Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-07-03
Ali5rcllancou5.
From Dickens Household Woods.
The Crocodile Battery.

=
IN the summer 81 1916, when everybody
iu England was crazy with railway gamb-
hug. was solouu.ug on tie banks OF the
Roman, d small stream in one ot the north
western provinces OF India. Here | first
becaue acquainted with the Mugger, or la
dian crocodile. had oleu beture leaving
Z gland, seen, ia Museums, stuffed specl-
meas of the animal, and bad read ga 'Noy-
ares and Travels, all sorts OF horrible aud
incredible stories concerning them. / had
lively recollection Of Watenon riding
close to the waters edge on the back of an
American cayman, and had confusion Of
sacred crocoalles 90 the banks of the Nile.
| always lei, more OF less inclined to re-
gard the whole race as having aihuIues with
Smbads roc, and the Wild men Of the
woods, who only RETAINED from speaking
for fear OF being made to work.
My IDEAS respecting the natural history
Of cfocodues were 10 this slagF of develop
ment when, one day while padding up The
Roman, saw what sIpeaitd to be half
burned log OF wood lyng ou a sand-bauk -
padded close up 60 81. TO nay astouish-
uent, d proved 20 be huge reptile. The
old stories oidrlgons, griftd, and monsters.
seemed no longer iaule,; lhe specuiauons
al gcoiugtsts concerning mos0saariaHs, hy-
i9 dHriaas aud pitst0sdHriGHS, were 800
longer dreams. There, IA all his scaiy
maguihceuce was "a real saurlau neatly
eighteen feet long For while | stood gaz-
Ing al this, TO me. new fellow citizen OF the
world aud Specializing on MS mental con-
sutugon, The munster was, OF pretended
TO be, asleep. wondered fiji dreamt, aud
what his creams or reterles might be about
possibly he was dreaming oil the same Did
world with which ! associated hm--possi-
BY Of the dsh who were swimming 40 the
waters below; or, he might be thinking OF
the men aud women lie had swallowed IN
the course of his existence. There was
snort; perhaps that was occasioned by the
buelrs and heavy brass ornaments wmchh had
adorned the hmbs of some HmdoO beauty
lie had eaten, and which were lling heavy
snI indigesube on his stomach But pres
euuy the brute lay 50 snll, aud seemed SO
tranquil aud placid m his sleep, that 1t was
difficult TO Imagine him guilty OF such afro
cities. lie did not appear 10 be disturbed
by remorse or tie Wnchngs Of a guilty
conscience; II may have been all a slauder
el SO kindly disposed towards him, that
lff19iN'N
lie would feel disposed to eat me. Lei Us
sc $50 making splash with my paddle, /
Weakened the sleeping beauty. He Instant
J. started up, aud opened, what appeared
what indeed proved 10 beam enlarged
mantrap; disclosing a red, SHINY cavern
within, ifIuged with great conical langs. -
lie closed II with snap that made me
shudder, and then plunged into the water,
his eyes garng with hate and defiance.
S pne day after had made this new &C
qualntance, | was sitting at home talking
with my brother, when native woman came
crying aud screaming to the bungalow door
tearing her HAIR OUT ia haudi.ls; she GOT
down on the yeranda floor aud struck her
head against it, as If she really meant Ia
dash her brains OUT. A crowd OF other
women stood at short distance crying and
lameuung as If they were frantic. hat
was the mauerl Halfa-dozen voices made
answer IN discofdant chorus, that whllt
the poor woman was washing her clothe'
by the river side, her chli-an infant abogl
a year old-had been seized aud swallowed
BY q Mugger Although convinced tina
AID was now Impossible, We took our guns
aud FASTENED To The spot where the acclhen
happened; but all was still there, not
wavelet disturbed the surface of the stream
A small speckled kInghsher was hoverin.
overhead, as # balanced IN the air, Will
ITS beak bent down on ITS breast, watching
the fish beneath; presently 1t daried like al
arrow luto The water, returned with an emp
ty bill, and then went of, with lis clear
sharp, twiIterlng note, as If TO console II
self for the failure.
One day was sitting on the high bank @
the river, taking snap shots with my gun a
the large fish who were every now and the
leaping out of the water. A fayorlte span
lei was bringing fish out OF the water tina
had hit. IL had swan already half wa
across the stream, when The water about 81
yards below her became suddenly disturb
ed; and to my horrer, up started the hea
and open Jaws of an enormous crocodile
The dog gave a loud shrek, aud spran
half out OF the water. The Mugger swaI
rapidly, aud had got within yard of hi
intended victim when raised my gun, all