Had either of them trailed his hand in the current alongside the
boat, a finger would have been nipped off in a flash by those
concentrated sharks.

There was a rush like that of the Atlamalcan tugboat and an immense
alligator surged up from the muddy depths, and kept pace with the
craft, as though tied to it. His piggish eyes surveyed the two men as
if meditating the crushing of the boat and its occupants in one
terrific crunch, like the hippopotamus of the Nile. He partly opened
and smacked his jaws, in anticipation, and slightly increasing his
speed, passed forward to the prow.

Finally Captain Guzman showed an interest in matters. Sitting up, he
drew his revolver from the belt around his waist, aimed quickly and
fired. The bullet darted into the nearer eye and ripped through what
little brain the saurian possessed. With a snort, it whirled, darted
several rods out into the stream, and then spun round and round, as if
caught in the vortex of a whirlpool. Slight in one sense as was the
wound, it was mortal and quickly drew the attention of other
alligators, who seemed to be projected upward from the ooze of the
river, and assailed their unfortunate comrade with remorseless
ferocity. In a twinkling he was torn piecemeal by the cannibals,
whose taste of blood set aflame their rapacity. Had they known enough
they might have smashed the boat with their tails or rolled it over
with their snouts; but, unaware of their own strength, they kept up
their wild darting to and fro and were soon left behind.

CHAPTER VI.

The Captain resumed his lolling posture, placed another cartridge in
his revolver and lit a fresh cigarette. By and by his eyes closed and
Major Starland saw that he slept. The American arose to his feet,
yawned and stretched his arms over his head, holding the tiller in
place between his knees.

"Unless I am alert I shall fall asleep too, and then the mischief will
be to pay. It isn't prudent to disturb these creatures, but to hold a
position of armed neutrality. If the fools don't know their power, it
isn't wise to set them investigating."

To the right on the mainland, the low flat plain extended to the limit
of vision. The tall, reedy grass came down to the edge of the water,
and the nodding plumes showed for some distance out in the stream.
Several miles in advance, on the same shore, the dark green mass of a
forest buffeted against the soft sky, the species of trees being
innumerable and so