them, and the men, wading and guiding, lest the rafts should ground
again, began to follow cautiously.

At this moment, along the beach came a new rush of animals--chiefly
buffalo, headed by three huge white rhinoceros. These all seemed quite
blind with panic. They dashed on straight ahead, paying no heed
whatever either to the people on the rafts or to the other beasts
coming down the steep. On their heels thundered a second herd of
Mammoths, their trunks held high in the air, the red caverns of their
mouths wide open.

As these colossal, rolling bulks came abreast of the rafts, a child
shrieked at the terrifying sight. The leader of the herd turned his
malignant little eye upon the rafts, seeming to perceive them for the
first time. Without pausing in his huge stride he reached down his
trunk, whipped it about the waist of Bawr, and swung him aloft,
crushing in his ribs with the terrific pressure, and carried him along
high in the air above the trumpeting ranks.

A howl of rage went up from the rafts; and A-ya, whose bow was quick
as thought, let fly an arrow before Grom could stay her hand. The
shaft struck deep in the monster's trunk. Dashing down its lifeless
victim among the feet of the herd, the monster tried to turn back to
take vengeance for the strange wound. But unable to stem the avalanche
behind, it was borne up the beach, screaming with rage.

Grom, who was now sole chief and master of the tribe, signed every
raft to push out into deep water, beyond reach of further attack. With
all responsibility now upon his shoulders, he had little time to
grieve for the death of Bawr, who, after all, had died greatly, as a
Chief should. The rafts were now traveling inland at a fair rate, on
the last half-hour of the flood; and, as the estuary narrowed rapidly
above their starting-place, he hoped to be able, during the slack of
tide, to work the clumsy rafts well over towards the northern shore
before getting caught in the full strength of the ebb. As he studied
out this problem, and urged the warriors to their utmost effort on the
heavy and awkward pole-paddles, he kept puzzling all the time over the
great mystery. What was it that swept even the mighty mammoths before
its face? How should he name the Fear?

Then all at once, when the rafts were about three or four hundred
yards out from shore, he saw. A low cry of wonder broke from his lips,
and was reechoed in chorus from all the burdened rafts.

Down over t