The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1894-09-29

ohouiu pe speedily conveyed from his
dangerous position.
Ralph feared that discharge of the
swivel or of any frearm at the croco-
ollie, would only be attended with IA
tai results to Frank The sandbanks
might hinder the shot from striking
the fierce reptile. while the shock
would be pretty sure to dislodge the
senseless lad from the shelf, and thus
bring him down into the power of his
voracious enemy.
The youth lost no time in heading
his boat toward the rock. But the
cutter was some fathoms from it,
when the keel caught in submerged
sandbank. Drawing his sword, Ralph
| sprang out, and quickly waded toward
the rock. Slight lodges and pro-
truding spurs on its front would en-
able him, he thought, to climb up to
his brother; in fact, there was no
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 fas-
tened upon the crocodile.
The monster turned it's head when
he was near it and snapped at him.
| He avoided it by stepping sideways;
then he commenced to strike and
thrust vigorously at its jaws with his
sword. 1t retreated few yards but
broke his blade in two with its teeth
as it twisted it's body around. Think
ing it would leave him, Ralph sprang
| to the rock. Just then little Frank,
recovering his senses, gave sligat
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 open
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 a
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 temporari-
ly sprained.
"Never mind" said Frank, as the
hurt youth dragged himself along
with difficulty, II am now able to
walk. You need not 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 a
yard of the cutter, and though suffer
ing excruciating pain, the young Off
Ger caught up his brothers light form
and tossed him into the boat. The
crocodile was close to Ralph, but he
contrived to escape it with forward
movement and to roll himself across the
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 elude 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 shot more effective. 1t
piowed 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 a
terrible fate.
In fact, the presence of mind and
shown by the little fellow
on this occasion won the admiration
and applause of all the seamen aboard
the ship, when, in time, it was made
known to them.
Not long after the gun had been
fred, the rising of the tide floated the
cutter clear of the sandbank, en-
abling Ralph, with Franks assist
ance, to get back to the landing-place
the hut, where some of the
sailors who had returned from their
yain search for the lad joyfully hailed
lis appearance. Franks explanations
bout the canoe. as well as of his stu