gether, some at the head, some at
the tail, or the middle, or anywhere they could get hold, and it was
just like this till they all went out of sight as this has done. For
it's gone now, hasn't it?"

"Yes, quite out of sight," said Brace, drawing a deep, sighing breath.
"Why, the river seems to be alive with alligators."

"Hungry ones too," said Lynton, "and they've got a fine big
full-flavoured worm for breakfast. Fancy their laying hold of his tail
and pulling him away from us like that!"

"Say, Jemmy," said one of the sailors, speaking to another who was
standing near him, "if at any time I'm ashore and want to come aboard,
you'll have to send the boat, for I'm blessed if I'm going to try a
swim."

"That's a downright fine specimen gone, Mr Brace," said Briscoe drily;
"and I'm real sorry we lost him. What do you say about its length? I
think we might make it fifty feet?"

"Do you think it was fifty feet long?" cried Brace, laughing.

"Well, yes, and I call that a pretty modest estimate, when we might
easily have made it a hundred feet."

Dan opened his mouth, showed his teeth, and laughed with a sound like a
watchman's rattle that had lain in the water.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE BRIG JIBS.

Another fortnight's sailing brought the travellers abreast of a river
which flowed slowly and sluggishly into the stream they had ascended,
just when its waters had begun to grow clearer and more shallow. It had
become more rapid too in its course, and everything suggested that they
were gradually gaining higher ground. In addition, in spite of the
favourable breezes they enjoyed, the brig could now hardly stem the
current.

The consequence was that at the captain's suggestion the more sluggish
waters of the confluent river were entered, and the fresh course slowly
pursued ever northward and westward for weeks, till it became plain that
much further progress could not be made in the brig itself.

The banks had closed in so that every night the vessel could have been
moored to some large tree; but one night's experience of this proved to
be sufficient for the travellers, too many of the occupants of the
forest giant finding their way on board and interfering with their
comfort, and as the vessel swung in the stream boughs of neighbouring
trees entangled themselves with the rigging.

"It's all right by a wharf," said the captain, "or in a dock; but it
won't do here."

And in future they always anchored in