292 IN MALAY FORESTS. 



of the tail. Another extraordinary occupant of the 

 flats is the ikan tembalcul : it lies on the mud like a 

 narrow wedge of wood, with a length of about ten 

 inches and a base of about two inches. The base of 

 the wedge is the tembakuVs head, and on the top of 

 this square cut head is a pair of gigantic goggle 

 eyes which stare at the world in blank surprise. It 

 has short, powerful, bandy-legged fins with which it 

 " hunches " itself forward over the mud. If, however, 

 it is frightened or excited, a sideways stroke of its 

 powerful tail sends it in flying leaps on its way. It 

 swims in the water, too, in a weird manner, with its 

 misshapen head and monstrous eyes high above the 

 surface. It moves slowly and deliberately, but if 

 startled rushes forward with more than half of its 

 body out of water, and then suddenly bobs its head 

 under the surface and disappears from view. 



" Quick, quick, fire." 



A crocodile we had not seen was rushing down the 

 bank some twenty-five yards ahead of us. I fired, and 

 the first bullet broke its spine and knocked it on to 

 its side, but only stopped it for a second. It quickly 

 righted itself, and with its two fore- feet continued to 

 claw its way towards the water. The second bullet 

 hit it in the shoulder, but did not stop it. By the 

 time that I had reloaded the canoe had dashed up 

 alongside the crocodile, whose dying struggles had 

 brought it to within a few feet of the water. With 

 marvellous quickness and dexterity Manap dropped 

 his paddle, picked up a rope noose and slipped it over 

 the crocodile's head. The brute was now half in the 



