312 THE ALLIGATOE. 



no tongue was visible — open to its greatest extent, 

 displaying his wide jaws, two large tusks, and rows of 

 teeth. His tail, six feet long, raised from the ground, 

 was constantly waving about like the arm of a prize- 

 fighter, to gather force ; his big eyes, starting from his 

 head, glared upon bruin, while at times he uttered loud 

 hissing cries, and then roared like a bull. 



* Bruin, though evidently baffled, had a firm look, 

 which showed he had not lost confidence in himself. 

 If the difficulty of the undertaking had once deceived 

 him, he was preparing to go at it again, 



'Accordingly, letting himself down upon all fours, he 

 ran furiously at the alligator, which, being prepared for 

 him, threw its head and body partly round, to avoid the 

 onset, and met bruin half-way with a blow of the tail, 

 that sent him rolling on the sands and shells. But the 

 bear was evidently not to be scared by one defeat. 



' Three times in succession he rushed at the alligator, 

 and was as often repulsed in the same manner, being 

 knocked back by each blow just far enough to give the 

 alligator, before he returned, time to recover the swing 

 of his tail. The tail of the alligator sounded like a 

 flail against the coat of hair on the bear's head and 

 shoulders, but bruin bore it without flinching, still 

 pushing on boldly, in the hope of coming to close 

 quarters with his scaly foe. 



' Finally, he made his fourth charge, with a degTee of 

 dexterity which those who have never seen this appa- 



