Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 88: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

BONNY JEAN. 81 ‘Like a rat!” he muttered, with a little defiant laugh, ‘fone single tiny creature can gnaw and gnaw until the strongest hempen rope is severed, and—I have done—rather —well, considering !” He was swimming with his one free arm all this time, and making considerable progress. On, on, slowly but surely ; he has loosened the rope which fastens the other arm, and now-—he can swim quite well; and yet, still, with one, he manages to work at the ligaments which bind his limbs. It is a long, weary, toilsome task, and Philip’s strength is very nearly exhausted; but, after all; he succeeds, and is free—entirely free—at last! He tosses his handsome head above the water with a little shout of defiance. ‘¢ Ahead of you again, Gabriel Black!” he cries. But at that very moment a sound falls upon his ear—a sound which causes him to pause and glance about him in bewildered confusion ; and—well he may! For, coming slowly toward him, cleaving the water with its sharp nose, like the stern of a boat, is a monster alligator, perhaps sixteen feet long ! When the vigilantes had thrown Philip into the river, the alligators, startled by the occurrence, and being naturally inclined to be cowardly, had all vanished immediately. But, during the interval, their courage had gradually revived, and hunger began to get the upper hand; and now Philip per- ceived, with dilated, terror-distended eyes, that in the small bayou, where he had been thrown, and which was thickly overspread with huge lily-pods, there was a long row of alli- gators, one behind the other, like ships-of-war, meditating an attack, and led on by the hoary monster, whose dull round eyes were fixed upon his face, his huge jaws wide open, disclosing white, glittering tusks, terribly suggestive. What could he do? ‘They had scented him now, and were advancing slowly upon him. He could not dive down to evade them, for the spot where he was was so thickly coy- (ale) comirecbooks