e People of the Mist?"

"No," he said, "that is, except in London. I mean that I know nothing of
such a people. What of them?"

"This: I, Soa, am one of that people. I was the daughter of their
head-priest, and I fled from them many many years ago, because I was
doomed to be offered up as a sacrifice to the god Jal, he who is shaped
like the Black One yonder," and she pointed to Otter.

"This is rather interesting," said Leonard; "go on."

"White Man, that people is a great people. They live in a region of
mist, upon high lands beneath the shadow of the tops of snow mountains.
They are larger than other men in size, and very cruel, but their women
are fair. Now of the beginning of my people I know nothing, for it is
lost in the past. But they worship an ancient stone statue fashioned
like a dwarf, and to him they offer the blood of men. Beneath the feet
of the statue is a pool of water, and beyond the pool is a cave. In that
cave, White Man, he dwells whom they adore in effigy above, he, Jal,
whose name is Terror."

"Do you mean that a dwarf lives in the cave?" asked Leonard.

"No, White Man, not a dwarf, but a holy crocodile which they name the
Snake, the biggest crocodile in the whole world, and the oldest, for he
has dwelt there from the beginning. It is this Snake that devours the
bodies of those who are offered to the Black One."

"As I remarked before," said Leonard, "all this is very romantic and
interesting, but I cannot see that there is much profit to be made out
of it."

"White Man, the lives of men are not the only things which the priests
of the Children of the Mist offer to their god; they offer also such
toys as _this_, White Man," and suddenly she unclosed her hand and
exhibited to Leonard's astonished gaze a ruby, or what appeared to be
a ruby, of such size and so lovely a colour, that his eyes were dazzled
when he looked at it. The gem, though roughly polished, was uncut, but
its dimensions were those of a small blackbird's egg, it was of the
purest pigeon-blood colour, without a flaw, and worn almost round,
apparently by the action of water. Now, as it chanced, Leonard knew
something of gems, although unhappily he was less acquainted with the
peculiarities of the ruby than with those of most other stones. Thus,
although this magnificent specimen might be a true stone, as indeed
appeared to be the case, it was quite possible that it was only a
spinel, or a garnet, and alas! he had no means of