They must be white-faces . Not a villager of Mugger-Ghaut would dare to come after him . See , I said it was a gun ! Now , with good luck , we shall feed before daylight . He can not hear well out of water , and -- this time it is not a woman ! '' A shiny barrel glittered for a minute in the moonlight on the girders . The Mugger was lying on the sand-bar as still as his own shadow , his fore-feet spread out a little , his head dropped between them , snoring like a -- mugger . A voice on the bridge whispered : `` It 's an odd shot -- straight down almost -- but as safe as houses . Better try behind the neck . Golly ! what a brute ! The villagers will be wild if he 's shot , though . He 's the deota -LSB- godling -RSB- of these parts . '' `` Do n't care a rap , '' another voice answered ; `` he took about fifteen of my best coolies while the bridge was building , and it 's time he was put a stop to . I 've been after him in a boat for weeks . Stand by with the Martini as soon as I 've given him both barrels of this . '' `` Mind the kick , then . A double four-bore 's no joke . '' `` That 's for him to decide . Here goes ! ''
There was a roar like the sound of a small cannon -LRB- the biggest sort of elephant-rifle is not very different from some artillery -RRB- , and a double streak of flame , followed by the stinging crack of a XXXXX , whose long bullet makes nothing of a crocodile 's plates .
Martini Mugger Mugger-Ghaut coolies daylight deota four-bore godling minute white-faces