Chased by an Alligator 83 



open as wide as a cellar door, causing the boys to 

 turn and flee in dismay in different directions. The 

 moment of hesitation, while he was making up his 

 mind which one to chase, was all that saved them. 

 Back to the cocoanut trees, the boys fled, and climbed 

 up as high as their remaining breath would permit; 

 but came down when they saw that their pursuer 

 had gone back to the swamp. 



"Did you ever hear of breaking an alligator's 

 back by running in a crooked line.^" said Henry, 

 after his nerves had quieted down a bit. 



"The trouble about all those tricks is," said Will- 

 iam, "that vou never think of them when vou need 

 them." Then he added, laughing, "Snowball would 

 make fine alligator bait." 



"You ought to be ashamed to talk that way," 

 replied Henry, in a rufBed tone ot voice. "You 

 Southerners think a negro is no better than an an- 

 imal and you treat him that way." 



"Can't you take a Southern joke.^" said William, 

 conciliatingly. "We like the negroes much more 

 and treat them a lot better then your people do, 

 when it comes down to facts, because we under- 

 stand and appreciate them." 



"Well, we came near being alligator bait, our- 

 selves," said Henry, in a friendly tone, as they start- 



