THE BIG GAAIE OF AFRICA 



self seen three photographs taken of this remarkable 

 scene. 



One of the most pathetic stories that I have ever heard, 

 and which I know is perfectly true, happened in the south- 

 ern part of Africa a couple of years ago. A missionary, 

 belonging to an English Protestant society, and who had 

 been working among one of the inland tribes, was making 

 his way down to the coast, where, in Delagoa Bay, he was 

 to be married to his fiancee, who had come out from Eng- 

 land to join him. \\'ith a small party of natives he had 

 already been marching several days, when one morning 

 they had to cross a shallow stream, mostly overgrown wnth 

 reeds and rushes. This messenger of peace was armed 

 only with a shotgun, for the purpose of securing game 

 birds for his food, and, not suspecting any crocodiles or 

 other dangerous beasts in the vicinity, he had been careless 

 enough even to carry this gun unloaded. Just as he w^as 

 about to step up out of the little stream, he was suddenly 

 seized by a monstrous crocodile, which in a few seconds 

 had completely severed both of his legs above the knees, 

 and then disappeared into the water. The frightened 

 natives scattered in all directions instead of coming to his 

 aid, but the young man had courage and presence of 

 mind enough to take up his notebook and in a hurry 

 scribble a few words of farewell to his betrothed, while 

 his life was rapidly ebbing away! When the ^3orters 

 afterwards returned to the place he was dead. Know- 

 ing his destination, the cowardly blacks brought the 

 notebook and his other belongings down to the coast. 

 The terrible grief and despair of the young woman, as 

 she read the hastily scribbled lines, w^hich simply ended 



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