MILITARY ADVENTURES. 311 



degree, and I slept comfortably enough in 

 my palanquin by the river side. 



My servant was bringing me a cup of 

 tea in the morning, when we heard a fear- 

 ful screaming from the water's edge not 

 far off. I jumped out and ran to the spot 

 to enquire what all the screaming meant, 

 when I was told that a huge alligator, that 

 pest of all Indian rivers, had dashed into 

 the midst of a number of women bathing, 

 and seized upon the unfortunate girl 

 whose piercing shrieks had reached my 

 ears; and, dragging her off into deep 

 water, they had both sank together. The 

 poor girl was just about to be married, 

 and the intended husband was running 

 about like a maniac, tearing his hair, and 

 cursing not only the alligator himself, but 

 all his family ; and he was continually 

 spitting on the ground (which I suppose 



