"I did not lose a moment's time; I was full of energy: hope had given me
new life. My gun was loaded--a huge crocodile that swam near the shore
received the shot in his eye. I dragged him on the beach; with my knife
I laid open his entrails. Few they were, but enough for my purpose. A
plume-quill from the wing of the ibis served me for a blow-pipe. I saw
the bladder-like skin expand, until I was surrounded by objects like
great sausages. Those were tied together, and fastened to my body, and
then, with a plunge, I entered the waters of the lake, and floated
downward. I had tied on my life-preservers in such a way that I sat in
the water in an upright position, holding my gun with both hands. This
I intended to have, used as a club in case I should be attacked by the
alligators; but I had chosen the hot hour of noon, when these creatures
lie in a half-torpid state, and to my joy I was not molested.

"Half an hour's drifting with the current carried me to the end of the
lake, and I found myself at the _debouchure_ of the bayou. Here, to my
great delight, I saw my boat in the swamp, where it had been caught and
held fast by the sedge. A few minutes more, and I had swung myself over
the gunwale, and was sculling with eager strokes down the smooth waters
of the bayou.

"Of course my adventure was ended, and I reached the settlement in
safety, but without the object of my excursion. I was enabled, however,
to procure it some days after, and had the gratification of being able
to keep my promise to my friend."

Besancon's adventure had interested all of us; the old hunter-naturalist
seemed delighted with it. No doubt it revived within him the memories
of many a perilous incident in his own life.

It was evident that in the circle of the camp-fire there was more than
one pair of lips ready to narrate some similar adventure, but the hour
was late, and all agreed it would be better to go to rest. On to-morrow
night, some other would take their turn; and, in fact, a regular
agreement was entered into that each one of the party who had at any
period of his life been the hero or participator in any hunting
adventure should narrate the same for the entertainment of the others.
This would bring out a regular "round of stories by the camp-fire," and
would enable us to kill the many long evenings we had to pass before
coming up with the buffalo. The conditions were, that the stories
should exclusively relate to birds