s head savagely to
break the line, and began giving violent plunges while it made the water
foam with its struggles, and in another moment would no doubt have
broken away; but just at the crisis, on seeing what was the state of
affairs, Brazier raised his gun, took a quick aim, and discharged
rapidly one after the other both barrels of his piece.

The result was magical. As the smoke rose, and quite a cloud of
brilliantly tinted birds flew here and there from side to side of the
river, whose trees on both banks seemed to have grown alive with
monkeys, the alligator made one leap half out of the water, fell back
with a heavy splash, and then lay motionless save for a quivering of its
tail as it was drawn nearer, when Shaddy managed to get his hook inside
the jaws, which were distended by the dorado, and then, stepping ashore,
he hauled the reptile right out on to the grass.

"Is he dead?" said Brazier, who was reloading.

"Not yet, sir; but you've shattered the back of his head, and he'll soon
be quite. No wonder you didn't land him quicker, Master Joe."

"But what does it mean?" cried Rob. "Oh, I see! Joe hooked a dorado,
and this fellow tried to swallow it head first, and couldn't get it
right down."

"That's it, my lad," replied Shaddy. "He'd half managed it when Mr
Jovanny here gave a pull, and has got the hook in him somewhere. I
thought so. Here's the pynte sticking right through outside his neck,
and he couldn't bite because of the fish stuck in his jaws just like a
great gag."

"Well, what's to be done?" said Rob; "we can't eat the dorado now.
Wonder whether I've got a bite yet."

He went slowly and wearily up to the tree where he had fastened the end
of his line, and to his delight saw that the branch was rising and
falling as a fish on the hook tugged to get away.

"Hi! Joe! Got one!" he shouted; but before the lad could reach him he
had the line in his hand and was hauling, sore as his fingers were, a
heavy fish toward the shore. Then with a cry of disappointment he
pulled in the line easily enough, for the fish was gone.

They returned to the spot where Brazier and Shaddy stood, near the
captured alligator.

"Good six feet long, Rob," said Brazier, who had measured it by taking
two long paces. "Something like a catch, Giovanni. Can you get the
fish out of its jaws, Naylor?"

"Oh yes, I think so, sir."

"Mind, for these creatures are very retentive of life."

"Oh yes, I know 'em, s