"I am here," said Bones with trembling pride, so that Hamilton knew his subordinate had been successful; "according to your instructions, sir, I have captured the green crocodile. He is of monstrous size, and vastly superior to your partly-worn lady friend. Also," he said, "as per your instructions, conveyed to me in your letter dated the twenty-third instant, I have fastened same by right leg in the vicinity of the pool; at least," he corrected carefully, "he was fastened, but owing to certain technical difficulties he slipped cable, so to speak, and is wallowing in his native element." "You are not rotting, Bones, are you?" asked Hamilton, busy with his toilet. "Perfectly true and sound, sir, I never rot," said Bones stiffly; "give me a job of work to do, give me a task, put me upon my metal, sir, and with the assistance of jolly old Bosambo----" "Is Bosambo in this?" Bones hesitated. "He assisted me very considerably, sir," he said; "but, so to speak, the main idea was mine." The chief's drum summoned the villages to the palaver house, but the news had already filtered through the little township, and a crowd had gathered waiting eagerly to hear the message which Hamilton had to give them. "O people," he said, addressing them from the hill of palaver, "all I have promised you I have performed. Behold now in the pool--and you shall come with me to see this wonder--is one greater than M'zooba, a vast and splendid spirit which shall protect your crops and be as M'zooba was, and better than was M'zooba. All this I have done for you." "Lord Tibbetti has done for you," prompted Bones, in a hoarse whisper. "All this have I done for you," repeated Hamilton firmly, "because I love you." He led the way through the broad, straggling plantation to the great pool which begins in a narrow creek leading from the river and ends in a sprawl of water to the east of the village. The whole countryside stood about watching the still water, but nothing happened. "Can't you whistle him and make him come up or something?" asked Hamilton. "Sir," said an indignant Bones, "I am no crocodile tamer; willing as I am to oblige you, and clever as I am with parlour tricks, I have not yet succeeded in inducing a crocodile to come to heel after a week's acquaintance." But native people are very patient. They stood or squatted, watching the unmoved surface of the water for half an hour, and then suddenly there was a stir and a little gasp of pleasurable apprehension ran through the assembly. Then slowly the new one came up. He made for a sand-bank, which showed above the water in the centre of the pool; first his snout, then his long body emerged from the water, and Hamilton gasped. "Good heavens, Bones!" he said in a startled whisper, and his astonishment was echoed from a thousand throats. And well might he be amazed at the spectacle which the complacent Bones had secured for him.