204 DRAWING HIM ASHORE. 



was very deep and we durst not venture in, as 

 neither of us could swim. Quite undecided as to 

 how we should manage, and filled with disagreeable 

 misgivings, we followed the motion of the crocodile 

 with anxious minds. Fortunately a piece of tree 

 which floated down before it arrived crosswise, 

 stopped, and arrested the progress of the animal. 

 Time was thus afforded to consider what was best 

 to be done. 



" We proceeded to cut a long thick liane, which 

 was to be our harpoon, and having advanced into 

 the water up to the waist, I cast it over the croco- 

 dile's back (which was now again uppermost), and 

 by this means we drew him to the bank. All at 

 once his tail commenced lashing our legs ! Off we 

 set at the top of our speed, uttering cries of horror 

 the while. We fancied that those jaws of eighteen 

 inches, and armed with sixty-seven long sharp 

 teeth, were at our heels. At length we stopped. 

 ' Sure as a gun,' said I, 'he is dangerously 

 wounded ; and these movements of his tail are 

 either the last convulsions of life, or merely the 

 agitation of the water, which we set in motion. 

 This tail, too, was a matter of serious reflection to 

 me. Report said it was excellent for culinary pur- 

 poses ; it would serve therefore to save, in a very 

 satisfactory way, our stock of dried and smoked 

 meat. Having recharged my rifle we returned, 



