THE TANA RIVER 



creature like the crocodile, however, seems to have 

 withdrawn into the inner recesses of its being. It 

 lies like a log of wood, and for a log of wood it is 

 mistaken. 



Nevertheless the crocodile has stored in it some- 

 where a fearful vitality. The swiftness of its move- 

 ments when seizing prey is most astonishing; a swirl 

 of water, the sweep of a powerful tail, and the unfor- 

 tunate victim has disappeared. For this reason it is 

 especially dangerous to approach the actual edge of 

 any of the great rivers, unless the water is so shallow 

 that the crocodile could not possibly approach under 

 cover; as is its cheerful habit. We had considerable 

 difficulty in impressing this elementary truth on our 

 hill-bred totos until one day, hearing wild shrieks 

 from the direction of the river, I rushed down to 

 find the lot huddled together in the very middle of a 

 sand spit that reached well out into the stream. 

 Inquiry developed that while paddling in the shal- 

 lows they had been surprised by the sudden appear- 

 ance of an ugly snout and well drenched by the sweep 

 of an eager tail. The stroke fortunately missed. 

 We stilled the tumult, sat down quietly to wait, and 

 at the end of ten minutes had the satisfaction of 

 abating that croc. 



Generally we killed the brutes where we found 

 them and allowed them to drift away with the cur- 



270 



