und several teams on both sides of the river
waiting to be ferried across; then Mark had to go with Jan for a load
of fence posts, so that it wanted only about an hour of sundown when
they finally found themselves at liberty to carry out their designs
against the alligator.

Frank said this was all the better, as alligators fed at night, and the
nearer dark it was, the hungrier the old fellow would be.

Taking a large fish, one of a half a dozen he had caught during the
day, Frank thrust the bit of stick, with the line attached, into its
mouth and deep into its body. "There," said he, "now you see that if
the 'gator swallows that fish he swallows the stick too. He swallows it
lengthwise, but a strain on the line fixes it crosswise, and it won't
come out unless Mr. 'Gator comes with it. Sabe?"

"I see," answered Mark; "but what am I to do?"

"I want you to lie down flat in the boat, and hold on to the line about
twenty feet from this end, which I am going to make fast to the ferry
post. Keep it clear of the bank, and let the bait float well out in the
stream. The minute the 'gator swallows it, do you give the line a jerk
as hard as you can, so as to fix the stick crosswise in his gullet."

"All right," said Mark; "I understand. And what are you going to do?"

"Oh, I'm going to play dog," answered Frank, with a laugh, as he walked
off down the riverbank, leaving Mark to wonder what he meant.

Frank crept softly along until he was very near the alligator cove,
just above which he could see the fish, which Mark had let drop
down-stream, floating on the surface of the water. Then he lay down,
and began to whine like a puppy in distress. As soon as Mark heard this
he knew what his friend meant by playing dog, and he smiled at the
capital imitation, which would have certainly deceived even him if he
had not known who the puppy really was.

Frank whined most industriously for five minutes or so, and even
attempted two or three feeble barks, but they were not nearly so
artistic as the whines. Then he stopped, for his quick eye detected
three black objects moving on the water not far from the bank. These
objects were the alligator's two eyes and the end of his snout, which
were all of him that showed, the remainder of his body being completely
submerged. He was looking for that puppy, and thinking how much he
should enjoy it for his supper if he could only locate the whine, and
be able to stop it forever.

Again it soun