Big Game at Sea 



" I think we had gone, perhaps, a mile, and were 

 almost in, when, without warning, the old Indian 

 seemed to rise in the air, falling partly overboard, 

 while the tail of the crocodile came whisking around, 

 knocking oars and grain handles into the air, and just 

 escaping my head. This was but the prelude to other 

 movements, the awakened captive evidently intending 

 to finish the boat. His tail flew about like a scythe, 

 and he rolled over and over, carrying confusion with 

 every move. Discretion being the better part of 

 valor in this instance, I retreated to the extreme limit 

 of the rail, where, aided by a resounding blow, I 

 leaped backward into the water, which, fortunately, 

 was shallow, and left our captive in possession. Hav- 

 ing driven us out, he calmly clambered over the rail, 

 and sliding into the water, made off. Fortunately the 

 grains or spear was still in his back, so we scrambled 

 into the boat again, and as the line came taut, allowed 

 the crocodile to drag us along; and in this way we 

 soon tired the reptile out. As we hauled him in again 

 and brought his long, black form alongside, he gave 

 a vicious blow at me and nearly knocked old Bob out 

 of the boat the second time; but this was his last 

 caper, as I sent a bullet into his brain. The other two 

 shots, I found, had not seriously injured him, the 

 second one probably stunned him, though I believe 

 him to have been ' playing possum,' a trick they often 

 have. His finely bleached skull now adorns my 

 library." 



298 



