il, and then
have time, before I could recover myself, to wear ship, as Jack would
have called it, and seize me in his fearful jaws. The thought that he
might do this flashed across me, but I kept my presence of mind, and
raising my rifle, levelled it at his ear. I fired, and without a
struggle the creature turned on one side, and lay perfectly still.
Timbo was instantly up with me.

"Me kill him well, Massa Andrew!" he exclaimed. "You no do dat, him gib
ugly bite."

As we had no wish to have any crocodiles' meat (although the natives
have no objection to eat it), we hurried homewards.

"There they come!--there they come!" we heard Leo and Natty shouting
out; and they brought torches down the hill to give us welcome. My kind
cousin had not gone to bed, but insisted upon sitting up to prepare a
meal for us all, as she declared (which was indeed the case) that we
should be very hungry. Not till then did Stanley give us an account of
his adventures.

"The first thing we did," he said, "was to dig some shallow pits, with
boughs over them, in which we could conceal ourselves from the beasts
which might approach the stream. We saw by the spoors that numerous
animals were accustomed to come there. For some reason, however, none
appeared at first, except hyenas and jackals, which came round staring
and laughing at us in the most impudent manner. We threw stones at
them, but this only tended to increase their mockery. At length I
hurled a lump of wood at the head of one of them, which, hitting him on
the nose, made him cry out, and the whole scampered off as fast as their
logs could carry them. They were, I hoped, the forerunners of more
noble brutes. I was not disappointed, for in a short time the ground
shook with the heavy tramp of elephants hurrying down to the water.
Nearer and nearer they came. At length I could set their dark
phantom-like forms moving amid the trees. Next their shapes were
distinguishable, and then an enormous elephant stood out in bold relief
against the sky. Another and another followed, till the bank of the
river was lined with them. They could easily have crossed the stream,
had they been so disposed, when few people would have given much for my
life or that of my companions. I felt a little nervous, I confess, but
soon recovered my presence of mind. I raised my gun to take aim at
their leader, who stood conspicuously forth from among his fellows. Of
course, Kate, you will say I