456 THE ADVENTURES OF 



ed out. One of them, from sixteen to twenty feet long, 

 with a brown and rough body, opened its enormous jaws 

 and showed us its frightful teeth. I took Lucien by the 

 hand to lead him nearer to the reptiles, the better to inspect 

 them. 



" I like tigers better than these creatures," said he ; 

 " certainly their roaring is frightful to listen to, but they 

 are by no means so hideous." 



" Look along there, M. Sumichrast !" cried Lucien, when 

 we had again taken to our raft ; " there are eyes floating on 

 the water !" 



" You are not mistaken ; they are crocodile's eyes." 



The child nestled up to me, and I encouraged him ; but 

 these dark eyes appearing in every direction, and following 

 every movement of the raft, troubled him beyond expres- 

 sion. 



The banks of the river were covered with alligators, with 

 their mouths wide agape. Some of them glided down into 

 the water and came near us, but the majority remained 

 motionless, not caring to exert themselves. Lucien's fear 

 began to calm down. He had so wished to see plenty of 

 alligators ; now he complained that there were too many. 



" Look at that one," said Sumichrast, " climbing- up that 

 spit of land. He turns round with difficulty, and looks as 

 if he scarcely had the use of his limbs. The fact is, that 

 his body has no proper joints, and only moves in one piece. 

 The best way, therefore, to escape from an alligator is to 

 run up and down, making the turns short and rapid." 



The stream had hitherto flowed almost on a level with its 

 banks, now the latter became gradually higher, and we 

 floated along under an arch of foliage. L'Encuerado hap- 

 pened to raise himself to point out to Lucien a tree coyer- 

 ed with parrots, between whom and the Indian there im- 

 mediately commenced a lively chatter. Diverted by this 



