150 NATURAL HISTORY READER. 



mini's jaws. Here, then, wo stood in silence. They wanted 

 to kill him, and I wanted to take him alive. 



7. I now walked up and down the sand, revolving a 

 dozen projects in my head. The canoe was at a con- 

 siderable distance, and I ordered the people to bring it 

 round to the place where we were. The mast was eight 

 feet long, and not much thicker than my wrist. I took it 

 out of the canoe and wrapped the sail around the end of it. 

 Now it appeared clear to me that, if I went down upon one 

 knee, and held the mast in the same position as a soldier 

 holds his bayonet when rushing to a charge, I could force 

 it down the cayman's throat, should he come open-mouthed 

 at me. When this was told to the Indians they bright- 

 ened up, and said they would help me pull him out of the 

 river. 



8. "Bravo squad!'' said I to myself, "now that you 

 have got me between yourselves and danger." I then mus- 

 tered all hands for battle. We were, four South American 

 Indians, two negroes from Africa, a Creole from Trinidad, 

 and myself, a white man from Yorkshire. Daddy Quashi 

 hung in the rear. I showed him a large Spanish knife 

 which I carried ; it spoke volumes to him, and he shrugged 

 his shoulders in absolute despair. 



9. The sun was just peeping over the high forests on 

 the eastern hills, as if coming to look on and bid us act 

 with becoming fortitude. I placed all the people at the 

 end of the rope, and ordered them to pull till the cayman 

 appeared on the surfa.ee of the water ; and then, should 

 lie plunge, to slacken the rope and let him go again into 

 the deep. I now took the mast in my hand, and sunk 

 clown upon one knee about four yards from the water's 

 edge. The people pulled the cayman to the surface ; he 

 plunged furiously as soon as lie arrived in these upper re- 

 gions, and went below again on their slackening the rope. 

 I saw enough not to fall in love with him at first sight. 



