rds go to substantiate. Although
the "Reports of the Territories" take no cognizance of ghosts and
spirits and other occult influence, dealing rather with such mundane
facts as the condition of crops and the discipline of the races, yet the
reports of that particular year in this one district made gloomy reading
both for Hamilton and for the Administrator in his far-off stone house.

Though the crops throughout the whole of the country were good that
Hamilton was apprehensive about the consequences--for men fight better
with a full larder behind them--yet in this immediate neighbourhood of
the pool, within its sphere of influence, so to speak, the crops failed
miserably, and the fish which haunt the shallow stream beneath the big
stream near the channel took it into their silly heads to migrate to
other distant waters. Here, then, was the consequence of Bones' murder
demonstrated to a most alarming extent. There was a blight in the
potatoes; the maize crop, for some unaccountable reason, was a meagre
one; there were three unexpected cases of sleeping sickness followed by
madness in an interior village, and, crowning disaster of all, one of
those sudden storms which sweep across the river came upon the village,
and lightning struck the huts.

"My son," said Hamilton, when they brought the news to him, "you have
got to go out and find a green crocodile, quick."

So Bones went up the river with the naphtha launch, leaving to Hamilton
the delicate task of finding a natural explanation for all the horrors
which had come upon the unfortunate people.

Green crocodiles are rare even on the great river which had half a
million other kinds of crocodiles to its credit, for green is both a
sign of age, and by common report indicative of cannibalistic
tendencies.

In whatever veneration the Green One of the Pool might be held, such
respect did not extend to other parts of the river, where the green ones
were sought out and slain in their early youth. Bones spent an exciting
seven days chasing, lassoing and, at tunes in self-defence, shooting at
great reptiles without getting any nearer to the object of his search.

"Ahmet," said he, in despair, "it seems that there are no green
crocodiles on this river."

"Lord, there are very few," admitted the man; "for the people kill green
crocodiles owing to their evil influence."

At every village there was news for Bones which lightened his heart.
Some one had seen such a monster, it