The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-16

ropes.
About twenty of these RATS q cannot
tell them by any other name which ex-
presses their form equally welD were soon
| finished.
| Near by number of other Il Ell were
! engaged in preparing strong running
noOses, made also of bamboo hlaments
| After inspecting these raft and moose
factories, the chief took forty men with
him, and all of us skirting the lake,
made our way to its eastern bank.
The most absolute silence was enjoined
upon all. ..
On reaching the southwestern part of
the shore, the chief, whom | followed
closely, approached the bank. In an
swer to my question, he said:
"Thouann, l am looking for the slid
ing paths of the crocodiles-the places
they choose for leaving the water and
climbing upon the shore. See!' he OBJ
served, suddenly pointing to declivity
trampled smooth-as level as if heavy
cannon had been constantly rolled over
it, ''there's where they come out. If we
can notice him, the one who comes here
will not be easy to nail.
Nail? only wondered in my mind but
my eyes must have been like two points
of interro CATION, for the chief of the
hunters added after looking at me mo-
ment: "Yes, nail! You are going to
see something You never saw before in
your life
He posted \ sais at this path, and we
continued our inspection. Thirty points
were chosen, and thirty men were sta
toned at them.
Before turning back to camp said to
the chief:
''But 1 have not noticed a single
wrinkle on the water-are you sure there
are any crocodiles?"
He did not answer; but taking piece
of wood he wrapped it in a bit of red
cloth and flung it about twenty yards out
into the water. -.
Fifteen seconds passed-a few wave
lets appeared on the still mirror of the
lake; there was sort of dull sound,
followed by great shock in the water
l could not see anything distinctly; but
the wood wrapped in red cloth had dis
appeared
We returned to the raftmaking estab-
lishment. Thirty RATS fifteen feet long
by about four broad-were ready. A
hundred running nooses were also pre-
pared for operations.
At a signal from the leader all the men
not on duty as soldiers followed him.
Each raft was carried by four men, while
about a dozen followed us with the
ropes. ITO morrow morning the baits, "
said the chief, Twill be atta ched to the
rafts-about 3 oc,ock-quarters of
meat
We came to the first crocodile bank,
and preparations were made to place the
first strap in position.
-Four men laid the raft on the bank,
and then gently pushed it down the
slope till the further end was about two
feet under water. This bank-like all
other spots chosen--was ovcrshadowed
by tree, in which one of the Cambod-
ians will be stationed. On the lake end
OF the raft large running moose was
attached, intended to catch the croco-
dile's tail; on the upper end a second
moose was placed to seize the crocodile's
head. The nooses are operated by long
strings, which We're so arrngcd as to be
pulled at the proper moment by the man
perched in the tree.
These arrangements being completed,
preparations were made for the night.
Fires were lighted behind, each trap
to keep the crocodlles in the water until
dawn, when the hunt was to begin
At four in the morning, Norodom, his
ministers, the courtiers, and the invited
guests, are all awakened. From his
elevated cabin the king can get good
) view of the capture Of the crocodiles.
His guests, all armed with lanccs, take
their way to the western bank of the
lake.
All around the lake, the sails are posted
in their respective trees; the RATS are
balted; the 1lres are put out.
About six or seven PAGES from each
raft. little to one side, crouches IA sais
armed with mallet, and great sharp
nails from eight to ten inches long.
Absolute calm everywhere. The day
breaks. The crocodiles. which have
been imprisoned in their slime for twen-
ty-four hours, must want to breathe.
We wait
About o'clock little cminences push
themselves about the water They re-
main awhile motionless, then they begin
to move altogether. In the middle of
the lake we behold a regular conciiabu-
lum. Twenty, forty, hundred croco.
diles assemble, play about, dive and re-
appear alternately.
Suddenly they all remain still Have
they suspected something, or heard some
noise? No; the breeze has waited to
them odors of flesh.
A long black mass dctaches itself from
the assembly of saurians, and makes fol
the great slope. Others betake them
selves to their favorite morning landing
places.
Norodom has seized his telescope, and
watches the progress of the drama with
intense interest. All the rest of us ok
on breathlessly in silence
) The biggest crocodile has reached the
: edge of bis pathway. There he stops
Perhaps he is wondering what that bal,
; is. A whole quarter of an hour passes
by. The snout of the alligator leaves
the water and now his fore legs are or
, the raft
} Everybody holds his breath.
} He keeps on climbing -slowly-very
slowly. The bait is there, only twenty
inches from his nose. He seizes it. Al
, the very same instant the sails in the tree
above him pulls the strings which oper
ate the running nooses, and the reptile,
caught at once by head and tail begins tc
struggle furiously. Immediately the
other sais leaps forward, his hammer in
one hand and huge nail in the other
and while the monster stretches his legs
in trying to reach the water, the sais
nails the right fore foot to the rail- The