It was no drawl now, but a sharp quick shout.
I ran down the bank and the doctor following, we joined hands, when, catching at Jack's wrist, I held on tightly.
"Now, then," I said, as I gazed wonderingly in his ghastly face and staring eyes, "let go, and we'll draw you ashore." "No, no," he cried hoarsely.

"Got hold of me--drag me in." "Got hold?
Of course," I said, "we'll drag you in." "One of those brutes has got him, Joe," cried the doctor excitedly, and his words sent such a thrill through me that I nearly loosed my hold.
"Here, pull both together," he said, as he got down by my side and seized Jack Penny by the other arm.
We gave a fierce drag, to find that it was answered from below, Jack being nearly drawn out of our hands, his head going down nearly to the eyes, and for the moment it seemed as if we were to be drawn in as well.
But fortunately Jack still had tight hold of the branch, to which he clung in the agony of desperation, and he uttered such a piercing cry that it served to arouse the sleeping blacks, the result being that, as we were holding on, and just maintaining our ground, Jimmy and Ti-hi, the black who had attached himself to me, came running down.
They saw what was wrong, and Jimmy seized me, the black doing the same by Jimmy, with the effect of dragging poor Jack Penny farther and farther from the water in spite of the struggles of the reptile that was trying to haul him back.

First we had him out to the chest, then to the hips, then nearly to the knees, and I never till then thoroughly realised what a lot there was of him, for it seemed as if he would never end.
"Hold on!" cried the doctor suddenly.

"I'm going to loose him." "No, no!" panted Jack, with a horrified look; but the doctor did loose his hold and caught up his gun.
"Now, then," he cried.

"All together.