Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1891-07-25
A DAINTY CROCODILE.

al say, my boys, have you heard the
news? Those blessed crOcodiles have
snapped up another native girl at the
village yonder.
What. another? BY Jove, this is
too bad; that's five already since the
first Of the month"
ut is too bad, and no mistake; some
thing ought TO be done about it. Y
,.I'll tell you what ought 10 be done.
old fellow: we ought to get up croco-
die hunt. and polish off lot OF the
brutes, for they're getting too cheeky
for anything The tigers seem to have
all emigrated and it's no fun killing
deer and Jungle fowl; so even battue
of crocOdiles would be better than
nothing
This suggestion was greeted with
general applause by its hearers, IA
group of young civilians belonging to
an up-country station in Bengal. stand-
ing close to the junction Of a small
river with the Lower Gauges.
just opposite the Hindoo village
(Which lay few hundred yards below
the station), the smalle. stream Wild
, ened into a broad smooth bay, the
level banks OF which were shaded by
thick chlmps OF trees This was the
| iavorite bathing place Of the native
| peasants. and il was here that 50 many
Of the village girls had succe ssiyely
fallen victims to the yoracity OF the
| Bengal worst enemy, the ever
greedy crocodile.
How did it happen" asked some
one.
Well, it was just the same story as
all the rest. The poor creature had
got right out into the middle Of the
stream. and was just turning to head
beck towards the shore when, all Of a
sudden. she set up terrible scream
and disappeared under water
See! There goes Marston to in
quire into the mysterious affair. :"
called out the first speaker pointing 70
a tall figure at little distance from
them, which seemed to be making for
the native village. That fellow
certainly has the most amazing GIFT Of
seeing mysteries where eyerythings as
clear rs daylight; / believe he'd
manage to discover some deep meaa-
| ing in the white Of ncw-laid egg II he
gave his mind 10 it, Ten to one he
finds special political significance
in the swapping up Of that poor girl "
He's sharp fellow though for all
that. said another man; II shouldn't
wonder il he made himself heard OF
one day"
Sharp echoed third do you
think so? Well, / don't see much
sharpness about him, myself He's a
rafting good shot, and no mistake;
but that's all you can say Of him"
The man about whom these conflict
ing opinions were expressed was the
resident magistrates official secretary,
Walter Marston. who had come TO the
station about a gear before. His silent,
studious habits and solitary way d
life made him anything but favoritC
with these rolicking, harum-scarum
young fellows: and had it not been foi
his wonderful powers OF shooting, they
would probably set him down as an alb
solute milksop.
Marston remained n good while a
the village, though without seeming Il
question any one about what had hap
pened, or, indeed appearing TO do any
thing but listen attentivcly TO the tall
OF the inhabitants.
But any one who had happened Il
watch bis proceedings would hay,
noticed that he examined the bank o
the river with peculiar care all arouut
the scene Of the recent accident AM
even took the trouble to plough hi
way through the masses Of the weed
and wild grass that fringed the water
edge, with his eyes bent upon tn
ground like one of Fennimore Cooper
Indians following trail Nay NOR
, than this, he actually crossed the iTd
! plank bridge which spanned the littl
; river just above the village, an
: made an equally close and careful SUI
e vey Of the opposite shore.
, Whatever he might be looking fol
t he seemed to have found it; for, whe
1 he turned homcward. his face wa
lighted up with T. visible CLEAN Of sati,
T faction.
= That's how it has been done. " mu
4 tered he, as he re-crossed the bridge
1.-THE whole things as plain as prir
now. That crocodile isn't so clegt
as he thought himself, after all. It
. odd, now, that it should never hay
i, occurred TO any one that crocodile
are not generally SO dainty in the
. eating as 10 snap up only young cir
n who have great many silver bangl,
n on; but, II I'm not much mistaken
It I'll turn that fact TO good account b.
D. fore many days are over.
= Four days had passed since u
y crocodile catastrophe. without any IN
ii ther event Of Importance. The Sc
Re ting sun was pouring food Of golde
ne glory over the broad sweep OF Il
T. Ganges. and the same group Of youn
in men who had been so eager for We
re geance upon the destroying crocodile
ID were strolling along the bank Of
% smaller tributary in the cool Of u