d good-bye, mates and comrades, and bless the
lot of you! Poor old missus! She'll miss me, though, when she wants
the water fetched, but it will only be larky Peter Pegg doing it twice
as often; and she will be independent-like, for she always washes his
shirt for him every week--a cheeky beggar! But somehow I always liked
Peter, in spite of his larks as Mr Maine put him up to--chaffing and
teasing a fellow. But he never meant no harm. You see, it seemed to
make us good mates running in company like, for when the Sergeant wasn't
dropping on to him he was letting me have it, to keep his tongue sharp.
Yes, Peter Pegg will miss me, for they won't find Joe Smithers when they
come; and if I desart my post, how can I help it if I am pulled under?
But I won't desart it till I am. There," he cried, stopping suddenly in
his angry soliloquy; and pulling up short, he stood ready, looking
inward, forgetting the splashings of the reptiles, which were repeated
from time to time. "What did I say? 'Tarn't rounds yet, and I should
have been ketched, for here's some one coming. Out of regular time,
too. One of the officers, for that spot of light's a cigar. Well, glad
to see him. Company's good, even if you're going to be pulled under by
a croc. Wonder who it is."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

A STRANGE PRISONER.

Private Smithers had not long to wait, for as the glow of the burning
cigar came nearer he challenged, the customary interchange took place,
and then Archie Maine took up the conversation with--

"Who's that? You, Smithers?"

"Yes, sir."

"I say, you have got a lonely watch here to-night. Heard any
crocodiles?"

"Heerd any crocodiles, sir? Just you listen!"

"My!" exclaimed Archie.--"I say, Down, why, it can't be those reptiles,
is it? What a row!"

"There's no mistake about it," said the Captain. "Why, they must be
having a party." For the wallowing and splashing grew louder than ever.

"Here, I know what it is," cried Archie merrily. "They can smell
Private Smithers here. He's such a big, well-fed chap that they have
gathered together for a feast."

"Yes, sir; that's it," said the man.

"But they haven't been going on like this before, have they?"

"Just as bad, sir, all the time; and every now and then one of them
barks at me just like a wolf."

"Just like a wolf?" said the Captain. "What do you know about wolves?
You never kept a wolf."

"No, sir. They are not the sort of things I should li