The great saurian was
badly wounded, and in its rage and agony began to lash the water
furiously with its huge tail, while blood and foam poured out at its
jaws and nostrils. The deadly, ripping, soft-nosed bullets, which
would have glanced off its hide of mail, had torn their way down its
throat and through the soft parts of the body with fearful destructive
power, inflicting mortal wounds. At sound of the pistol shots so close
to its ear, the pony leapt forward more frantically still, and the
huge dying brute was left floundering in the water.

"One done for," roared Jim in delight. "Peg away, boys. We may come
safe yet."

The words were scarcely out of his mouth when Buck let out a yell of
alarm.

"Say," cried Buck, "there's one here. He's got hold of the pony."

Buck's words were drowned by the loud shrill squeal of affright from
the pony, whose off-hind leg had been seized by the second of the vast
brutes to attack the party.

"Here's another," shouted Jack, and he and Jim, who had been also
holding his pistol above the stream, fired rapidly. The third
alligator was sailing straight upon them down stream, floating on the
surface, his evil, unwinking eyes fixed full on the pony which he was
about to attack. Jim planted a lucky shot in one of the wicked-looking
eyes and knocked it clean out of its socket. Jack plainly saw the
bleeding hole before the alligator threw up his huge tail, slapped the
water with a crack like thunder, and dived.

In the meantime Buck was engaged in a terrible struggle with the
alligator which had seized the pony. He held the bridle of the unlucky
beast, and assisted it as much as possible in the strong fight it made
for its life. So desperately did the powerful little animal struggle
with its terrible foe that it actually gained a dozen yards or more,
dragging the huge reptile along the river-bed. But the immensely
powerful jaws, fanged with strong, sharp teeth, never loosed their
grip.

Jim now turned to Buck's assistance. At that instant the alligator
rolled in the water, showing its softer underside. It rose towards the
surface, yet never easing its grip, and lashed the river into foam
with its powerful tail as it tugged backwards with tremendous force,
aiming to pull the pony into the deeper water. For a moment Jim saw
its underside near the surface, the four horrible legs armed with huge
claws striking out savagely in the water.

He thrust his rifle into the stream, pressin