Part 25 (1/2)

”Help! An alligator has got Neal!”

CHAPTER XX.

A DESPERATE STRUGGLE.

There was no necessity for the outcry. The splas.h.i.+ng of the water told c.u.mmings what had happened even before Jake had time to shout, and he started forward at full speed, carrying with him the materials for torches.

When Jake and Teddy were in a condition to understand anything, for the sudden attack had bewildered them to a certain extent, Neal was lying face downward upon the sand, and being slowly dragged backward.

The alligator had evidently snapped at his leg, and, missing his aim, had caught the boy's trousers rather than the flesh. Instead of releasing his hold for a better grip, he was trying to drag Neal into deeper water, and once there the struggle would have been quickly ended.

Neal had dug his hands into the sand, straining every muscle to prevent being pulled into the stream; but despite all efforts the monster was rapidly getting the best of him.

c.u.mmings lost no time after arriving on the scene of action. The boys'

cries had guided him to the exact spot, and he waited only long enough to kindle a blaze before joining in the fight.

”Teddy, go back to the entrance, get one of the guns, and be sure that no one comes through, for we are likely to make so much noise here that if any of the enemy are in the vicinity we shall be discovered. Jake, you are to hold the torch, and take good care that it burns brightly.”

c.u.mmings was armed with nothing but his hunting knife and by this time the alligator had dragged fully half of Neal's body into the water.

There seemed to be but little hope that the boy could be rescued before serious injury had been inflicted.

Pulling off his coat and belt c.u.mmings leaped boldly on the back of the saurian monster, burying the blade of his knife in the alligator's eye at the same time, and then ensued a most terrific struggle.

Instead of releasing his hold on Neal the reptile held firm, and put forth every effort to sink in the deeper water to dislodge the more formidable antagonist who was striking beneath the surface with his weapon in the hope of hitting some vulnerable spot.

Jake stood on the bank holding the torch high above his head to prevent it from being extinguished by the showers which were sent up by the las.h.i.+ng of the monster's tail, and powerless to aid in the fight for life.

Slowly but surely Neal was being pulled from the sh.o.r.e. With only the sand to clutch he could r.e.t.a.r.d, not check the saurian's movements, and work as he might, it seemed impossible for c.u.mmings to strike a fatal blow.

”Drop your torch and seize the boy by the arms,” the latter shouted as he saw that the battle was going against him. ”At this rate I shall soon be where it will be out of the question to prolong the struggle.”

Jake did as he was commanded, and in the darkness the remainder of the terrible fight was waged.

The engineer pulled until to Neal it seemed as if his arms would be torn from their sockets, and the alligator retained his hold as he struggled to throw off c.u.mmings.

The noise of the combat sounded almost deafening to Teddy, who was doing his best to listen for any unusual disturbance among the foliage outside, and he felt confident that if the enemy was anywhere in the vicinity the secret of their hiding place would soon be discovered.

The struggle lasted only five minutes; but Neal would have said an hour had pa.s.sed since he was first seized, and then c.u.mmings won the victory by slipping from the alligator's back regardless of the rapidly moving tail, and stabbing him under the fore leg.

Even then it appeared as if the victory was to be purchased at a great cost, for, in order to avoid being killed by the monster's dying struggles, c.u.mmings was forced to release his hold, and the current carried him rapidly toward the channel formed by the waters through the rock.

”Light the torch!” he shouted, putting forth all his strength in order to breast the tide. ”I'm in the middle of the stream, and likely to be carried through the wall.”

Jake had pulled Neal high up out of the water the instant the alligator's hold was released, and at this appeal he dropped him suddenly, groping around for the bundle of wood so hurriedly cast aside.

It was several seconds before he could find it, and then much valuable time was lost in trying to ignite the fuel made damp by the spray which had been thrown up. It seemed to him that never had he been so clumsy, and the anxiety to move quickly only served to r.e.t.a.r.d his efforts.