St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-11-17

other way Of reaching him. The young
officer held his sword ready for use. in
case the crocodile. close to which he
would be obliged to pass, should ven
ture to attack him.
Ralph, however, kept his eyes fss-
toned upon the crocodile.
The monster turned its head when
he was near It and snapped 1t him.
He avoided it by stepping sideways:
then he commenced to strike and
thrust vigorously ut it, jaws with his
sword. 1t retreated . few yards but
broke his blade in two with its teeth
as 1t twisted its body around. Think
ing il would leave him, Ralph sprang
to the rock. Just then little Frank.
recovering his senses, gave . slight
cry and fell from the ledge above.
The young officer saw him in time to
catch him in his arms. As he turned
to convey him to the cutter, he per-
ceived that the crocodile, now be-
tween him and the boat, with opsn
jaws, was prepared to renew the at
tack.
He set his confused brother upon his
feet in the shallow water, and draw
ing the single-barrelled navy pistol
which he carried in his belt, he fired
at the creatures big. yawning mouth.
But. owing to the animals steering
little to seize the boy, now on one side
of his protector, it received the shot on
the edge of Its jaw.
Twisting itself away from the twain.
it commenced, as if in blended rage
and pain, to thrash the shadows with
its hard. bony tail.
AS Ralph was conveying his brother
past the reptile, toward the boat, his
left ankle caught between two small
underwater rocks, and was Temperate
~ sprained.
Never mind" said Frank. IS the
hurt youth dragged himself along
with difficulty, II am now able to
walk. You need hot carry me. will
help you"
He disengaged himself from Ralph's
arms, seized his hand and tried to as
sist him. The crocodile had turned by
this time toward the two, for another
attack. But they were now within .
yard of the cutter, and though suffer
ing excruciating pain, the young OH
Ger caught up his brothers light form
and tossed him into the boat. Tho
crocodile was close to Ralph, but he
contrived to escape it with forward
movement and to roll himself across tho
gunwale of the cutter. He. went over
on his back, with his head on the
edge OF the bow While he was try
ing to turn and right himself, which
his sprain would hinder his doing
quickly. the hideous open jaws of the
monster appeared over the bow. They
were very near the head of the pros
trate youth. He would not be able to
move it in time to eludc those horri-
BILE fangs. But at this critical mo-
ment his young brother. who had no.
ticed that the crocodile's jaws were on
a line with the swivel, sprang forward
with ready decision and discharged
the piece.
Never was q shot more effective. Il
plowed its way nearly through the full
length Of the huge reptiles body. kill
ing the animal almost instantly. Ralph
praised his brother for the quick judg-
ment and swift action which had thus
been the means Of saving him from .
terrible fate.
In fact, the presence of mind and
promptitude shown by the little fellow
on this occasion won the admiration
and applause Of all the seamen aboard
the ship, when, in time. 1t WAS made
known to them
Not long after the gun had been
fired, the rising of the tide dosted the
cutter clear Of the sandbsnk, On.
abling Ralph, with Franks assist.
ance. to get back to the landing-place
fronting the hut, where some Of the
sailors who had returned from their
vain search for the lad joyfully hailed
his appearance. Franks explanations
about the canoe. IS well - Of his stu
alton on the rock. verified his broth
er's previous conjectures on the sub
ject. The boy had gone to the canoe
to convey it to the cutter, had been
pursued by the crocodile, and by Wig
orous padding had reached the water
cavern. So close to him then was tho
reptile that, as he sprang out Of tho
canoe to climb the tree, the jaws Of
the monster closed over the frail YES
sci, partly crushing it. Bottom up,
and with Franks cap, which had
fallen from his head. caught on the
broken wood. the little craft had
drifted OF with the current, to be
afterward found by Ralph Is de-
scribed.-Rufus Hall, in n. Y. Ledger.