He had been very successful, and was walking along by the edge of the water with his eyes fixed upon the trees above, where he had a minute before heard the call of a bird, when he was startled by a shout from the Houssa behind him.

He involuntarily sprang back, and it was well he did so; for on the instant something swept by within an inch or two of his head.

Looking round he saw, at the edge of the stream below him, a huge alligator.

This had struck at him with its tail--the usual manner in which the alligator supplies itself with food--and had it not been for the warning cry of the Houssa, would have knocked him into the stream.
Its mouth was open and Frank, as if by instinct, fired the contents of both barrels into its throat.

The animal rolled over on to its back in the water and then turned as if to struggle to regain the bank.