Boy Taken by Crocodiles. 133 



returned to see what had happened. On getting near we 

 shouted for the boy, but no answer was returned, so I had 

 a very good idea what had occurred. I did not fancy 

 sending the two men to the other bank, or to cross again 

 myself, and so, as my house was only about a mile away, I 

 went there and got the dugout, and returned up the river 

 until we came to the spot. Behind a stone we found the 

 cloth of the missing boy and my cartridge-bag, so the 

 history of the tragedy was plain. He had, on reaching the 

 river, thrown off his cloth and the bag and gone in to 

 bathe, and one of the loathsome crocodiles had got him. 



After that, I used to go there and lie in wait for any 

 crocodile that left the water. I shot several, and I hope 

 the maneater was among them. 



When we got back with the cloth and told our sad story 

 to the boy's wife, there was much wailing and cries of 

 " Mai-o," but the woman was married again in a few 

 months, and seemed to have forgotten the incident 

 completely. 



In my chapter on the characteristics of natives I will 

 have more to say about this trait in their character ; but 

 it is enough to mention here that they have poor memories, 

 however much they may feel such a loss at the time. 



Crocodiles, sharks, and snakes are three of the most 

 obnoxious creatures in the world, and one often wonders 

 the reason why they were created. They may be no worse 

 than man-eating lions or tigers, except that their quiet and 

 invisible attack imbues them with horror and loathing. 



The Luangwa valley being very hot and tropical, the 

 grass got very long and thick in the rainy season, and 

 shooting was a wet business. I used to fish a good deal, 

 and catch barbel or mudfish, but they are not good eating, 

 as their flesh is muddy flavoured and they are rather full 

 of bones. However, they formed a change in the per- 

 petual course of fowl, or game meat, which becomes very 

 monotonous after some time. After living about seven 

 years in India and ten years in Central Africa, I became 

 rather tired of fowls. They have very little resemblance to 



