The Forrest City times., 1891-05-29
A DAINTY CROCODILE.

'1 say, my boys, have you heard the news? Those blessed crocodiles have snapped up another native girl at the village yonder."
 What, anotherp By love, this is too bad; that's five already since the first of the month!"
 'lt is too bad and no mistake; some thing ought to be done about it."
 I'll tell you what ought to bc done, old fellow: we ought to get up croco- dile hunt, and polish off lot of tho 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 a battue of crocodiles would be better than nothing.n
 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 a small river with the Lower Ganges.
 Just opposite the Hindoo village (which lay few hundred yards below the statien). the smaller stream wid- ened into a broad smooth bay, the level banks of which were shaded by thick clumps ot trees This was the favorite bathing place of the native peasants, and it was here that so many of the village girls had successively fallen victims to the voracity of the Bengalees worst enemy, the ever greedy crocodile.
 ''How did it happen?" asked some one.
 Well, it was just the same story as all the rest. Tho poor creature had got right out into tho middle of the stream, and was just turning to head back towards the shore, when. all of q sudden. she set up terrible scream and disappeared under water'
 ''Seei There goes Marston to in- quire into tho mysterious affair, :" called out the first speaker, pointing to 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 everything's as clear as daylight; I believe he'd manage to discover some deep mean ing in the white of new-laid egg if he gave his mind to it, Ten to ono he finds special political significance' in the snapping up Of that poor girl.n
 He's sharp fellow though for all that" said another man; Il shouldn't wonder if he made himself heard of one day
 Sharp" echoed third; do you think SOP Well, I don't sec much sharpness about him. myself He's a rattling 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 year before. His silent, studious habits and solitary way Of life made him anything but favorite with these rolicking, harum- m-scarum young fellows; and had it not been for his wonderful powers of shooting, they would probably set him down as an ab- solute milksop.
 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 7 way through the masses of the weeds and wild grass that fringed the waters edge, with his eyes bent upon the ground like one of Fennimore Cooper's Indians following a trail. Nay. more than this, he actually crossed the rude plank bridge which spanned 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 gleam of satis- faction.
 That's how it has been done" nut tered he, as he re-crossed the bridge; the whole things as plain as print !, now. That crocodile isn't so clever as he thought himself. after all. It's odd, now, that it should never have occurred to any one that crocodile es 7 are not generally so dainty in their eating as to snap up only young girls who have great many silver bangles on; but, if I'm not much mistaken, I'll turn that fact to good account be- fore many days are over.n Four days had passed since the ' crocodile catastrophe, without any fur ther event of importance. The set ting sun was pouring q 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 f geance upon the destroying crocodiles ! were strolling along the bank of its } smaller tributary in the cool of the evening.
 .I say, old fellow" said one of them to his neighbor 'when arc you going to give us that crocodile hunt that you talked ofP We're just pining to kill something
 ''Oh, that's no good now, you know" said the man addressed. Our friend Marston must have knocked over every crocodile in the river by this time !" ''HeP" cried the other; ''why, he hasn't killed single one!"
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