n," said Jack. "Peg along and do your best. It's
facing death either way. Let's have a go at the other bank."

[Illustration: THE DANGER AT THE FORD.]

"That's the way to talk, Jack," said Jim, through the teeth set in
his white, grim face. "We've got to go through with it now. And hark,
listen to that!"

There was the crack of a musket on the shore behind them, and a ball
whistled over their heads and splashed into the water before them.
Jack glanced back and saw a blue-clothed figure on the river bank.

"They're coming," he said. "One of them's trying to pot us now.
Impossible to turn back."

"Gosh! it's deepening again," growled Buck.

So it was. The stream ran nearly shoulder deep, and the other bank was
still a good forty yards away. Jack pushed on as fast as he could,
urging the pony forward. His breath came fast, and his heart thumped
like a trip-hammer. The situation was inconceivably desperate.
Somewhere through the hidden depths of the rushing stream, three
monstrous and frightful reptiles, fearfully dangerous and terrible
creatures in their own element, were darting swiftly towards them, and
behind them the dacoits now lined the shore and prevented return into
shallower waters which might promise safety from the huge saurians.

Suddenly the pony which Jack led gave a great leap, and pawed the
water madly with its fore-feet, and uttered a loud snort of agonised
terror. Jack held him tight and looked over his withers. Nor could the
brave lad keep back a cry of alarm at the frightful thing he saw
there.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE COMBAT IN THE RIVER.

The river, though swift, was not muddy, and through the clear brown
water he saw plainly the vast open jaws of a huge alligator rising in
the stream, and about to seize the pony by the neck. In another second
the great saurian would have seized its prey, but the pony swerved
aside, and the huge snout shot out of the water, and the jaws, missing
their prey, clashed together with a sharp snap. At the next moment
they were opened, as the alligator drew back a little for a fresh
assault.

Jack had been marching with his Mannlicher held on top of the pony's
pack, and his Mauser pistol held up in the other hand, hoping to keep
the weapons dry. Now he seized the opportunity of pouring a stream of
heavy Mauser bullets into the open jaws.

So swiftly did he press the trigger that he drove five shots in before
the alligator once more snapped its jaws close.