378 THE COW AXD THE CROCODILE 



of the fact. As Sir Samuel and Lady Baker were sitting 

 out of doors enjoying the comparative coolness of the 

 evening, a man rushed frantically past the sentries 

 throwing himself on the ground at Sir Samuel's feet, 

 grasped him by the legs. As soon as he could find breath 

 he gasped out, ' Said ! Said is gone ! taken from my side 

 this moment. We were wading together across the canal 

 by the dock where Eeis Mahomet was killed, when a 

 crocodile rushed like a steamer from the river, seized Said, 

 and went off with him.' Assistance was quickly on the 

 spot, but all trace of the unhappy Said had completely 

 disappeared, and not even a ripple on the surface of the 

 water bore witness to the melancholy fact. 



Another man belonging to the same expedition was 

 less unfortunate. While gathering watercress he had 

 his arm bitten off, and was only saved from utter de- 

 struction by his comrades holding tightly on to him. 



Yet another man was seized by the leg while helping 

 to push a vessel off a sand bank. He, too, was saved by 

 the help of the soldiers engaged on the same work, but 

 with the loss of his leg. 



From this formidable description, a tug-of-war be- 

 tween a crocodile and a cow would seem a very unequal 

 contest, and certain to go in favour of the crocodile. But 

 on the only occasion that such a thing is known to have 

 taken place, the cow came off with flying colours. She 

 was one of three large cbws, with immense powerful 

 horns, brought by Sir Samuel Baker to Gondokoro, on the 

 White Nile. Being different from, and much handsomer 

 than, the small, active, cattle of that district, they were 

 looked upon with great admiration by the natives. 

 When Sir Samuel was obliged to depart into the interior 

 of Africa, he entrusted the three cows to the care of a 

 neighbouring chief, who, while responsible for their safety, 

 enjoyed the use of the milk. Upon Sir Samuel's return 

 to Gondokoro, after an absence of two years, he found not 

 only that the cows were in good health, but that one of 



