Off to the Wilds Part 29

As might have been expected, Peter dropped his drawers, and darted back, while the crocodile remained staring at him, and Dinny rushed off shouting for help.

They learned afterwards that what they had now seen had been repeated several times. For just as they paused, Peter was creeping cautiously forward towards where his drawers lay upon the sand, stooping with outstretched hand to seize them, when there was the slightest disturbance possible in the water, and the head of a monstrous crocodile appeared.

Back darted Peter, and the head of the crocodile sank slowly beneath the water, when, unaware that help was at hand, Peter waited a minute or two, and then once more stole gently and on tiptoe towards his much-coveted garb.

This time his hand was almost upon it when out came the crocodile's head, and Peter nimbly darted back, but only to come on again as quietly as possible, apparently quite ignorant of the fact that it was by the eye that the reptile distinguished his coming, and not by ear.

Twice more was this watched, when Mr Rogers, feeling alarmed lest the driver should be too venturesome, whispered to his sons to shoot.

"No, father," whispered back d.i.c.k; "we want to see you shoot this one."

Mr Rogers hesitated a moment, and then lying down upon his chest he rested the barrel of his rifle on the edge of the rock where it went perpendicularly down to the little strand, and waited for the next appearance of the dangerous monster.

He had not long to wait, for Peter seemed to be determined this time to make sure of his garment, and cautiously stealing forward he had almost touched it, when out came the crocodile's head once more, and as Peter darted back it remained stationary, its hideous eyes watching the black driver, when Mr Rogers' rifle spoke out, and Peter fell upon his back, yelling for help; while the stream, that had quietly rippled over where the crocodile lay, was suddenly beaten by the monster's struggles into a tempest of foam.

"Are ye kilt, Pater, ma black bouchal?" cried Dinny piteously, as he leaped down to the aid of his fellow-servant.

"Mind the crocodile, Dinny," shouted d.i.c.k maliciously.

"Oh! murther!" roared Dinny; and he scrambled up the rock again, and sat there panting, as the boys roared with laughter. "Ah, and it's moighty funny, I've no doubt, Masther d.i.c.k, sor, but how would you fale yourself if one of the great crocodivils had got hold of ye?"

"Very bad, Dinny," said d.i.c.k. "There, go and help Peter; he isn't hurt, only frightened."

"Thought boss shot me," said Peter, making a rush, and then triumphantly waving his drawers over his head, before withdrawing to a place of safety, where he could watch with the others the dying struggles of the crocodile, which grew weaker and weaker, and then ceased; and the stream flowed calmly on, sweeping away the mud and sand, and revealing the body of the monster, apparently quite dead, at the bottom of the shallow water.

Generally speaking these reptiles get away into the depths of the rivers, or into some deep hole beneath the banks, but this one had apparently been hit so badly that it had not had time to get away, and the sight of the monster so excited the boys, that they begged hard to have it dragged out on to the strand.

"But it is of no use, and its musky odour will be very offensive," said Mr Rogers.

"But we want to see it, father--to measure it, and see how long it is, and how big round."

"Very well," said Mr Rogers, "then you shall. Peter, get one of the oxen and a rope, and we'll drag the brute ash.o.r.e. Dinny, go and ask the General to come."

The Zulu chief, and Peter with his ox, arrived at about the same time, when no sooner did the former hear what was wanted than he made a big loop, waded into the water, and slipped the noose over the monster's head.

This noose was pulled tight, the rope attached to the yoke of the ox, the word given, and the crocodile drawn not only out of the water on to the strand, but through an opening in the rock and on to the firm ground above.

Here the General proceeded to unfasten the rope, Mr Rogers curiously examining the mark made by his bullet just behind the creature's eye, when, to the astonishment of all present, the reptile made a tremendous snap with its awful jaws, and as the General darted aside, the creature began to thrash the air with its tail, sweeping it from side to side, and snapping its jaws as it began to move off towards the edge of the little cliff.

Both d.i.c.k and Jack stood there paralysed for a few moments, for they had believed the reptile dead; but d.i.c.k soon recovered, and as the crocodile was slowly progressing, snapping its jaws menacingly as it went, the boy went close up and fired at its eye.

There was a terrible convulsion; then the monster levelled shrubs and herbage in all directions, after which it suddenly seemed to succ.u.mb, when getting Peter to help him, the Zulu thrust one of the reptile's legs beneath it, got hold of the other, and the crocodile was hauled over upon its back, and the keen knife of the Zulu cut its head nearly off, and ripped it open from end to end.

"He'll never get over this," said Jack. "I dare say this wretch has killed hundreds of innocent creatures in its day, and I'm glad it's done."

They were not disturbed by lions that night, but the mosquitoes and sand-flies made up for it, tormenting them so that morning was gladly hailed, and Jack and d.i.c.k went off with a measuring tape to get the length and girth of the great reptile as a trophy.

"I say eighteen feet long," said Jack decidedly, as they walked along.

"Do you remember what father said about the travellers' measurements?"

said d.i.c.k drily. "No, Jack, he is not eighteen feet long, nor sixteen.

I should say fifteen feet."

"But I read that they grow to twenty-five and thirty feet long," said Jack.

"Perhaps they do," replied d.i.c.k, "but our one hadn't time to grow so long, and--hallo!"

"Hallo!" said Jack.

"Hallo!" said d.i.c.k again.

"Father must have had it dragged back into the stream, so let's go back.

Pah! how busy the vultures have been."

They had evidently been gorging themselves upon the crocodile's vitals since daybreak, and a perfect flock of them flew sluggishly away as the boys made sure that the reptile was not where it had been left, and then went back to ask their father about the monster.

"No," he said, "I have not had the creature touched. I'll go with you.

Here, General."

The Zulu strode up, and Chicory followed; and thus strengthened they went back to the place where the crocodile had been left, and the General pointed out the exact spot where it had lain. Then bending down, he pointed with his finger to certain marks leading to the edge of the little cliff, and then showed that it was evident that the crocodile had struggled to the edge, and fallen over some six feet on to the sand and stones below.

"But he couldn't have gone down there," cried d.i.c.k. "Father shot him dead, and then I did."

"Was that you speaking, my boy, or Dinny?" said Mr Rogers, smiling.

"Ah, but you know what I mean, father," cried the boy; and then they all looked down on to the strand, but not without keeping a watchful eye upon the water.

Here the General showed the impression made by the crocodile in the sand, and also the marks of its claws and tail as it crawled into the river, and then they all stared at each other.

"Why, it must have come to life again," said Jack.

"No kill some crocodiles," said the Zulu solemnly; and then, after a little more examination of the spot, Mr Rogers turned back towards the camp, d.i.c.k and Jack remembering that it was breakfast-time, and feeling quite ready for another hearty meal.

"But could the crocodile come to life again, father?" asked Jack.

"Certainly not, my boy. It could not have been killed; and horrible as its injuries were, it seems to have had life enough to enable it to crawl back into the river, where probably it now lies dead at the bottom amongst the mud."

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

JACK ROGERS AND THE RUNAWAY HERDS.

The General found a shallow fording-place, when the Limpopo itself was reached; and no little excitement was displayed by Dinny at the thought of recklessly plunging into a river that was as full as a Pay shuck, he said, of crocodivils.

But the river had to be crossed; and when all was ready the order "Trek!" was given, Peter's whip cracked, and the team went down a slope into the river at a trot, Dirk bravely walking by the side of the foremost oxen on finding Jack and d.i.c.k, on horseback, ready to lead the way.

Dinny groaned, and crept into the waggon unseen by any one; while Coffee, Chicory, and the General took over the horses side by side with Mr Rogers.