io8 BLOOMFIELD RIVER chap. 
riveted on it, and in the horror of the moment I 
forgot the river, tide, and everything else, as with the 
rising water it came so close again that my feet almost 
touched it as it stirred the slimy ooze and mud from 
the bank with its tail. For a few seconds the voracious 
monster lay apparently insensible to everything, but 
with its ears open to the slightest sound ; I hardly 
dared to draw breath. Now, as if waiting for the 
supreme moment, its opportunity to spring, it rose the 
full length of its body and menacingly clashed its jaws, 
then with snout down stream, it went under, leaving 
nothing in its wake but a long ripple on the surface of 
the water. 
The tide had reached my feet when I caught sight 
of a native girl in the distance, and a loud cooee brought 
her to me. In a few minutes there were half a dozen 
more natives round me, who threw a log across the 
gap, but the current swept it away ; then they launched 
a large one, and a black boy, climbing out on to an 
overhanging branch, reached me his hand and guided 
me to within a few feet of the bank ; a step or two 
alone from him and I caught an outstretched hand, and 
oh, the joy of standing on the ground again ! Just for 
an instant something rose in my throat, but I quickly 
pulled myself together again. 
The natives, with an imperturbable look on their 
faces, expressed no surprise at finding me in this position, 
nor did they offer any sympathy. It would have been 
probably a little pleasurable excitement to have watched 
me go down, for just at first they reluctantly gave me 
help. I shall never again think that an alligator, 
unless under the influence of hunger, will attack a human 
being, or that they are anything otherwise than cowards ; 
but I hope sincerely I may never be put to the test 
again. 
