f the river,
and came upon the crocodile, covered with blood and mud. His own
hide hung about him like a dress, and his one eye opened and shut at
the throng of wondering natives about. It was not until he had been
put out of his misery and his hide taken entirely off that we felt
confident of his bona fide demise.

One day I had a real adventure while out shooting, which, like many
real adventures, was made up principally of the things I thought and
suffered rather than of the things I did. Hence I hardly know how
to write it out so that it will look like an "adventure" and not a
mere mishap.

My companion had told me of a trail some thirty miles up the river that
led into the jungle about three miles, to some old gold workings that
date back beyond the written records of the State. So one day we drew
our little launch close up under the bank of the river, and I sprang
ashore, bent on seeing for myself the prehistoric remains. Contrary
to the advice of the Chief Justice, I only took a heavy hunting-knife
with me, and it was more for slashing away thorns and rattans than
for protection.

It was the heat of the day, and the dense jungle was like a
furnace. Before I had gone a mile I began to regret my enthusiasm. I
found the path, but it was so overgrown with creepers, parasites,
and rubber-vines that I had almost to cut a new one. Had it not been
for the company of a small English terrier, Lekas,--the Malay for
"make haste,"--I believe I should have turned back.

However, I found the old workings, and spent several hours making
calculations as to their depth and course, taking notes as to the
country formation, and assaying some bits of refuse quartz. Rather
than struggle back by the path, I determined to follow the course of
a stream that went through the mines and on toward the coast. So I
whistled for Lekas and started on.

For the first half-hour everything went smoothly. Then the stream
widened out and its clay bottom gave place to one of mud, which made
the walking much more difficult. At last I struck the mangrove belt,
which always warns you that you are approaching the coast.

As long as I kept in the centre of the channel, I was out of the way
of the network of roots; but now the channel was getting deeper and my
progress becoming more labored. It was impossible to reach the bank,
for the mangroves on either side had grown so thick and dense as to
be impenetrable.

When I had perhaps achieved half th