hus adjured the boy, nothing loth, seized his oar, when suddenly
the ancient crocodile, having swallowed the dove, thrust up its snout
immediately beneath them and began to follow the boat. Now Tua screamed
aloud and said something about her Ka.

"Tell it to keep off the crocodile," shouted Rames as he worked the oar
furiously. "Nothing can hurt a Ka."

But the crocodile would not be kept off. On the contrary, it thrust its
grey snout and one of its claws over the stern of the boat in such a
fashion that Rames could no longer work the oar, dragging it almost
under water, and snapped with its horrible jaws.

"Oh! it is coming in; we are going to be eaten," cried Tua.

At that moment the boat touched the landing-place and swung round, so
that its bow, where Tua was, struck the head of the crocodile, which
seemed to infuriate the beast. At least, it hurled itself upon the boat,
causing the fore part to heel over, fill with water, and begin to sink.
Then the little lad, Rames, showed the courage that was in him. Shouting
to Tua:

"Get on shore, get on shore!" he plunged past her and smote the huge
reptile upon the head with the blade of his oar. It opened its hideous
mouth, and he thrust the oar into it and held on.

"Leave go," cried Tua, as she scrambled to land.

But Rames would not leave go, for in his brave little heart he thought
that if he did the crocodile would follow Tua and eat her. So he clung
to the handle till it was wrenched from him. Indeed he did more, for
seeing that the crocodile had bitten the wooden blade in two and,
having dropped it, was still advancing towards the slope where it was
accustomed to be fed, he leapt into the water and struck it in the eye
with his little fist. Feeling the pain of the blow the monster snapped
at him, and catching him by the hand began to sink back into deep water,
dragging the lad after it.

Rames said nothing, but Tua, who already was at the head of the stage,
looked round and saw the agony on his face.

"Help me, Amen!" she cried, and flying back, grasped Rames by his left
arm just as he was falling over, then set her heels in a crack of
the rock and held on. For one moment she was dragged forward till she
thought that she must fall upon her face and be drowned or eaten with
Rames, but the next something yielded, and she and the boy tumbled in a
heap upon the stones. They rose and staggered together to the terrace.
As they went Tua saw that Rames was looking