nk. The ropes and skins went rushing
down the nulla at a tremendous pace. As soon as we recovered from the
laughter into which we were thrown by this droll contretemps, we set off
in pursuit, guided by the track which the inflated skins made in the
water. On they went, dashing from side to side, as they had done in our
first attempt. On coming to a place where the nulla made a sharp turn,
they stood still under the high bank, on the inner curve of the bend. It
unfortunately happened that the bank, near to which the skins were
floating, was too precipitous for us to get near them, without starting
the Mugger from his present position. With much labor, we detached some
loose sods from the top of the bank, and sent them with a loud splash
into the water, directly over where we imagined him to have taken up his
quarters. This had the desired effect, for the skins began to move
slowly down the stream, as if the Mugger were crawling leisurely along
the bottom.

Leaving my brother with the coolies in charge of the battery, I ran on
to where the bank was more shelving. By good luck, the stream was
rushing up, after its sudden sweep, and sent a strong current against
this bank. I had not waited many minutes, before the skins came floating
round the corner, to where I was standing. I seized the one to which the
wire was attached, desiring my brother to charge the battery, and bring
it down. This he did much sooner than I could have expected; for, as the
battery was now empty, one coolie was able to carry it on his head,
while my brother took the jar of acid in his hand. It was evident from
the motion of the other skin in the water that the Mugger was still
moving--so no time was to be lost. I made the connection with the
battery with one of the wires; in another instant the circuit was
complete, and the Mugger's doom sealed.

There was a momentary pause--owing, I suppose, to some slight loss of
insulation in the wires--then came the premonitory shock, then the
rumble, the smoke, and the sparks; and a great bloated mass of flesh and
blood rose to the surface of the water. Hall called out to us to drag it
ashore, and see whether we could get any trace of poor Sidhoo. We tried
by means of a bamboo pole to pull it to the bank, but the glimpse we got
of it as it neared was so unutterably disgusting, that we pushed it off
again, and allowed it to float away down with the current.

That this was Sidhoo's Mugger, there could be no doub