The alligator had evidently snapped at his leg, and, missing his aim, had caught the boy's trousers rather than the flesh. Instead of releasing his hold for a better grip, he was trying to drag Neal into deeper water, and once there the struggle would have been quickly ended.
Neal had dug his hands into the sand, straining every muscle to prevent being pulled into the stream; but despite all efforts the monster was rapidly getting the best of him.
Cummings lost no time after arriving on the scene of action. The boys' cries had guided him to the exact spot, and he waited only long enough to kindle a blaze before joining in the fight.
"Teddy, go back to the entrance, get one of the guns, and be sure that no one comes through, for we are likely to make so much noise here that if any of the enemy are in the vicinity we shall be discovered. Jake, you are to hold the torch, and take good care that it burns brightly."
Cummings was armed with nothing but his hunting knife and by this time the alligator had dragged fully half of Neal's body into the water. There seemed to be but little hope that the boy could be rescued before serious injury had been inflicted.
Pulling off his coat and belt Cummings leaped boldly on the back of the saurian monster, burying the blade of his knife in the alligator's eye at the same time, and then ensued a most terrific struggle.
Instead of releasing his hold on Neal the reptile held firm, and put forth every effort to sink in the deeper water to dislodge the more formidable antagonist who was striking beneath the surface with his weapon in the hope of hitting some vulnerable spot.
Jake stood on the bank holding the torch high above his head to prevent it from being extinguished by the showers which were sent up by the lashing of the monster's tail, and powerless to aid in the fight for life.
Slowly but surely Neal was being pulled from the shore. With only the sand to clutch he could retard, not check the saurian's movements, and work as he might, it seemed impossible for Cummings to strike a fatal blow.
"Drop your torch and seize the boy by the arms," the latter shouted as he saw that the battle was going against him. "At this rate I shall soon be where it will be out of the question to prolong the struggle."