From Elephant Khedder to Crocodile Tank 375 



because they sink at once in deep water, and therefore, 

 however many tiger skins upon the wall savour of fact, 

 one's boots of crocodile skin and chairs of crocodile 

 leather exist only in the imagination. 



Neither is it very easy to kill a crocodile. Only 

 two points are immediately fatal the first behind the 

 eye, and the second exactly through the centre of the 

 shoulder, which will pass straight into the lungs. The 

 only rifle of much use is "577 ; the -450 solid bullet is 

 always fatal. How long S. used to sit, waiting for 

 muggers to show themselves on the banks of the 

 Godavari ! how cunning and astute they grew ! and 

 when he had turned away from the river, how they 

 would appear like floating logs upon the surface, 

 emerge, and sun themselves upon its mud banks ! 



The crocodile is a distinctly shudderous animal, and 

 will always be connected in my mind with a sad 

 accident which happened on one of many shikar 

 expeditions. 



Camping out in the jungle by a large river in the 

 Deccan, sitting in one of the tents in the cool of the 

 evening, the shooting party were electrified by one of 

 the syces rushing unceremoniously in, casting himself 

 upon the ground, and clutching Colonel P. round the 

 legs in a state of terrified excitement. Recovering his 

 breath, he burst into tears and gasped out, " Syce syce 

 gone ! taken away from my side by crocodile now 

 this minute ! We wash clothes crocodile come ! " 

 c * Syce what syce ? " said Colonel P. " There are half 

 a dozen syces" " Brother ! my brother ! " the man 



