Bonny Jean, and A Severe Threat — page 94: what you’re looking at

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

BONNY JEAN. 87 followed a succession of fearful yells, a crunching of bones. Philip waited to see no more. Their attention being otherwise occupied, and their heads turned away, the alligators failed to observe Philip, as, with a silent prayer for help, he scrambled from among the lily pods into clearer water, and struck out boldly for the shore. But just then one of the foremost of the alligators, chancing to turn his head, caught a glimpse of the young man cleaving the water with swift strokes, and with a sudden movement the alligator, dashing the water furiously with its tail, started in pursuit. On swam Philip for dear life—on, on—he's nearly at the goal now; the alligator is close behind him; he can feel it cut the water within two feet of his own limbs; but Philip re- doubles his efforts and flies through the water, The alligator is a natural coward, and rarely attacks a grown person; but when half starved, as was now the case, and mad- dened by the taste of blood, which it had already obtained, there is no telling to what lengths its voracity may lead it. Certainly this was a most formidable monster, and Philip’s heart sank as he felt it gaining upon him; nearer—nearer ; a moment more and the alligator would have had him fast enough. But just then, on the opposite bank of the river, a man appeared, clad in hunting garb, with a rifle in his hand. An alligator is a difficult customer to dispatch; its tough hide is almost im- pervious to bullets, and hunters usually like the sport and the eclat of having killed a particularly large one. The hunter raised his rifle, took deliberate aim, and fired. The alligator went down out of sight, the water all around him dyed with a crimson stain. Hidden by a clump of driftwood, Philip escaped the hunter’s observation, and the alligator appearing no more, Philip, from his post of observation, saw the hunter move away. He made no attempt to attract the man’s notice, for he knew not but that he might be one of the hated vigilantes, and Philip was too prudent to risk an encounter. But as soon as he had gone Gomichbooks.co