he deep shades of the forest, by far the greater portion love
the bright sunlight.

After breakfast they again set out, Frank this time keeping along the
edge of the stream, where he had observed many butterflies as he came
up, and where many birds of the kingfisher family had also been seen. He
had been very successful, and was walking along by the edge of the water
with his eyes fixed upon the trees above, where he had a minute before
heard the call of a bird, when he was startled by a shout from the
Houssa behind him. He involuntarily sprang back, and it was well he did
so; for on the instant something swept by within an inch or two of his
head. Looking round he saw, at the edge of the stream below him, a huge
alligator. This had struck at him with its tail--the usual manner in
which the alligator supplies itself with food--and had it not been for
the warning cry of the Houssa, would have knocked him into the stream.
Its mouth was open and Frank, as if by instinct, fired the contents of
both barrels into its throat. The animal rolled over on to its back
in the water and then turned as if to struggle to regain the bank. The
Houssa, however, had run up, and, placing the muzzle of his gun within a
foot of its eye, fired, and the creature rolled over dead, and was swept
away by the stream.

The Houssa gave a loud shout which was answered in the distance. He
then shouted two or three words, and turning to Frank said: "Men get
alligator," and proceeded on his way without concerning himself further
in the matter.

On his return to camp in the evening Frank found that the alligator had
been discovered and fished out, and that its steaks were by no means bad
eating. Frank told Mr. Goodenough of the narrow escape he had had, and
the latter pointed out to him the necessity of always keeping his eyes
on the watch.

"Alligators frequently carry off the native women when engaged in
washing," he said, "and almost invariably strike them, in the first
place, into the river with a blow of their tails. Once in the water they
are carried off, drowned, and eaten at leisure. Sometimes, indeed,
a woman may escape with the loss of a foot or arm, but this is the
exception."

"What is the best thing to do when so attacked?" Frank asked. "I don't
mean to be caught napping again, still it is as well to know what to do
if I am."

"Men when so attacked have been known frequently to escape by thrusting
their thumbs or fingers into the crea