, and resumed their journey.

CHAPTER TEN.

THE FOOD OF THE SILKWORM.

After leaving Bayou Crocodile, our young hunters travelled due west,
over the prairies of Opelousas. They did not expect to fall in with
buffalo on these great meadows. No. The bison had long since forsaken
the pastures of Opelousas, and gone far westward. In his place
thousands of long horned cattle roamed over these plains; but these,
although wild enough, belonged to owners, and were all marked and tended
by mounted herdsmen. There were white settlements upon the prairies of
Opelousas, but our adventurers did not go out of their way to visit
them. Their purpose was to get far beyond; and they did not wish to
lose time.

They crossed numerous bayous and rivers, generally running southward
into the Mexican Gulf. The shallow ones they forded, while those that
were too deep for fording, they swam over upon their horses. They
thought nothing of that--for their horses, as well as the mule Jeanette
and the dog Marengo, were all trained to swim like fishes.

After many days' travel they reached the banks of the river Sabine,
which divides Louisiana f