; for look yonder at those monkeys, they ain't
chattering and swinging about there for nothing."

In effect a family of monkeys were aloft howling and making a deafening
din, and I could not help thinking with Tom that it meant the presence
of enemies.

"Look out!" I shouted the next minute to Tom; for a huge crocodile that
we had passed unseen, sleeping amongst the dank herbage, had apparently
awakened to the belief that we were trying to cut off its retreat and
charging down straight at Tom in order to reach the river, it was only
by a grand display of activity that might have been learned of the
monkeys above us that he avoided the onslaught, and the next minute the
hideous reptile had disappeared from sight; but we could hear its
rustling onward progress, followed by a heavy splash, one or two ominous
growls, and the increased activity of the monkeys, showing that our
ideas with respect to these latter were not without basis.

"I tell you what, Mas'r Harry," said Tom, as he stood mopping the
perspiration from his face, "them ugly beasts have got a spite against
me, I know they have; and if I'm lost, mind this, I'm swallowed down by
one of them crocks, I know I am, so mind that; and if you do go home
without me tell Sally Smith that I was swallowed by a crockeydile, and
all for love of she. Now, Mas'r Harry, I'm ready if you are? Let's
both keep together, tread softly, and take good steady aim before we
fire; for this ain't like putting a handful of oats in the snow in our
yard and then shooting at cock-sparrers. If we hit what we've come
after, mind 'twill be something to put in the bag!"

I was now as excited as Tom, and together we stepped slowly on through
the dense brake, parting the heavy growth with the barrels of our guns
as we trod lightly over the swampy ground, which sent up a hot,
stifling, steamy exhalation.

Yard after yard we pressed on, watchful ever; but though the track was
plain enough, the elastic water grasses had sprung back so as to
thoroughly impede our view, and we knew that at any moment we might be
ready to plant our feet upon the wounded monster that we sought.

Twice over little alligators went scuttling from beneath our feet, at
the last time drawing forth an ejaculation from Tom, and then we stopped
short with our guns at our shoulders; for Tom's utterance was followed
by a warning shriek from the monkeys, and then, as that ceased, came a
low, fierce, snarling growl from appar