282 CROCODILE STORIES 



was riding back to his own quarters further up the 

 river, when he saw a large crocodile lying out in the 

 stream, with its head above water. In order not to be 

 observed before he could get near enough to aim, Baker 

 dismounted, and crept softly away from the bank, which 

 he then struck a little lower down, where a clump of 

 rushes would conceal him from view. Almost crawling 

 along the ground, he reached the spot, about four feet 

 above the river, and took careful aim behind the croco- 

 dile's eye. The animal gave a start, and turned over on 

 its back, where it lay without moving, with its legs above 

 the water, which there was only two feet deep. Baker, 

 of course, thought it was dead, and taking the rope which 

 he always carried on his horse, told two of his men to go 

 into the water and tie it up securely. While this was 

 being done, a third man was sent off on horseback to the 

 camp to bring back help, for long experience had taught 

 them that, though a crocodile may really be shot through 

 the brain, the muscular movements, both of legs and tail, 

 will gradually cause it to slide from the bank back into 

 deep water. 



The men did as they were bid without shrinking, for 

 they, too, had seen the fatal shot, when suddenly the 

 scaly tail began to move. Trembling with fear, they 

 cried out that the animal was still alive ; but Baker told 

 them it was all nonsense, and bade them be quick and 

 finish what they were at. The men being on the spot, 

 however, knew much better than their master on the 

 bank, and the crocodile's struggles soon got so strong 

 that they could hardly hold it. All at once it gave a great 

 yawn, and, had it not been for dread of punishment, 

 they would have dropped the rope in a fright and left 

 the animal to its fate. Another bullet in the shoulder 

 checked its struggles, and by this time the men gal- 

 loped back with more ropes. Even now its strength 

 was by no means exhausted, and it did not submit 

 easily to its fate ; but at last it was safely landed on 



