"She was lying bottom up, sir, on a bit of sandbank, a dozen miles down the river, sir; and this was twisted round one of the thwarts--the sleeve just tied round, sir, to keep it in its place." As he spoke he held up a light coat, saturated with water, and muddy and crumpled, where it had dried on the way back. Neil Harley took the coat and examined it carefully. Then laying it down, he said, slowly: "It looks like Chumbley's; but I cannot feel sure." "I made sure it was one of the lieutenant's coats, sir," said the sergeant, respectfully. "Let us see the boat," said Mr Perowne. "Where is it?" "Down at your landing-stage, sir, and--" He stopped short, as if afraid he should say too much. "What is it, Harris? Speak out," said the Resident, sternly. "She seems to have been laid hold of, sir, by one of them great river beasts. There's a lot of teeth marks, and a bit ripped out of her side." Mr Perowne shuddered, and Neil Harley recalled the various stories he had heard of crocodiles attacking small boats--stories that he had heretofore looked upon as mythical, though he knew that the reptiles often seized the natives when bathing by the river bank. "As far as I could judge, sir," said the sergeant, who, seeing that he gave no offence in speaking out, was most eager to tell all he knew, "it seems as if the officers, sir, had taken the ladies for a row upon the river, when the boat perhaps touched one of the great beasts, and that made it turn and seize it in its teeth. Then it was overset, and--" The men started and stopped short, for there was a faint cry of horror, and they all turned to see Grey Stuart standing there pale, with her lips apart, and a look of horror in her fixed eyes, as she saw in imagination the overturned boat, and the vain struggles of those who were being swept away by the rapid stream. The whole scene rose before her eyes with horrible substantiality--all that she had heard or been told of the habits of the great reptiles that swarmed in the river helping to complete the picture. For as she seemed to realise the scene, and saw the struggling figures in the water, there would be a rush and a swirl, with a momentary sight of a dark horny back or side, and then first one and then another of the hapless party would be snatched beneath the surface.