Part 20 (1/2)

”Hold on!” cried the doctor suddenly ”I' to loose him”

”No, no!” panted Jack, with a horrified look; but the doctor did loose his hold and caught up his gun

”Now, then,” he cried ”All together Haul with all your h ere for the ain, and it seeed in two

It was like playing a ga the worst of it We sahat the doctor wanted, and that was to get the reptile so near the surface that he could fire; but as soon as we got poor Jack nearly ashore the creature gave a tre the water swirl and the mud and sand from the botto which ere striving with all our ht, when I nearly loosedtone of voice:

”Joe Carstairs, don't let hih, and the fight went on, till, just as ere beginning to despair, the reptile caly protuberances over its eyes were level with the water, and, bending down, the doctor reached out with his gun in one hand, held the muzzle close to the creature's eye, and fired

There was a treo, but the next ht, and we drew Jack and his aggressor, a crocodile about ten feet long, right up to the bank, the monster's jahich had closed over one of Jack's stoutly booted feet, reh the upper part of its head was all bloay

”Dat a big bunyip,” cried Jih the reptile's jaws and trying to push them open, which he did with his companion's help, and Jack Penny was free to list the reeds

Jimmy did not see off a long lithe cane he put it over the reptile's jaw, and, twisting it tightly rope-fashi+on, he and Ti-hi dragged it right away fros of its tail, they turned it over with their spears, used like levers, and kept on stabbing it in its tender underparts until it ceased to struggle, when Jian to perform a triumphant war-dance on its back

Meanwhile poor Jack Penny, who had been nearly speechless, began to revive

”That's better,” said the doctor ”Now let ht off?” said Jack faintly ”I can't feel it Just when I needed it so badly, too!”

”Bit it off! No!” I cried ”Is it much hurt, doctor?”

”I can't tell till I have unlaced his boot,” he replied ”Tell me if I hurt you much, my lad”

”It don't hurt,” said Jack faintly ”I can't feel at all”

It was rather hard work to get the boot off; but at last it was free, and the doctor inspected a double row of red spots, two of which bled a little, but notto feel now,” said Jack dolefully ”Why, he ain't bit it off!” he said, raising himself so that he could look down at the injured one”

”No; your foot has only had an ugly pinch; the stout boot saved it Let it bleed a little, ot hold of my boot?” said Jack excitedly

”And the foot in it,” said the doctor ”See, here are the ht off, Joe Carstairs,” said Jack dolefully

”An' I say, what a coward I ahtened as I was,” replied Jack, with a dis a coward, Master Jack Penny,” said the doctor quietly; ”but I do know that if I had had my foot in that reptile's mouth I should have been in a most horrible state of fear

There, my lad,” he continued kindly, ”don't think any more about it, only to be thankful for your escape”

”But he ought to tell us first hoas caught like that,” I said