THE DANGER AT THE FORD.
Just at this moment Jim's voice broke in; his tones were low and fiercely earnest.
"Push ahead, boys," he said. "Do your best. Strike it faster, everybody."
"What is it, Jim?" The question broke from Jack's lips, but a glance up stream answered it before Jim could speak in reply. A hundred yards above the ford a small sand-bank rose above the water. On this bank lay, to all appearance, three logs washed thither by the current. But now, oh horror, Jack saw these logs move and raise themselves. They were huge alligators sunning themselves and waiting for prey. It was clear that the vast saurians had noted the movement on the surface of the river. One by one they slid down the sand and vanished into the stream.
"They are coming, sahibs, they are coming!" cried Me Dain, and his brown face was hideously ashen with terror.
"Strike it faster, everybody," growled Jim, and the party pushed forward at their utmost speed through the stream.
"Gosh!" panted Buck. "It's getting deeper and deeper. That's dead against us."
"Let us go back, sahibs," cried Me Dain, beside himself in terror of the awful reptiles now coming down stream upon them with frightful rapidity. "Let us go back. Better to face dacoits than alligators."
"Easy does it, Me Dain," said Jack. "Peg along and do your best. It's facing death either way. Let's have a go at the other bank."
"That's the way to talk, Jack," said Jim, through the teeth set in his white, grim face. "We've got to go through with it now. And hark, listen to that!"