I thought perhaps you would be so scared that you would upset your canoe and lose your rifle overboard.

Then I thought I might get it after you had gone, for the water is shallow there, and I wanted a rifle awfully." "Oh! what a bad boy you are," said Ruth, shaking her pretty head.

"Yes, I know I am," said Frank, "but I ain't going to be any longer if I can help it." "How did that alligator get you, anyway ?" asked Mark, who was very curious upon this point.
"Why, I pulled off my boots because they were wet and hurt my feet; then I lay down to wait for you, and went to sleep.

I suppose the 'gator found it warm enough that day to come out of the mud, where he had been asleep all winter.

Of course he felt hungry after such a long nap, and when he saw my bare foot thought it would make him a nice meal.