DANGEROUS ATTENDANTS. I 5 I 



were several large crocodiles, while within almost 

 touching distance of my rod was a perfect mammoth. 

 Their eyes were all fixed upon your humble ser- 

 vant. Intuitively I grasped my rifle without making 

 more movement than was necessary to take aim at 

 the brute's eye. The distance was short pistol 

 range, and neither my sight nor finger failed me. 

 Consequently it gave a spring, that nearly landed 

 the repulsive brute on shore. The others started 

 down stream on hearing the report ; some sub- 

 merged, the remainder on the surface. With my 

 left barrel I hit the last of the crew, which was 

 rapidly sculling in pursuit of its comrades. For a 

 moment it lashed the water's surface, then disap- 

 peared. 



There is no doubt but that I had had a narrow 

 escape for my life, for if the leader, the first crocodile 

 I had fired at, had gained sufficient confidence to 

 come into shoal waters, where it could have touched 

 bottom with its feet, it would have struck me with 

 its tail a blow that would have sent me insensible, 

 probably broken-limbed, into the river, where I would 

 have been seized and carried off to a favourite haunt, 

 there to remain till my body become decomposed, 

 for these repulsive creatures do not eat their prey 

 until it is corrupt. A person has but to experience 

 the danger I was in, to know how thankful 1 was 

 for my escape. Sunday knew the difficulties that 

 surrounded my position, hence his shout, but that 



