[Illustration] "I'm not afraid of Muggers!" said the Mongoose; and he sat down and began to crack the eggs, and eat the little muggers as they came out.

A full hour had passed since he and his servant had fought the mugger in the ford.

Their aim was to hold the mugger off until they could reach the shore.

It pierced the mugger from beneath, tearing upward through the brain.

I asked Pat the reason of this curious arrangement, and was told that if we were lucky enough to secure a mugger, the loose strands would entangle themselves amongst his formidable teeth, whereas were the rope in one strand only he might bite it through; the knottings at intervals were to give greater strength to the line.