CULT OF THE CROC.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 144, 19 June 1926, Page 21

CULT OF THE CROC.

A STORY OF THE NILE. NATIVE SUPERSTITIONS. (CAPTAIN R. F. GODWIN, F.R.G.S.) Old Man Crocodile slid from the sandbank that humped its back amidst the sluggishly-flowing river, into the brown waters of the White Nile. It was evening, and something must be done about to-night's dinner. All the afternoon Old Man Croc, bad slept comfortably in the warm sun on his own particular sandbank, whilst his attendant satellites, the black-headed plovers, had endeavoured to rid him of the parasites with which he was infested. Old Man Croc, was a privileged per-, son, at least he had grown to consider himself such. For years he had frequented the same sandbank undisturbed by any other member of the fraternity, and he had done well for himself, good year., fat years, when to be hungry was unknown to him. And now, when he had grown to depend on his regular moals, the supply had suddenly ceased. His enormous'bulk slid nolselessly into tlio water. I'.igl.tceti feet of armour-plated repti'e. So gently he slid in that he appeared to melt into the water. Presently the forehead and wicked eyes of Old Man Croc, arose on the surface, floating, gently up so that not one ripple dMn.bed the gassy surface of the run. Perfectly stationary Ins, remained a few yards from llic bank where the women come every i! i.v to carry water to the native village .» hundred yards away. j Old' Man (Woe was troubled. At the back of his reptilian brain- lie 'fused something was wrung. A ■-> lie »v.»_ hungry and wanted his d'ntt.-r badly, the J inner to which his epicurean appetite had become accustomea through years of careful attention. Everything was still along the river. The voices of the natives round the fires, eating their evening meal of banana mush came, in a low murmur to where Old Man Croc, still floated off the water place. But there was no sound such as he had expected to hear. And this was the second night he had been neglected. Two nights ago, just when he had been given his supper, and was about to retire to a convenient cave under the bank, a strange creature had appeared at the water place, surrounded by gesticulating natives. Old Man Croc, had stopped to see what all this commotion could mean, but just as he had given a swirl with his tail preparatory to retiring to his cave something had struck him with terrific force, and seared him like a red-hot iron. Surprised and baffled, he had sunk swiftly down, but after his supper had been eaten, he had been troubled with a smarting pain in his tail. Moreover he had bled a great deal, and this had caused several of his kind to hang around in a suspicious manner, in doubts as to whether Old Man Croc, was sufficiently injured to fall a victim to their gormandising attentions. However the shot was too far back to be of any danger, and Old Man Croc, very- quickly disillusioned them. Last night at supper time Old Man Croc, had again waited at the water place, but nothing had been forthcoming in the way of a meal. Never since the day many years back when he had first found the water place and_ an unsuspecting Woman* filling" a gourd had he been disappointed. Every night a meal had been left for him. Sometimes a goat, occasionally a sheep, but frequently a child, the last the most desirable df suppers, pegged on to the bank just within reaclr from the water. How to account for this neglect Old Man Croc, could not make out. Had he not during all these yeans by his prowess amongst the other amphibian reptiles of the river kept the water place as his own especial ground? True, there had been one or two occasions when, overcome by the attractiveness of a slim black hand filling a golden gourd in the water, he had, in a moment of weakness, seized the owner and devoured her at leisure, but in every case he had been well rewarded by a plump youngster that very evening, as a variation to the sheep or goat. All appeared quiet along the river, and Old Man Croc, swam slowly in. He must satisfy himself that there was nothing there. Ah! he was not mistaken, for there was a nervous bleat on the bank, but why was it not in the proper place? He would have to leave the water and go up on the bank. With spatulated forefeet he raised his ponderous body on to the smooth bank, worn bare by the water carriers' feet. A feeble bleat broke out from an object some twenty paces away. A <»oat, thought Old Man Croc; well, better than nothing. The moonlight shone on the wet scales .of his armour-plated back. Fat, repellent, enormous, with silent stealth, he moved forward, making but a slight rustling sound. A foul stench per, meated the air about him. The tethered goat commenced to struggle at its picket, bleating piteously. For ten paces Old Man Croc, slid forward. Now tlie goat hung back on its tether, paralysed with fear. With his teeth snapping, the reptile made a sudden rush forward, all caution now abandoned. Then there wa ß a crash, a hot stinging pain caught Old Man Croc, behind the foreleg. He.dropped forward, the pain choking the breath out of him. A red mist was before his eyeshe must back to the river. Turning with a list like a sinking ship, he started to worm his way towards tho water. Then another crash—and darkness. A young white man stepped up to where the carcas.; lay twitching. "Go Sudi," he said to his native gun bearer "and fetch those silly idiots and let them see if this is the river spirit or a common or garden man-eating croc." "Bwaiina," paid the head man of the village, as the natives stood round the dead reptile. "Certainly is this but a crocodile that you have killed, but he to whom we sacrifice is the spirit of the river. Even a* our forefathers have done before us, so must we-do, else trouble will befall us! This," and he touched the inanimate monster with his spear butt "was but his house; doubtless by now he hag entered into another, who will in due course make himself known unto us."