The Forrest City times., 1892-03-25
AN ILL-OMENED PLACE.
WITH PET CRoCoDiLES IN AN
 INDIAN PALACE.
what Completed the Horror Of Flight full spectscie--A strange Taste Which End, Pets In
 Crawling Reptiles.

fallen to the lot of my wife ana my self one of the most memorable was certainly that which befell us in the Indian city of Jeypoor. or Jypoor.
 Now l think of it. said my wife as we sat at breakfast in the veranda of the snug little hotel. this is the place where the reigning Maharajah is said to keep a tank full of pet crocodiles in his palace. We might go and see them"
 A few minutes later we were at the main entrance of the palace itself. Even without it's wonderful accumula- ton of striking details the mere height and size of the great structure would have sufiiced to make it re. markabie.
 When we stood in the middle of the inner courtyard and looked upward we saw above us a seemingly endless mass of carved battlements marble columns clustering tarrets, curtained balconies, flower crowned terraces sculptured cornices and brightly paint ed walls. piled up against the clear blue sky like ridges of some mighty mountain. while high over all this blaze of many colored glory hoated the golden standard of Jeypoor.
 But all this time there was no sign of the famous pet crocodiles of which wo had heard so much and We were just beginning to wonder whether they might not be- after all, mere travellers tale when our Hindoo guide suddenly hurried us with marked alac- rity up broad marble stair on to a raised terrace nearly midway along the garden face of the palace. and then leading us forward to a low, white parapet that ran along the fur ther side of the terrace itself. pointed over it and bade us look down.
 At the sight of the horrible pit below we both drew back with an ir- repressible start and quiver of disgust What we beheld was just what we had expected. and had come purpose ly to see; but so frightful was the sud den revelation of this foul slimy pool. crawling with monstrous and hideous reptiles in the very midst of this splendid palace. that had we seen swine wallowing in fashionable drawing room we could hardly have been more utterly startled aud shocked.
 The beautiful white walls over which we were leaning inclosed black, dismal swamp of thick muddy. lifeless water. from the slimy depths of which steamed upward through the hot breathless air n sickening stench of rank foulness and decay. Above the thick, oily surface low banks of glistening black mud rose every here and there and on that congenial couch lay basking the horrible reptiles which the Mahara jah's strange taste had preserved and nourished as pets
 Some lay outstretc ed on the mud banks in the full glare O the sun. tOrpld as gorged snakes but giving sudden snap with their cruel jaws ever and anon as if they were dream. ing of tearing some living victim to pieces Others were wallowing in the sullen waters above which noth- ing could be seen but their scaly shouts and long saw-like tails.
 Just below Us the hugest Of these foul creatures lay asleep on an islet of mud. half in the water and half out Wishing to str it up threw large stone at 1t which rebounded from its scaly back like hailstone from roof. but the monster never moved.
 Then two of the Hindoos. seeing what we were at joined in the bom- bardment so Justify that the mud bank was studded like an almond cake with stones of all sizes; but to all appear ances we might have built an entire house upon the phlegmatic crocodile without disturbing it in the least
 At that moment tiny English child having escaped from its ayah (native nurse) while the latter was engaged watching the crocodiles scrambled up the parapet that over hung the tank. It was horrible to see how. the moment the poor little girl appeared the whole surface be- low was alive with Tapping tails and gaping jaws as the monsters caught sight of prospective prey. Scared by the tumult the child grew dizzy. stag gered forward and in another instant would have fallen into the terrible pool. when one of the Maharajah's native gardeners an active young fellow. sprang forward and clutched her by the arm just in time.
 .Crocodiles know how man flesh taster' said tall gaunt Punjabi be- side us When old Maharajah reign that time plenty man throw in here; crocodiles plenty much fat-aha,"
 This speech, and the ghastly grin that accompanied it, was all that was needed to complete the horror of this frightful spectacle; and turning away with a shudder. we hurried from the tll-omened spot as fast as we could.