358 THRILLING ADVENTURES. 



monster's head. A thud, a splash, a bubble, and a dusky 

 red streak in the water, was all that ensued. Presently, how- 

 ever, Juno's glossy black head emerged from the water ; and 

 to my delight began to make rapid progress towards me, and 

 landed safely. The poor brute, wet and shivering, coiled 

 herself up at my feet, with her bright hazle eye fixed on mine 

 with ineffable satisfaction. Poor Juno subsequently fell a 

 victim to the muggers, when her master was not at hand to 

 succor her. I mention these facts, to show the diabolical 

 revenge with which I afterwards assisted in visiting these 

 monsters was not groundless. But the strongest occasion of 

 it remains to be told. 



Just as the "rains" were beginning, my neighbor, Mr. 

 Hall, sent me word that he intended paying me a short visit, 

 and requested me to send a syce (groom) with a saddle-horse, 

 to meet him at a certain place on the road. The syce, Sidhoo, 

 was a smart, open-chested, sinewy-limbed fellow, a perfect 

 model of a biped racer. He could run, as is the custom in 

 the east, alongside his horse at a pace of seven or eight miles 

 an hour, for a length of time that would astonish the best 

 English pedestrian I ever heard of. 



Towards evening, Mr. Hall rode up to the bungalow, wet 

 with water, and covered with mud. I saw at once that some 

 accident had happened, and hastened to assist him. 



As soon as he got inside, he said, in answer to my banter- 

 ing about his " spill," " I am in no humor for jesting. Your 

 syce is lost !" 



" Drowned ?' 



"No ; eaten by an enormous crocodile !" 



He added that, on arriving at a small nullah about two 

 miles off, he found it so much swollen by rain, that he had 

 to swim his horse across it, holding one end of the cord, 

 which Sidhoo, in common with most Hindoos, wore coiled 

 round his waist, and which was used in drawing water from 

 the deep wells of the country. Hall got safely across, and 



