380 A Sportswoman in India 



young subalterns playing the fool. At last one youthful 

 idiot performed the feat of slipping over the wall, and 

 ran across a corner of the morass, unharmed. Still more 

 elated, he proposed a crocodile ride ; was laughed to 

 scorn ; stuck to his suggestion ; large bets were made ; 

 he ran off with his mind made up, and shortly after 

 reappeared, bringing with him a fowl tied to a long 

 piece of rope, and carrying in the other hand a 

 large steel fork. He lashed the rope securely to a 

 palm-tree, the fowl being within easy reach of the 

 water. 



Such a tempting bait was not long in drawing a 

 monster out of the morass a real saurian, every inch 

 of him, some twenty feet long. The mugger made 

 for the fowl, took the bait, and finding it caught, set 

 to work to pull until the palm-tree vibrated again, 

 while he shook his head and lashed his great tail 

 violently. Meanwhile, the gay young subaltern, jump- 

 ing down the wall, now much to consternation of his 

 brother officers, proceeded to approach the great beast 

 from behind, running quickly up to it, and seating 

 himself like an elephant-driver on its thick neck. The 

 vertebrae of a crocodile's neck bear upon each other 

 by means of rib-like processes, the neck being thus 

 deprived to a great extent of its mobility ; hence 

 crocodiles have a difficulty in turning. 



The instant the reptile, unaccustomed to carry 

 weight, felt the foolish youth upon his back, he sacri- 

 ficed the fowl and ran off with his rider towards the 

 water. On his way, however, he slackened his speed 



