ence followed, using his long legs to such advantage that he was not
far behind his man; for although gifted with greater powers of
self-restraint than Quashy, our hero was not a whit behind him in strong
enthusiasm.

They found that an alligator--not, indeed, of the largest size, but
nevertheless about six or seven feet long--had swallowed the monkey, and
was tugging at the rope like a mad thing--turning round and round in its
rage, and smacking the water with its resounding tail.

Instantly they all laid hold of the rope, and began to drag it towards
the bank.

"How shall we manage to kill it?" said Lawrence, as the monster came
close in.

"Stick 'im! shot 'im! hang 'im. Nebber mind dat. Git 'im fust,--kill
'im arter," gasped the negro, as he strained at the rope, ably seconded
by his comrades.

It was a hard tussle, and might have been unsuccessful if Lawrence and
Quashy had not possessed more than average physical strength. As it
was, they pulled the monstrous animal just near enough to get his head
clear of the water, and then, putting several balls into him, killed him
outright.

"Plenty ragoo now, massa!" exclaimed the negro, with a broad grin, after
they had stowed the carcass in the canoe.

"Yes, Quash, more than enough."

Leetle Cub seemed to have his mind running in the same direction, for he
eyed the alligator with longing looks, and licked his lips expressively
as they re-entered the canoe, shoved off, and directed the bow homeward.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

AN UNEXPECTED ATTACK AND AN UNLOOKED-FOR ARRIVAL.

Thus excitingly, and, we presume, pleasantly, passed the time at Tiger's
hut during three days.

In that period the Indian hunter quite recovered from his wounds, and
his little girl, Manca by name, began to show decided signs of amendment
under Manuela's careful nursing. During that period, also, Spotted
Tiger conducted his visitors to many scenes of beauty, where the young
doctor not only shot a variety of game, large and small, feathered and
furred, but made acquaintance with many quite new species of plants. He
collected and preserved a few of the rarest of these, but owing to the
style of travelling, both past and prospective, he had to deny himself
much in that respect.

Likewise, during those three days, he made acquaintance with the
numerous pets of Tiger's household--not the human pets, (although he
became a great favourite with these also), but the lower-animal pets--
the t