instant, glanced carefully along
the barrels, but just then only the eyes of the brute were invisible. A
moment of intense excitement followed, and then, emboldened by the
extreme stillness, he showed his whole head above the surface. I pulled
the trigger, and a Meade shell crashed through the monster's skull,
scattering his brains in the water and actually sending one splinter of
the skull to the opposite edge of the tank, where my little Hindoo boy
picked it up and brought it to me.

There was a mighty agitation in the water; the water-lilies rocked to
and fro, and the broad leaves glittered with the water drops thrown on
them; then all was still. Hearing the report of my gun, the natives
came flocking to the spot, and, telling them their enemy was slain, I
departed, leaving instructions to let me know when the body came to the
surface. It did so three days later. Getting some _chumars_ and _domes_
(two of the lowest castes, as none of the higher castes will touch a
dead body under pain of losing caste), we hauled the putrid carcase to
shore, and on cutting it open, found the glass armlets and brass
ornaments of no less than five women and the silver ornaments of three
children, all in a lump in the brute's stomach. Its skull was
completely smashed and shattered to pieces by my shot. Its teeth were
crusted with tartar, and worn almost to the very stumps. It measured
nineteen feet.

But during this digression my friends Pat and Willie have been waiting
on the banks of the 'Teljuga.' I reached their tents late at night,
found them both in high spirits after a good day's execution among the
ducks and teal, and preparations being made for catching an alligator
next day. Up early in the morning, we beat some grass close by the
stream, and roused out an enormous boar that gave us a three mile spin
and a good fight, after Pat had given him first spear. After breakfast
we got our tackle ready.

This was a large iron hook with a strong shank, to which was attached a
stout iron ring. To this ring a long thick rope was fastened, and I
noticed for several yards the strands were all loose and detached, and
only knotted at intervals. I asked Pat the reason of this curious
arrangement, and was told that if we were lucky enough to secure a
_mugger_, the loose strands would entangle themselves amongst his
formidable teeth, whereas were the rope in one strand only he might
bite it through; the knottings at intervals were to give gre