listen to the comfortable home noises of the brook.

'When we had lost count of time among those black gullies and swashes we
heard, as it were, a drum beat far off, and following it we broke into a
broad, brown river by a hut in a clearing among fields of pumpkins. We
thanked God to see the sun again. The people of the village gave the
good welcome, and Witta scratched his head at them (for gold), and
showed them our iron and beads. They ran to the bank--we were still in
the ship--and pointed to our swords and bows, for always when near shore
we lay armed. Soon they fetched store of gold in bars and in dust from
their huts, and some great blackened elephants' teeth. These they piled
on the bank, as though to tempt us, and made signs of dealing blows in
battle, and pointed up to the tree-tops, and to the forest behind. Their
captain or chief sorcerer then beat on his chest with his fists, and
gnashed his teeth.

'Said Thorkild of Borkum: "Do they mean we must fight for all this
gear?" and he half drew sword.

'"Nay," said Hugh. "I think they ask us to league against some enemy."

'"I like this not," said Witta, of a sudden. "Back into mid-stream."

'So we did, and sat still all, watching the black folk and the gold they
piled on the bank. Again we heard drums beat in the forest, and the
people fled to their huts, leaving the gold unguarded.

'Then Hugh, at the bows, pointed without speech, and we saw a great
Devil come out of the forest. He shaded his brows with his hand, and
moistened his pink tongue between his lips--thus.'

'A Devil!' said Dan, delightfully horrified.

'Yea. Taller than a man; covered with reddish hair. When he had well
regarded our ship, he beat on his chest with his fists till it sounded
like rolling drums, and came to the bank swinging all his body between
his long arms, and gnashed his teeth at us. Hugh loosed arrow, and
pierced him through the throat. He fell roaring, and three other Devils
ran out of the forest and hauled him into a tall tree out of sight. Anon
they cast down the blood-stained arrow, and lamented together among the
leaves.

Witta saw the gold on the bank; he was loath to leave it. "Sirs," said
he (no man had spoken till then), "yonder is what we have come so far
and so painfully to find, laid out to our very hand. Let us row in while
these Devils bewail themselves, and at least bear off what we may."

'Bold as a wolf, cunning as a fox was Witta! He set four archers o