mous cypress trees lined either bank, and scores of buzzards were
perched on the dead branches, watching the solitary skiff glide through
the water. The buzzards seemed to know that they were protected by law,
and they did not deign to jump from their roosts.

At the end of the creek was a smaller lake, or rather a small muddy
pond, in the centre of which was an island which nearly touched the
mainland at one end. Between this island and the land the big alligators
basked in numbers, and Jed truthfully exclaimed, as he caught sight of
the saurians:

"We've got a regular corner in 'em, sure! We'll land and pelt 'em like
fun!"

The boys had only one gun between them, but they were both so excited
that they enjoyed the anticipated sport as much as if each held one of
the deadly weapons in his hand.

As the skiff touched the island, they leaped out of it together. Stam
hurried up to a huge alligator and took deliberate aim before pulling
the trigger; but, to his chagrin, the alligator still blinked at him
after the hammer struck the cap.

The gun was so rusty from its two days' exposure that it refused to go
off. Several caps were exploded with the same unsatisfactory result.

The boys began to worry and fume while the alligator eyed them
menacingly.

Stam took the ramrod out and began to draw the load, but, before he
could succeed, the alligator became aggressive. He winked at his
comrades, snapped his jaws, and then waddled toward the young hunters.

"Look out!" Jed screamed, "he's coming for you! Get in the boat and draw
the load there."

Both boys turned and ran for the skiff, but there was no skiff to be
had. In the excitement they had jumped out of the boat and left it
without securing it in any way, and the skiff had quietly drifted off.

The two boys were in a great predicament, and their fun gave place to
fear.

"We're in for it now, Stam," gasped Jed.

"We'll have to swim ashore."

"We can't do that unless we get on the other side of the island. There
are too many snags on this side. We'd get caught in them."

The boys walked around their narrow prison, and tried to frighten the
alligators away; but they were unsuccessful in this attempt. Two or
three curious alligators crawled up on the land to ascertain the cause
of the alarm.

The boys set up a shouting, and threw sticks at the saurians; but the
more noise they made, the more alligators assembled around the island.
The backs and heads of sev