“Looks to me like a big ’gator; and that’s what it is, boys.”
“Oh, my!” exclaimed Nick, bouncing up; “I wonder now does the silly believe an alligator would count against my fish? Jack, I appeal to you to give him the law as she’s written in our compact.”
But Jack refused to say anything prematurely.
“Wait till he makes his claim,” he replied, with a laugh, as he watched the sturdy labors of the Irish lad to rejoin them.
When Jimmy did arrive they saw that he had indeed managed to shoot an unusually large mossback ’gator, which he had possibly discovered sunning itself among the mangroves. As a rule the creatures prefer the fresh water, but may on occasion be found where there is a commingling of salt and fresh.
The exultant captor was grinning, as if hugely pleased. He nodded his head in the direction of the staring Nick, as he finally came alongside. Then they saw that he had been wise enough to take a rope along with him, which had been hitched around the body of the slain monster, just back of the short forelegs. Nevertheless, it had taken considerable of an effort to drag the saurian all the way from the place of the tragedy to where the three motor boats were anchored.
Jimmy wiped the perspiration from his red face, as he exultantly cried out:
“By the powers, can ye bate that, I’d loike to know, so I would? Two hundred and thirty, did ye till me; sure this one must weight all of twict that. I lave it to the umpire here to decide, contint to rest on me laurels.”
Nick began to show signs of tremendous excitement at once.