tness
it's too bad of you, Master George."

I smiled once more, for Morgan's speech had sounded very droll and
Welsh, as it often was when he grew excited.

"You tit it to scare me," he said, angrily.

"Indeed, no."

"Yes, inteet," he said; "and look you--I say, Master George, was it
meant for a choke?"

"Indeed, no, Morgan; I really felt startled."

"Then it's all right," he said. "There's none of 'em here, so let's get
home."

"But what are you going to do with the alligator?"

"Eh? Oh, I never thought of that. I wanted to catch him so that you
might have a bit of fun."

"But now we have caught him?"

"Well, dunno, my lad. Might take him home and chain him up. Turn down
a barrel to make him a kennel; he can bark."

"Oh, nonsense! We can't do that."

"He's no good to eat, though they say the savages eat 'em. Here, I
know; let's take him home, and ask master what's to be done with him."

"Take him home?" I faltered.

"Ay, to be sure. I'll lead him by the string, and you can come behind
and give him a poke with the pole when he won't go. Ought by rights to
have two ropes, like they do at home with a vicious cow; then when he
ran at me, you could pull; and when he ran at you, I could pull him
back."

"But we haven't two ropes. That isn't long enough to cut, and I can't
stop him if he runs at you."

"Might pull his tail," said Morgan.

"Ugh!" I ejaculated, as I recalled the use the creature could make of
it, giving blows that I knew would knock me off my feet.

"Well then, I tell you what; let's leave him tied up as he is, and get
back. The master will be wondering where we are, and fancying all sorts
of trouble."

"Seems cruel," I said. "The creature will be strangled."

"Not he. If he does, he'll strangle himself. I never feel very
merciful to things that go about doing all the harm they can as long as
they live. Say, shall I kill him at once?"

"No; let's leave him, and see what my father says."

Morgan examined the knot he had made, and then started away, for the
reptile made a lash at him with its tail, and in retort he took out his
big-bladed knife, opened it, and held it out threateningly.

"It's all very well, look you," he said; "but if you'd hit me with that
tail of yours, I'd have had it off as sure as you're alive."

It was Morgan's farewell to the alligator as we turned off with our
poles, broken and sound, and hurried back to find my father with a gun
over his