lived in a pool or lorded some
creek, generally only get-at-able in a canoe; and here Bones, with his
Houssas, would wait smoking furiously, with baited lines cunningly laid
from thick underbrush or some tethered goat, bleating invitingly on the
banks. But never once did the hunter catch so much as a glimpse of
green. There were yellow crocodiles, grey crocodiles, crocodiles the
colour of the sand, or the dark brown bed of the river, but nothing
which by any stretch of imagination could be called green.

And urgent messages came to Bones. The _Zaire_ itself, in charge of
Abiboo, came steaming up carrying a letter filled with unnecessary
abuse, for Hamilton was getting rattled by the extraordinary
manifestations which he received every day of the potency of this slain
monster. Bones sent the sergeant back in the launch with an
insubordinate message, and commandeered the _Zaire_ with her superior
accommodation for himself.

"There is only one thing to do," he said, "and that is to consult jolly
old Bosambo."

So he put the head of the _Zaire_ to the Ochori country, and on the
second day arrived at the city.

"Lord," said Bosambo, loftily, "crocodiles I have by thousands."

"Green ones?" asked Bones anxiously.

"Lord, of every colour," said Bosambo, "blue or green or red, even
golden crocodiles have I in my splendid river. But they will cost great
money because they are very cunning, and my hunters of crocodiles are
independent men who do not care to work."

Bones dried up the flood of eloquence quickly.

"O Bosambo," said he, "there is no money for this palaver, but a green
crocodile I must have because the evil people of the Lower Isisi say I
have put a spell on their land because I slew the Green One, M'zooba,
also this crocodile must I have before the moon is due. My Lord
M'ilitani has sent me many powerful messages to this effect."

This was another matter, and Bosambo looked dubious.

"Lord," said he, "what manner of green was this crocodile, for I never
saw it?"

Bones looked round.

Neither the green of the trees he saw, nor the green of the grass
underfoot, nor the green of the elephant grass growing strongly on the
river's edge, nor the tender green of the high trees above, nor the
tender green of the young Isisi palms; and yet the exact shade of green
it was necessary to secure. He ransacked all his books, turned over all
his possessions and Hamilton's too, in an endeavour to match the
crocodile