s because of their
audacity. They used to watch at the places where native women were in
the habit of going down to the river for water, and not unfrequently
succeeded in seizing a victim. This, however, only happened at those
periods when the Shire was in flood, when fish were driven from their
wonted haunts, and the crocodiles were reduced to a state of starvation
and consequent ferocity.

One evening, while our travellers were proceeding slowly up stream, they
observed the corpse of a negro boy floating past the canoe; just then a
monstrous crocodile rushed at it with the speed of a greyhound, caught
it and shook it as a terrier does a rat. Others dashed at the prey,
each with his powerful tail causing the water to churn and froth as he
tore off a piece. In a few seconds all was gone. [Livingstone's
_Zambesi and its Tributaries_, page 452.] That same evening Zombo had a
narrow escape. After dusk he ran down to the river to drink. He
chanced to go to a spot where a crocodile was watching. It lay settled
down in the mud with its head on a level with the water, so that in the
feeble light it could not be seen. While Zombo was busy laving the
water into his mouth it suddenly rushed at him and caught him by the
hand. The limb of a bush was fortunately within reach, and he laid hold
of it. There was a brief struggle. The crocodile tugged hard, but the
man tugged harder; at the same time he uttered a yell which brought
Jumbo to his side with an oar, a blow from which drove the hideous
reptile away. Poor Zombo was too glad to have escaped with his life to
care much about the torn hand, which rendered him _hors de combat_ for
some time after that.

Although Disco failed to get a shot at an elephant, his hopeful spirit
was gratified by the catching of a baby elephant alive. It happened
thus:--

One morning, not very long after Zombo's tussle with the crocodile,
Disco's canoe, which chanced to be in advance, suddenly ran almost into
the midst of a herd of elephants which were busy feeding on palm-nuts,
of which they are very fond. Instantly the whole troop scattered and
fled. Disco, taken completely by surprise, omitted his wonted "Hallo!"
as he made an awkward plunge at his rifle, but before he could bring it
to bear, the animals were over the bank of the river and lost in the
dense jungle. But a fine little elephant, at that period of life which,
in human beings, might be styled the toddling age, was obser