ficer as went up there shooting crocs and pottomhouses. Oh,
I've seen the crocs there often--lots of them. Do you know what they
opens their mouths for when they goes to sleep, Mr Burnett, sir?"

"To yawn, I suppose," said Fitz. "Haul away there, my lad! Look
alive!" came in a deep growl from below; and Chips winked and made the
great muscles stand out in his brown arms as he hauled, but kept on
talking all the same.

"Yawn, sir! Nay, that isn't it. It's a curiosity in nat'ral history,
and this 'ere's fact. You young gents may believe it or not, just as
you like."

"Thank you," said Fitz dryly; "I'll take my choice."

"Ah, I expect you won't believe it, sir. But this 'ere's what it's for.
He leaves his front-door wide open like that, and there's a little bird
with a long beak as has been waiting comes along, hippity-hop, and
settles on the top of Mr Croc's head, and looks at first one eye and
then at the other to see if he's really asleep, and that there is no
gammon. He aren't a-going to run no risks, knowing as he does that a
croc's about one of the artfullest beggars as ever lived. I suppose
that's why they calls 'em amphibious. Oh, they're rum 'uns, they are!
They can sham being dead, and make theirselves look like logs of wood
with the rough bark on, and play at being in great trouble and cry, so
as to get people to come nigh them to help, and then snip, snap, they
has 'em by the leg, takes them under water to drown, and then goes and
puts 'em away in the cupboard under the bank."

"What for?" said Poole.

"What for, sir? Why, to keep till they gets tender. Them there Errubs
of the desert gets so sun-tanned that they are as tough as string; so
hard, you know, that they wouldn't even agree with a croc. Yo-hoy!
Haul oh, and here she comes!" added the man, in a low musical bass voice
to himself, as he kept on dragging at the soft Manilla rope.

"I say, Burnett," said Poole seriously, "don't you think we'd better get
pencil and paper and put all this down--Natural History Notes by Peter
Winks, Head Carpenter of the Schooner _Teal_?"

"Nay, nay, sir, don't you do that. Stick to fact. That's what I don't
like in people as writes books about travel. They do paint it up so,
and lay it on so thick that the stuff cracks, comes off, and don't look
nat'ral."

"Then you wouldn't put down about that little bird that comes
hippity-hop and looks at the crocodile's eyes?"

"What, sir! Why, that's the b