th sides of them, but they had a place to
stand. Here they rested a little while. The water in front of them was
not rapid. They jumped into it, intending to swim ashore. But the
water that pours in from the falls on each side, runs back against the
rocks in this place. Every time the Indians tried to swim, they were
thrown back against the rocks from which they started. At last they
were so much bruised and scratched, they were obliged to give up this
plan. So they climbed back up their bark stairs to the island, not
knowing what to do.

After a while they saw other Indians on the shore. They cried out to
these to come and help them. The other Indians did not know what to
do. They had no way of getting to the island. If they had tried to get
there in a canoe, they would have been carried over the falls
themselves. They went to the fort, and told the commander about it. He
had poles made, and pointed with iron. He persuaded two Indians to
take these poles, and walk with them to the island.

These two Indians took leave of all their friends as if they were
going to die. Each of them took two poles in his hands. They set these
poles against the bottom of the river to keep themselves steady, while
they waded through the water. It was a very dangerous thing to do, but
at last they got to the island. Then they gave a pole to each of the
two Indians, and all four of them started back again. By the help of
the poles they managed to get to the shore in safety.

AMONG THE ALLIGATORS.

Before the Revolution there lived in Pennsylvania a man named William
Bartram. He was a botanist; that is to say, a man who knew a great
deal about different kinds of plants. Wishing to see the plants and
animals of the South, he traveled through South Carolina and Georgia,
and so on into Florida.

In a little canoe, Bartram set out to go up the St. Johns River. He
took an Indian along for a guide, but the Indian got tired of the
trip, and left him. Bartram kept on up the river alone. The country
was wild, and the river was filled with great alligators.

Bartram saw two large alligators fighting. They ran at each other from
opposite sides of the river. They lashed the water with their tails.
They met in the middle of the river, and fought with great fury,
making the water boil all round them. They twisted themselves one
round the other, and sank to the bottom fighting. Their struggles at
the bottom brought up a great deal of mud.