the reeds where the guinea-fowl were he stepped 

 cautiously on to the low black rock, and in an instant 

 was swept off his feet, tossed and tumbled over and 

 over, into the mud and reeds, and there was a noise of 

 furious rushing and crashing as if a troop of elephants 

 were stampeding through the reeds. He had stepped 

 on the back of a sleeping crocodile ; no doubt it was 

 every bit as frightened as he was. There was much 

 laughter over this and the breathless earnestness with 

 which he told the story ; but there was also a good deal 

 of chaff, for it seems to be generally accepted that 

 you are not bound to believe all hunting stories ; and 

 Jim and his circus crocodile became the joke of the 

 camp. 



We were spending a couple of days on the river 

 bank to make the most of the good water and grazing, 

 and all through the day some one or other would be 

 out pottering about among the reeds, gun in hand, 

 to keep the pot full and have some fun, and although 

 we laughed and chaffed about Jim's experience, I fancy 

 we were all very much on the look-out for rocks that 

 looked like crocs and crocs that looked like rocks. 



One of the most difficult lessons that a beginner 

 has to learn is to keep cool. The keener you are the 

 more likely you are to get excited and the more 

 bitterly you feel the disappointments ; and once you 

 lose your head, there is no mistake too stupid for you 

 to make, and the result is another good chance spoilt. 

 The great silent bush is so lonely ; the strain of being 

 on the look-out all the time is so great ; the un- 

 certainty as to what may start up anything from 



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