limb closely
to his side. Again the native touched the huge monster gently under the
other arm, and he drew that in, twisting and wriggling about in the most
ridiculous way, just as a child does to avoid being tickled. We could
not help bursting into shouts of laughter at the exhibition, and all my
respect for the mighty brute's powers vanishing, I gave way to an
impulse which seized me, and leaped on his back, while he began to crawl
off at a rapid rate to the tank. The long twig again brought him to a
stand-still, not feeling, probably, my weight upon him, and I was thus
enabled to leap off free of his jaws, which I had no desire even then to
encounter. My return to _terra firma_ was hailed with delight by Solon,
who was in a great fright on seeing me borne away on the back of a
creature for which he had evidently an instinctive dread. This was
shown when we attempted to cross the stream a little higher up by a
ford. He kept falling back, and making every sign of an unwillingness
to enter the water, and it was only when I rode in that he consented to
push across close to my heels, barking furiously all the time. Scarcely
was I out of the water when a huge head was protruded from a hole close
to the ford, and the jaws of a crocodile snapped with a loud clank just
behind my faithful dog's tail. It made him spring forward like a bolt
shot from a bow, while my horse lashed out with his hind-legs, giving
the brute a blow under his jaw which must have knocked in some of his
teeth, and, as Nowell observed, somewhat spoiled his beauty.

Coming to another kumbuk-tree, close to which Dango said the cavalcade
would pass, we determined to leave our horses there under charge of the
native, and with Dango go after the game, which we were every instant
putting up in prodigious quantities. Off we went with a good supply of
ammunition in our pouches, our rifles in our hands, and some biscuits
and small flasks of brandy and water in our pockets, which Mr Fordyce
made us take, though it was wisely somewhat weak.

The country was tolerably open. There was jungle here and there, and
patches of wood, and then open grassy spaces, along which we were easily
able to make our way. There were hills in the distance, spurs of the
centre chains, and water-courses and lakes. I find that I have
frequently spoken of artificial and natural lakes. It must be
understood that we often travelled for days together without meeting
them, throu