Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-06-05
A DAINTY CROCODILE.

village yonder."
What. another? by Jove, this is
too bad; that's five already since tho
first OF the MONTH"
at is too bad, and no mistake; some.
thing ought to be done about it,"
IN tell you what ought to DO done,
old fellow: we ought to get up croco-
die hunt, and polish off "a lot vi the
brutes, for they're getting too cheeky
for anything The tigers seom to have
all emigrated, and it's no fun killing
deer jungle fowl; so even u buttue
of crocodiles would be better than
nothing"
This suggestion was greeted with
general applause by its hearers, a
group OF young civilians belonging to
an up-country station in Bengal, stand
ing close to the junction of small
river with the Lower Ganges.
just opposite the Hindoo village
(Which lay few hundred yards below
tho statiOn), the smaller stream wild
ened into u broad smooth bay, tho
level banks of which were shaded by
thick clumps OF trees This was the
favorite bathing place OF the native
peasants, and it was hore that so many
of the village girls had successfully
fallen victims to the voracity of the
Bengalea's worst enemy, the ever
greedy crocodile.
"How did it happen?" asked some
one.
well, 1t was just the Same story as
oil the rest. The poor creature had
got right out into the middle of the
stream, and was just turning to head
back towards the shore, when, all Of a
sudden she set up terrible scream
and disappeared under water"
"Seel There goes Marston TO in
quirc into the mysterious affair,
called out the first speaker pointing TO
Il tall figure at q 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 everything's as
clear as daylight; 1 believe he'd
manage to discover some deep mean
ing in the white of q new-laid egg if he
gave his mind to 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; Edo you
think so? Well. l 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 those conflict
ing opinions were expressed was the
resident magistrates official secretary,
Walter Marston, who had come To the
station about a year before. His silent,
studious habits and solitary way OF
life made him anything but a favorite
with these ralicking, harum -scarum
young fellows; and had it not been for
his wonderful powers Of shooting they
would probably set him down as an alb
solute millisop.
Marston remained good while at
the village, though without seeming TO
question any one about what had hap
pened. or, indeed appearing to do any
thing but listen attentively to the talk
of the inhabitants.
But any one who had happened to
watch his proceedings would have
noticed that he examined the bank OF
the river with peculiar care all around
the scene of the recent accident and
even took the trouble to plough his
way through the masses of the weeds
and wild grass that fringed the water
edge, with his eyes bent upon the
ground like one of Fennimore Cooper s
Indians following u trail. Nay, more
than this, he actually crossed the rude
plank bridge which SPAWNED the little
river just above the village, and
made an equally close and careful sur
vey of the opposite shore.
Whatever he might be looking for,
he seemed to have found it; for, when
he turned homeward, his face was
lighted up with visible CLEAN OF salts.
faction.
That's how it has been DONE" NUT
tered he, as he re-crossed the bridge
1.-THE whole things as plain as print
now. That crocodile isn't so clever
az he thought himself, after all. It's
odd, now, that it should never have
occurred to any one that crocodile'
are not generally so dainty in theil
eating as to snap up only young girls
who have great many silver bangles
on; but, IL I'm not much mistaken,
I'll turn that fact to good account be-
fore many days are over"
Four days had passed since the
crocodile catastrophe, without any fur
Their event OF importance. The set
ting sun was pouring a flood of golden
glory over the broad sweep OF the
Ganges, and the same group OF young
men who had been so eager for ven
geance upon the destroying crocOdile'
were stroiling along the bank OF it,
smaller tributary in the cool OF the
evening
IL say, old fellow" said one OF then
to his neighbor, 'when are you going
10 give us that crocodile hunt that yoI
talked OF? We're just pining IA xii
something"
ooh, that's no good now, you know,
aaid tho man addrnsaad ssOur frien(