Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-04-04

lStandlng In the river ABOUT tnlBh
deep, when he suddenly felt some
thing strike against one OF his feet,
and was knocked over on his face.
Before he could realize what had hap
Ipened, the crocodile seized one OF his
legs and proceeded to pull him under
water. After being taken in this
manner for about forty yards, the
creature came to the surface again,
and the man was able to breathe once
more.
By this time he was half dead with
fright and nearly drowned, and must
have tainted When he recovered
consciousness he found he was In
what he calls the crocodile's house, "
which appears to have been sort Of
cave under the river bank, with a
smooth, muddy bottom. He after
ward computed he had been uncon-
scious for a night and a day before
his senses returned to him. Now, as
his brain cleared, he became aware
of the horrible fact that the crocodile
was on his back, with its tail over his
head and it's mouth at his feet, where
1t was apparently making meal on
one of his heels. Shortly afterward
the brute left off feeding and went
away.
| The unfortunate man says that as
!
prayed to his gods, Dattatray and
Krishna, to save him from his terri
BILE predicament. He was still en-
gagged in this occupation when, hav-
ing been away about an hour, the
crocodile returned. The man lay still,
and shortly afterward the brute de-
parted again, having only shifted at
his victim. Some time elapsed, and
the crocodile did not return, so, think
ing he was fairly safe, the man began
TO examine his surroundings to dis
cover If there was any possibility or
escape. The cave was in total dark
ness, and he had accordingly to rely
| OH his sense Of touch. First OF all he
moved forward couple of yards and
grOped about until he put his hand
into some soft mud.
Encouraged by the fact that he had
been left 50 long alone, Pira crawled
further forward and put his hand in
to some water; evidently he was get
ting nearer to the river. This, how
ever, was the sign for more trouble
tor the unhappy man, for the croco-
dile. which had been all the time lying
at the mouth OF the cave, apparently
saw and heard him, for, coming back,
it precipitated him into the river with
a violent blow OF its tail.
While the man was struggling in
the water the crocodile dived, and
Pira suddenly felt it rising beneath
him. This movement brought him
upon its back. Finding his hands
were near the "mugger's" head, and
neryed by desperation, he felt for his
nostrils, and hung on to them as hard
as he could. Meanwhile he made his
| seat" as secure as his remaining
strength permitted by twining his legs
as far as possible under the monsters
stomach.
And now comes the most exciting
part Of the adventure-the story of
the unfortunate mans unique ride.
Pira found that IL, each time the
| crocodile attempted to dive, he pulled
upon its nostrils hard enough, 1t
promptly came to the surface. Need
less to say, he made the best possible
use OF this discovery. The brute, af-
ter endeavoring without success to
dislodge it's rider, shot off like light
ming toward the center of the river,
where it proceeded to travel up and
down stream at a furious pace for
about an hour. The man recognized
| his whereabouts by the light Of the
moon, and knew that he was in the
| Shawdeshwar Nallah, which runs into
the Krishna, not far from his home.
Toward dawn the crocodile became
somewhat exhausted, but still con-
| tinued its evolutions In the middle Of
| the river.
Once IL tried to make for its lair.
but the man promptly pulled its nos
| trils toward the opposite shore, and
so managed to keep In deep water
He had the sense to understand that
II once he was taken to dry ground
his chances Of escape would be very
small, and all he could hope for was
rescue by some men coming down to
the river to bathe or fetch water in
the early morning. And 1t was thus
he was eventually saved.
AS soon as the sun rose Pira espied
two men working in field near the
river bank, and shouted as loudly as
his weak state would permit in or
der to attract their attention. At
first he was not heard, but after call
| ing two or three times the younger
of the men looked up and saw him.
By this time the crocodile was scarce
ly moving. The younger man told the
other that there was some one in the
river calling for help, and both came
to the bank and asked Pira who he
was and why he was calling. With
that the man pulled the crocodile's
snout upward. for by this time he was
almost too weak to articulate. The
OlICI luCll lCSo6ii1Cu iilik oiiu
asked him where he had been since
Sunday night. He was being searched
for all down the river side, they said.
BY way of answer, Pira called for a
rope.
The men on shore now noticed the
"Mugger's" head for the first time,
and were very much alarmed and as
tonished. Their cries that "Pira Is
riding a crocodile!" brought a crowd
of wondering friends to the river
bank, and one man who recovered his
wits more quickly than the others,
| ran for a rope, while the remainder
tried to reach the victim by tying
their pugarees (head dresses) togeth-
er and throwing one end toward him.
The crocodile, hearing the noise, be-
came alarmed. and started at brisk
er pace to go down stream. Event
ually 1t arrived at a wat. ing place,
where four men were Wa ting with
| a long rope. By pulling the croco-
dies snout i'm their direction, Pira
managed tn get close enough to catch
| the end of the rope when ii was
thrown to him, says the Worlds
| Magazine He made 1t as secure as
he could round one of his arms, and
then jumped off his uncomfortable
mount. Those on the bank pulled
him in as fast as they could, and car
ried him to be medically treated
New York Herald.
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