The slope up which we crept was long and easy, 

 but that on the down-stream side was much steeper. 

 I crawled up to the top on hands and knees, and 

 raising myself slowly, looked carefully about, but no 

 duiker could be seen ; yet Jock was sniffing and 

 trembling more than ever, and it was quite clear that 

 he thought we were very close up. Seeing nothing in 

 front or on either side, I stood right up and turned to 

 look back the way we had come' and examine the reeds 

 on that side. In doing so a few grains of grit crunched 

 under my foot, and instantly there was a rush in the 

 reeds behind me ; I jumped round to face it, believing 

 that the crocodile was grabbing at me from behind, 

 and on the polished surface of the rock my feet slipped 

 and shot from under me, both bare elbows bumped 

 hard on the rock, jerking the rifle out of my hands ; 

 and I was launched like a torpedo right into the mass 

 of swaying reeds. 



When you think you are tumbling on to a crocodile 

 there is only one thing you want to do get out as 

 soon as possible. How long it took to reach the top 

 of the rock again, goodness only knows ! It seemed 

 like a life-time ; but the fact is I was out of those reeds 

 and up that rock in time to see the duiker as it broke 

 out of the reeds, raced up the bank, and disappeared 

 into the bush with Jock tearing after it as hard as ever 

 he could go. 



One call stopped him, and he came back to me 

 looking very crestfallen and guilty, no doubt think- 

 ing that he had behaved badly and disgraced 

 himself. But he was not to blame at all ; 

 107 



