a little moreâyouâre almost there!â
When he heard his friendâs voice, Bartleby made a last, great push. In another moment, he touched the row of lilies.
âSssweet Ssswampland, you are sssaved!â Seezer dove into the water and swam underneath Bartleby. As he came up, he lifted the red-eared hero onto his back. âBartleby sssucceeded! He outssswam the others!â he bellowed.
âBartleby did it! He beat Old Stumpâs goon platoon!â Grub whooped. He slid into the water to join his friends.
âYou logheads!â Old Stump roared as the four gators straggled to the finish line. âYou lost to Present.â
âSorry, Old Stump.â
âI have no idea how it could have happened.â
âI got a cramp in my tail.â
âI ran out of breath.â
âSILENCE! You are all good-for-nothings. Old Stump doesnât know why he puts up with you.â
âIt ssseems to me that they put up with you,â Seezer said. âBut now that Bartleby has sssecured his freedom, we no longer have to. Ssso long!â Carrying Bartleby on his back, Seezer began gliding downstream. Grub was right beside him.
âStop! Come back with my present!â Old Stump bellowed. He whipped his tail at the four guard gators. âAfter them!â
The gators didnât move.
Old Stump smashed his huge head against the surface. âThen I will stop them myself,â he hissed. He clawed and thrashed at the water as he began swimming after Seezer.
âLook out, broâ!â Grub cried as the massive body came hurtling at them.
As Seezer spun around, Bartleby was sent flying off his back. Smack! The red-ear landed so hard in the water, for a moment he was breathless. But Old Stump didnât notice Bartleby. His jaws were open as he lunged for Seezer.
Seezer roared and dove underwater. Old Stump followed. The bayou began to foam and churn so violently, Bartleby could only bob on the surface. Suddenly Old Stump and Seezer exploded above the water. They bashed their chests together as they slashed at each other with their claws, jaws, and tails. Their necks twisted into gruesome contortions as each tried to bite the other.
Old Stump flung his tail over Seezer and pulled him close to his odoriferous jaws. Then he dug his teeth into Seezerâs neck.
Bartleby had been treading water beside Grub, watching the fight. Now he whirled into action. He dove underwater and paddled over to Old Stumpâs left hind foot. He bit the monsterâs outer toeâthe most sensitive one on an alligator.
âOwwwww! That hurts!â Old Stump bellowed, pulling his jaws from Seezerâs neck. He spun around. But before he could reach Bartleby, the red-ear dove underwater again. This time he clamped his small, strong jaws onto the outer toe of Old Stumpâs right hind foot.
âOwwwww! Owwwww!â the gator roared again. He kicked Bartleby so hard the red-ear flew out of the water and crashed down on the mud bank. Dizzy and dazed, Bartleby waited for his head to stop spinning.
Old Stump closed his jaws around Seezerâs throat. He was squeezing the breath out of him. Suddenly another gator came swimming toward them. Its dark eyes flashed. Its teeth gnashed ferociously.
Itâs the end for us, Bartleby thought. Then he realized it was Grub.
âLet him go, Old Skunk!â Grub demanded.
Old Stump whipped his tail at Grub. âStay out of this, you gutless gatorâor youâll be next,â he hissed through his teeth.
âNot unless you release my broâ!â Grub grabbed the end of the big beastâs tail and sank his jaws into it.
Old Stump writhed, and wriggled, and whirled in the water, but he still didnât release Seezer.
Bartleby took a deep breath and dove in again. Once more he found Old Stumpâs sensitive hind toe and chomped down on it.
Old Stumpâs jaws flew open. âOwwwwwooooo, my tail! Owwwwwooooo,
Sharon Kleve, Jennifer Conner, Danica Winters, Casey Dawes