HUMAN RETRIEVERS 68 caution of firing a few shots into the water to scare the reptiles, and with much shouting and splashing Fadl el Mullah swam out with a rope, a second man following. The society of the timsagh, as the Arabs name the crocodile, appeared to be an occasion of hilarious amusement ; laughter and jests filled the air as the body rolled over on their mounting it.

Far away south in the " sudd " districts of the Mountain Nile, where the river sluggishly flows through interminable deserts of papyrus swamp, opening out here and there into wide lagoons, I had remarked the indifference of the Sudanese to the presence of crocodiles, and their cool behaviour under dangerous circumstances. On one occasion a scene took place which is exciting enough on the wounding of a hippo, when a man jumped overboard with a rope, and actually climbed on the animal to cast a noose over its head —succeeding eventually, after much dodging and struggle. Often, too, would the men engaged in cutting the channel clear of the vegetable growth carelessly swim from one sandal to another, thinking little of their rapacious enemies, the crocodiles and snakes.

On another occasion, on the same river, having shot a crocodile—whether killed or wounded I could not say—a huge negroid Arab, Sheikh by name, calmly skipped overboard into the shallow water and fished about with his feet, regardless of possibilities.

But thoughts are recalled to present events on