shot me first."

I held fast though, and the fight went on, till, just as we were
beginning to despair, the reptile came nearer to the surface, the ugly
protuberances over its eyes were level with the water, and, bending
down, the doctor reached out with his gun in one hand, held the muzzle
close to the creature's eye, and fired.

There was a tremendous sputter and we were nearly forced to leave go,
but the next moment there was no resistance but weight, and we drew Jack
and his aggressor, a crocodile about ten feet long, right up to the
bank, the monster's jaws, which had closed over one of Jack's stoutly
booted feet, remaining fast, though the upper part of its head was all
blown away.

"Dat a big bunyip," cried Jimmy, forcing the end of his spear through
the reptile's jaws and trying to push them open, which he did with his
companion's help, and Jack Penny was free to limp feebly for a few
yards, and sink down amongst the reeds.

Jimmy did not seem in the least afraid of the bunyip now, for hacking
off a long lithe cane he put it over the reptile's jaw, and, twisting it
tightly rope-fashion, he and Ti-hi dragged it right away from the water,
and, avoiding the frantic lashings of its tail, they turned it over with
their spears, used like levers, and kept on stabbing it in its tender
underparts until it ceased to struggle, when Jimmy turned it over again
and began to perform a triumphant war-dance on its back.

Meanwhile poor Jack Penny, who had been nearly speechless, began to
revive.

"That's better," said the doctor. "Now let me look at your foot."

"Has he bit it right off?" said Jack faintly. "I can't feel it. Just
when I needed it so badly, too!"

"Bit it off! No!" I cried. "Is it much hurt, doctor?"

"I can't tell till I have unlaced his boot," he replied. "Tell me if I
hurt you much, my lad."

"It don't hurt," said Jack faintly. "I can't feel at all."

It was rather hard work to get the boot off; but at last it was free,
and the doctor inspected a double row of red spots, two of which bled a
little, but not much.

"I'm beginning to feel now," said Jack dolefully. "Why, he ain't bit it
off!" he said, raising himself so that he could look down at the injured
member. "I thought it was gone."

"No; your foot has only had an ugly pinch; the stout boot saved it. Let
it bleed a little, my lad; it will save you pain."

"What! had he only got hold of my boot?" said Jack excitedly.

"And the