none save the goat to tell her.

But out of one of the dark arcades on the left, leading downward from
the hill, the mad dog came running, before a multitude of men and boys.
And flying in its despair, it bit out wildly at whatever lay in its way,
and Naomi, in her blindness, stood straight in front of it. Then she
must have fallen before it, but instantly the goat flung itself across
the dog's open jaws, and butted at its foaming teeth, and sent up shrill
cries of terror.

The dog stopped a moment, for such love was human, and it seemed as if
the madness of the monster shrank before it. But the people came down
with their wild shouts and curses, and the dog sprang upon the goat and
felled it, and fled away. The people followed it, and then Naomi was
alone in the market-place, and the goat lay at her feet.

Ali found her there, and brought her home to her father's house in the
Mellah, and her dying champion with her. And out of this hard chance,
and not out of Israel's teaching, Naomi was first to learn what life is
and what is death. She felt the goat with her hands, and as she did so
her fingers shook. Then she lifted it to its feet, and when they slipped
from under it she raised her white face in wonder. Again she lifted it,
and made strange noises at its ear; but when it did not answer with its
bleat her lips began to tremble. Then she listened for its breathing,
and felt for its breath; but when neither the one came to her ear, nor
the other to her cheek, her own breath beat hot and fast. At length she
fondled it in her arms, and kissed it with her lips; and when it gave
back no sign of motion nor any sound of voice, a wild labouring rose
at her heart. At last, when the power of life was low in it, the goat
opened its heavy eyes upon her and put forth its tongue and licked her
hand. With that last farewell the brave heart of the little creature
broke, and it stretched itself and died.

Israel saw it all. His heart bled to see the parting in silence between
those two, for not more dumb was the goat that now was dead than the
human soul that was left alive. He tried to put the goat from Naomi's
arms, saying, "It was only a goat, my child; think of it no more,"
though it smote him with pain to say it, for had not the creature given
its life for her life? And where, O God, was the difference between
them? But Naomi clung to the goat, and her throat swelled and her bosom
fluttered, and her whole body panted, and it w