The morning call., 1892-09-25

4 y ana 0utH0UScS Wcl6 Suc
H5s or two small building.
constituting guard and
Armed and equipped barrack rooms Tor two
dozen native policemen aad servants.
The whole formed the undesirable ap-
poiptment and belongings Of an assistant
coast magistrate in the native States OF the
Malay Peninsula,
At high tide the buildings stood upon
their wooden piers, couple Of feet above
sea level Every three years, at the time OF
the big triennial freshet, the buildings
were swept away and every one plcnlcked
among the trees.
The event was hailed with great delight
BY every one concerned, since II Afforded an
excuse 10 visit the local head station, utteen
miles M the river, for stores and fresh ma
terial generally.
II was II o'clock A. NJ. and sweltering
hot. The tide was falling steadily and not
q breath Of air disturbed tie damp and
heated atmosphere. Tie breakfast lay un-
touched urOn the table and appetite was
not to be bought for love or money III Inc
golden ChersOnese."
VA ked out Of the bungalow and down a
little pathway to the small plank bridge
and landing place Juttlng GUT over the
water
4 wild desire seized me to plunge in for a
moistening bath. AS l eyed the water
Tefrctiyely two rugged logs foated gently
under my feet.
Look at the boggars' wicked eyes"
gTOwied Andrews savagely. he had loaled
after ME 10 the waters edge.
Last week the beggars took my cook"
be continued He was a rafting good
cook. but Ike most TamilS, lazy and de-
void If logic. i was too much trouble TO
lower his baih-diDpeT with string rs we
al d.. He didn't argue when limited to
him the really urgent RdVlsahlilty OF so do
ing. lie merely salaamed, grlnned, paid
tribute to the sahib's profound wisdom,
and-dsobeyed orders"
looked al the speaker, who had made a
horribly suggestive pause, and impatiently
asked for more particulars. He eyed Me
with the cold, dread cyniclsm OF the victim
70 Maaya'S p0isons.
'N hat was | talking about? Oh, my
cock. Poor old Narayananl Well! He did
Is uSuai-Unly this time was the last. He
stopped ana showed his dippeT under water
and into tie mouth Of a 'croc.' They
went OFF together. 7 sentry heard a hur-
lied sob aud looked round only to see that
the spot where NarayAnan had stood was
vacant. OF course he called me, and in five
minutes the boat was out padding all over
the river with the usual result The water
hid the horrors enacting somewhere below
US down on the river hottom-not a nice
thing to see, you know"
l shuddered a little as | looked down
upon the cold and cruel bTuteS at our feet.
My work lay up in the interior jungle
districts and had not the familiarity with
''crocs" and "'gatoTs" which breeds con-
tempt among the coast magistrates and
their assistants.
"Why don'tyo shoot the brutes?" ex-
claimed ind gnantly as l thought Of poor
Narayanan and others whose neglect Of the
iron etiquette which should prevail in croco-
die communities had done for them" in
few short minutes Of horrid torture that
which should serve as passport through the
Inner regions Of purgalory.
''Sh0Ot your grandmother" reIorted An
drews contemptuously, as he spat at the
saurians.
Look at them gTnning at your RANK sim
plicity. Do you think there is anything on
earth more willy than a cToc2 Aim your
finger suddenly al them as If you were 60
ing to shoot"
l did so with prompt and exaggerated
display Of hostility. The brutes never
moved or winked. The little wicked eyes
remained steadily fixed upon US, and the
grin OF their jaws seemed 10 lengtheu little
a. the corners.
Now 20 back to the bungaloy-get my
Iiha-put all your elephant and Tiger hunt
ing tactics into pay-shikaTee all you are
wOrth-and see if you can bit one"
My pride was aroused aud l walked back
TO the bungalow burning with wrath against
the denlZen OF the water who should fiOut
the trained hunter Of The land. Picking up
heavy double barreled elephant rife /
slipped IN couple of steel pointed bullets,
kicked of my shoes and sanntered quietly
back TO the landing place with the rife con-
ceaed behind me.
l fell into my old position. The pair Of
"crocs" lay three feet below the end of the
little Jetty IN about foot of water.
"a Td cvrfr inn Il . !
their little eye remained fixed upon mine
with unblinking watchfuness.
noticed that they had moved back foot
or two on the rapid shelving mud bottom of
the river. The whole Of their twelve to
fourteen feet OF hide0usness was plainly in
view through the still and quiet water: tin
now their heads, with the exception Of the
nose tips, had been only three or tour
inches out Of water. Now they were well
raised out ara stood upon their ugly little
forearms balancing carefully.
Gang your own gait, said Andrews gaZ-
Ing uncOncernedly across the river You
are an old sportsman. | won't offer any ad-
vice" / smoked with seeming careless
ness for full two minutes as | gradually
selected my special victim. Both animals
remained m0tionless except for a slow and
easy movement of their tails, so gradual as
not to even make an eddy on the surface
Then gazing intently at my victims ewes I
prepared for action. The magnetic tension
was dreadful. Our eyes were fixed each
upon the others, and the grin seemed to
have disappeared from the allgator's laws
and given place TO grim interest
Gripping my cigar between my teeth. I
loOsened my muscles for lightning change
1 had won my lsurels in the "Champion
Eight at Cheltenham, and was confident of
my gymnasic abilities. Andrews remained
passiyely observant Of the drama, but | fell
his cynical frame OF mind, and was doubly
on my mettle.
For ten seconds the alligator and myself
looked steadfasfly into one anOther's ewes,
Then we trembled together for one second
before ] slipped the rife to my shoulder and
pulled both triggers, aiming straight be-
tween his eyes.
simultaneously with the crack Of the rife
heard sharp, quick "GOne!" from An
dTews' lips.
Staggering upright from the shock of the
snugly TO my shoulder. | leaned over the
thin handral and peered into the water
Andrews pointed smllingly to two widen
ing lines OF swrling eddies which betrayed
the under water fight of the saurians into
the depths of the river.
"But / rinked him, I'll swear" l ex-
claimed, emphatically.
=, Andrews. still smiling, pointed to a thin
line OF bubbles vi ich rose from the mud
bottom TO The surface of the shallow water
under our feet, which line was yet clear of
TWO heavy clouds OF turgid mud which
Iolied heavily toward us under water.
There are your bullets" he said. Those
bubbles show where they are buried. You
were precious quick, but the 'crocs' were
quicker When you pulled your rife their
tails swept TO one side. As il came TO your
shoulder they were gone with sweep OF
the TAN ana shove of the forearms. | re-
marked the fact fraction of a second be-
fore you fired-didn't you hear me umpire pr
l eyed him yexedly. | knew he WAS right.
The vision Of that crocodile grin haunted
me. The sun beat down ferociausly and
my spleen was in full Indian working order.
Feel like killing somebody or some
tblng9" griuned Aadrags. addressing q
nssf.sse a. ~ y sss Ss.i.fird with the
sdeHs anSnaiss - - Nnce, he con-