erything that they
were compelled to cook. He would remark that the coffee was only going
to last for five more meals; that the rice seemed low, and as for
sugar, he doubted whether it would hold out much longer.

But Jack was not to be disheartened, and had a laughing answer for each
one of these dismal prophecies.

"I do belave that the less ye have to ate the better it tastes,"
declared Jimmie, as he sat there polishing his pannikin, in which he
had just had a third helping of rice, eaten without either milk or
sugar this time.

"That's right," laughed Jack. "And the smaller the amount of grub, the
more you think you feel the gnawings of hunger. Suppose, now, we were
cruising on a salt lagoon and our drinking water ran low--why, your
throat would feel parched all the time, just from imagination."

"Well," grinned the other, as he glanced around, "shmall danger of that
botherin' us here, Jack, darlint. We do same till have plinty of
wather. And there do be fish in it, for I seen 'em jump."

"Oh! we'll not starve, make up your mind to that. There are wild ducks
in places, too, and lots of squirrels on the hamaks, after the nuts.
We could live here two months, Jimmie, and thrive. I know a few things
that would come in useful; just put that in your pipe and smoke it."

"Well, I fale better, now that I've had me fill," declared Jimmie,
getting to his feet to step over to the boat; but he had not gone five
paces than Jack heard him give a shrill yell, as though he had stepped
on a rattlesnake or been jumped on by some hungry wildcat that had been
concealed among the dense branches of the live oak tree under which the
camp fire burned.

And as Jack sprang hurriedly to his feet, snatching up the handy Marlin
gun, he saw Jimmie leaping toward him, wildly waving his arms like
flails.

CHAPTER XXI.

BUSTER FACES STARVATION.

"Look out, Jack! They's wan acomin' for us roight now! And he's a big
wan, I'm tillin' yees!" cried Jimmie, gasping for breath.

"One what?" demanded Jack, failing to see any dreadful dragon in sight,
either on the land or the near-by water of the black lagoon.

"An alligator, it is, and sure the granddaddy of the tribe. I jist had
a squint of the baste sneakin' along through the wather. He manes till
surprise us, and it's a foine supper he'll be afther havin' I'm
thinkin'," Jimmie went on, hurriedly.

"Where was this?" Jack asked, wondering whether the Irish boy could be
j