hey
cannot bite till then; but when once they have settled, it is better to
allow them to suck their fill, for otherwise the inflammation is far
worse.

The doctor was to follow me; so, after two hours, I called him, and
remarked on the number of alligators I had heard near us.

"To-morrow morning we will put a stop to the snapping of some of them,"
he answered. "I shall awake before dawn, as I always do, and will call
you, if you wish to exercise your skill on some of them."

I begged that he would do so; and having placed my gun safely under the
curtains, I crept in and closed them. Two or three mosquitoes had
managed to follow me; but the light from the fire streaming through
enabled me to catch them and kill them, and in a few moments I was fast
asleep.

I felt unwilling to get up when I heard the doctor's voice, till I
remembered that we were to make war on the alligators. The feeling of
utter detestation with which those creatures are regarded is not
surprising, when it is recollected what a scourge they are to the people
inhabiting the banks of the rivers and lakes of that part of the
country. I was soon on foot; and having loaded my gun with ball, I
accompanied the doctor to a little creek which ran at no great distance
from the camp. Jumbo went with us. He knew exactly what to do. First
he went to the shore of the lake and barked several times; then ran
along, barking occasionally, till he reached the entrance of the creek,
along the bank of which he ran. Soon after he barked several long
snouts appeared above the surface; but Jumbo was wide-awake, never for a
moment withdrawing his eyes from the water, so that should an alligator
make a dash at him he might bound off out of harm's way.

After some time we saw a huge monster appear, who quickly put the other
alligators to flight, and then came swimming up the creek towards Jumbo.
The dog barked, and then bounded off close to where the doctor and I
lay hid. Once more Jumbo showed his nose among the weeds; when the
alligator, opening his immense jaws, made a dash at him. At the same
moment the doctor, starting up, fired down the creature's throat, and
stopped him in mid career. His head and shoulders rose above the
surface, and then he rolled over dead. I shouted with satisfaction, and
Jumbo barked his approval.

"We have not yet finished our sport," said the doctor; "we must kill
half-a-dozen before breakfast. Go, good Jumbo, and entice a few