y
on the other side? Suddenly he sat up very straight. Why not? The
sand was soft, the current swift. If he could only make a narrow ditch
across the flats. Pulling his raft up to the right side of the river,
he jumped to the bank, but when he sank ankle-deep in the soft, sticky
earth, he climbed hastily back. Poling along he searched for a solid
footing, but everywhere the marshy soil gave, and he abandoned his
attempts to land. The night grew deeper, blacker.

"Why not, why not?" he whispered again. The others came scurrying up
in response to his excited call.

"My brothers, Allah has sent me wisdom," he announced. "It is your
duty to obey me!" Eagerly they listened, glad of any distraction,
but when Piang explained that he wanted them to abandon their safe
bamboo floats for the treacherous flats, home of crocodiles and vermin,
there was a murmuring protest. Anger blazed in Piang's eyes.

"Am I not charm boy?" he demanded. "Any one who refuses to obey me
will be thrown to the crocodiles!" Gradually the dominant nature
overruled their timidities, and the protests subsided. Following
Piang's directions, strips of bamboo were cut, and the charm boy
constructed light frames for his feet. They looked like snow-shoes,
and when he bound one securely to each foot and jumped lightly to the
bank, there was a cry of surprise. Piang, the wonderful, was indeed
sent by Allah to guide them!

In a twinkling each Moro was supplied with similar mud-shoes, and
like giant land-crabs, they flitted off across the marsh. Too wise
to begin before reconnoitering, Piang led his men to the banks of
the stream below to Big Bend. After hasty calculations he set them
to work digging toward the head waters, following a line of ratan
which he stretched to guide them.

Faster, faster flew the scoops and broad knives; deeper, wider grew
the ditch that was to form a new river-bed. Piang was everywhere. He
flew about on his light frames as lightly as a faun, directing the
construction of new tools, calculating and measuring for the ditch.

Once he heard a call from the man guarding the rafts. A troop of wild
hogs, attracted by the comoties, was trying to reach the rafts. Piang
lighted a torch and hurled it among them. Crocodiles lurked near,
and he ordered torches kept burning to frighten them also.

New difficulties confronted Piang. Would the water not at first rush
through the ditch with such force that the rafts would be dashed
to pieces? H