From Elephant Khedder to Crocodile Tank 377 



its three legs entire, torn off at the haunch and 

 shoulders. 



Some friends of ours heard of a young girl of about 

 thirteen years of age who was washing clothes, like 

 the syce, in a river little inhabited by crocodiles, with 

 some companions. As the evening closed in, the 

 other women retired to the bank to wring out and 

 pack up the garments ; the girl, however, rather 

 despising their warnings against crocodiles, washed on, 

 boasting that she had often done it before, and that 

 there was no danger. Suddenly a scream and cry 

 in the vernacular, " Lord, have mercy upon me ! 

 mugger's caught me ! " apprised her horrified com- 

 panions that she had been carried off. The next 

 morning there was a general search for the amphibious 

 monster ; on the second day it was successful. He 

 was hunted down and killed ; two carts were lashed 

 together, and his body, seventeen and a half feet 

 long, was tied upon them, and taken to the village. 

 The remains of the victim, including a bracelet, were 

 in his stomach. 



But I knew one really amusing occurrence in 

 connection with crocodiles. Three men were out 

 shooting by the Cauvery ; they separated, agreeing 

 to return to camp at their own sweet will. Two 

 turned up in the course of the evening ; the third, 

 a priest, never appeared. A search was instituted 

 with the help of lanterns. At last the river "banks 

 were reached, and through the darkening thickets, in 

 answer to their shouts, a distant " Hallo ! " was heard. 



