12. Visitors

Halley woke just before dawn. The night’s sleep had been fitful and he didn’t know why. Actually it was for two reasons – he had disrupted his own circadian rhythms with two days of sulky daytime dozing – and - finding himself an object of ridicule was hurtful and disorienting. 

A lifetime near the top of the social ladder had led him to believe that he possessed innate dignity but apparently these people couldn’t see it. It wasn’t polite to point and laugh at a person – especially him. For their next visit he decided to wash, shave and wear his best suit and hat to see if that might rescue the situation.

The first shafts of light were cracking the sky and he heard the first tentative calls of the dawn chorus as he dipped his hands into the water barrel – empty. He looked around at the shapes of his companions sleeping on the ground. Conway was half-hidden under the stores platform. The Edwards boys were spooning beside the ashes of the fire and Manu was nowhere to be seen. Halley took the decision to fetch his own water. How hard could it be?

He decided his under-drawers would be sufficient clothing for the exercise, donned his boots without lacing, found a metal bucket and made his way to the river. He’d never been. He’d organized Manu and the boys to do the menial tasks but now he found himself quite excited by the prospect. It was bracing. He started to whistle a music-hall song he’d heard in London. Having established the melody, he began to quietly sing.

Oh dem Golden slippers Oh dem golden slippers

Golden slippers I’s going to wear because they look so neat..

If he’d known how many sets of eyes were on him he might not have added the exaggerated strut or flamboyant hand gestures he remembered from the wonderfully entertaining nigger minstrels – white folk imitating black folk imitating white folk. What fun!

He had no idea where Manu and the others might have gone to draw water but he found a break in the mangroves and a lovely stretch of grey-blue beach beside a little channel that ran right up to the bushes. The water was calm as a millpond. When he stepped from the red pebbly soil onto the grey-blue beach he discovered it was mud that gripped and sucked at his boots so he paused to fasten the laces.

The closer he got to the water, the deeper became the mud. It reached over his ankles and seeped into his boots but since the waters edge was so close he thought he should make the extra step or three. To take a step forward with his right foot he had to push down firmly with his left which sank even deeper. When he pushed down with his right to extricate his left, it sank deeper again. The mud came to mid calf and soaked into the linen twill of his drawers. When he got to a point where he might dip the bucket he was up to his knees.

Most of the eyes watching the scene belonged to the Karundi men. Manu was with them. He'd gone to meet them when he heard their confident approach. The men started to laugh again but were quickly silenced by the senior man. He made a sign by drawing together the fingers of his hand and tucking the thumb underneath to create a tubular shape. All but Manu knew what he meant.

In the water on the far side of the river, about a hundred yards from Halley, there were three dark bumps.

Crocodile was home.

They quickened their pace and urged Manu to do the same. They wanted to get a good view of this performance. Manu was still in the dark.

Halley managed to secure some water and, anchored by his legs, twisted his torso to place the bucket closer to the bank. He then tried to extract his left foot only to find that the action drove his right leg into the mud up to his crotch. He tried again but he was hopelessly anchored.

When it was clear that Crocodile was homing in and about eighty yards from the firmly glued Halley, the senior man made a yackai and the others took it up.

Halley’s first reaction was embarrassment. He thought he was being laughed at again. Then he realized they were pointing at something in the water. He couldn’t make out what it was but it must’ve been big – and fast. It made a bow-wave that raced towards him and a wake of six or seven disturbingly large waves streamed astern in a perfect  chevron.

Then Crocodile raised his head. It was huge!

Halley’s poor, tired body released an overdose of adrenalin which, instead of energizing him, had the opposite effect. All his strength deserted him.

Manu was stunned too. He’d never seen an animal that size. He made to rush to Halley’s aid but the Karundi restrained him. They were just twenty yards away on the firm dirt, all shouting and encouraging Halley to run. They were having a whale of a time.

Crocodile was forty yards away when Halley’s strength returned in a rush. He twisted his body violently toward the bank and made a desperate dive forward. The mud gave a little on his legs and he flailed his arms like a swimmer until he dragged his feet clear and was lying face down on the surface of the mud. His eyes bulged and his head craned around on his neck to keep the fearsome beast in sight.

If he’d had his senses about him he might have thought to stay in that position and skid his body across the top of the mud crocodile-style. But he was delirious with fear. As soon as his legs were clear he tried to stand and run. Crocodile was within twenty yards.

He drove with his legs and embedded himself in the mud again. He twisted around in terror. Crocodile was within five yards. His huge head with its cruel teeth was now clear of the water. Monstrous claws spread wide taking purchase on the mud. His baleful eyes were fixed on Halley.

Manu was dimly aware of the man beside him making some room to heft his ironwood spear but he seemed in no hurry. All the other men shouted encouragement like spectators at a football match.

Halley was held hypnotized while Crocodile slowly, relentlessly advanced. Halley saw the bucket now slightly in front of him. He grasped it with both hands, raised it high above his head and hurled with all his force straight at Crocodile's eyes. 

Crocodile caught it easily in his gargantuan maw and crunched it flat in his jaws. Huge teeth pierced the metal and he shook it like a dog shakes a rat. Gobs of mud flew everywhere and Halley was shocked into action. 

He turned and dived, withdrew his legs, stood and dived again. Behind him there was a fearful clatter and the earth was shaking. He knew Crocodile was inches away.

On the bank the Karundi were howling with delight and Manu was caught up in the excitement.

Crocodile was furious. A bottom tooth had wedged itself into the metal of the bucket and the handle had flipped over his nose.  He was smashing his head into the mud with alternate crashes but it wouldn’t dislodge. He rolled his great body in titanic anger and shook the earth.

Halley didn’t see any of this. All he knew was the immediate certainty of jaws clamping on his buttocks. His feet found firmer ground. He thrust his pelvis forward and drove his strangely angled body in a deranged sprint to welcoming hands on the bank.

He’d stepped out of his boots and his drawers were around his ankles.

He had, of course, shit himself.

© Ray Lillis 2012