reech from his chum. This caused him
to leap quickly to his feet; and what he saw was enough to send a
thrill through his whole body.

In prodding about with the push pole Larry must have struck some object
lying at the bottom of the river, and the sudden appearance of this
unsuspected neighbor had given him a terrible shock. It was a
tremendous alligator that thrust his snout above the surface, just as
Larry, losing his balance, fell into the river with a great splash!

CHAPTER XV

A RIDE ON AN ALLIGATOR

It was certainly a time for prompt action.

Phil Lancing had leaped to his feet at the first cry from his chum.
When he saw that tremendous snout thrust up out of the water he felt a
thrill. This changed from alarm to horror when unfortunate and clumsy
Larry, tripping in his excitement over the side, struck the water with
a tremendous splash, not far from the aroused alligator.

During the day just passed Tony had been giving them more or less
interesting facts connected with the ugly saurians that had their usual
abode in the cypress swamps. Of course, as the lad had been born and
raised amid such surroundings, he was familiar with most of the humors
of the scaly reptiles; and had himself been engaged in numerous
adventures with them in times past.

He had even told with infinite gusto of an occasion where on a dare he
had jumped astride the back of a big bull that was caught in a lagoon,
and ridden him to and fro for the space of five moments, despite his
bellowing and the angry lashing of his active tail.

Naturally, then, these things all seemed to flash before the mind of
Phil in that one dreadful second as he stood there, and saw his chum
floundering in the river, not ten feet from the ugly teeth of the
'gator.

Larry had somehow managed to seize upon a dangling rope end. It must
have been by the merest chance in the world that this came about; but
having once clutched this life preserver he held on with a desperate
grip.

Meanwhile, he seemed to understand that he was in dangerous closeness
to that aroused and angry reptile which his setting pole had prodded.
While holding on for dear life Larry was exercising all the agility of
a gymnast in a mad effort to do a little rope climbing.

That was where his lack of form told heavily against him. Strive as he
would, and spurred on to redoubled labor by a knowledge of his peril,
Larry was utterly unable to accomplish what he had set out to p