against the carnivora as we could have; and then
Ajor and I sat down before it, and the lesson proceeded, while from all
about us came the weird and awesome noises of the Caspakian night--the
moaning and the coughing and roaring of the tigers, the panthers and
the lions, the barking and the dismal howling of a wolf, jackal and
hyaenadon, the shrill shrieks of stricken prey and the hissing of the
great reptiles; the voice of man alone was silent.

But though the voice of this choir-terrible rose and fell from far and
near in all directions, reaching at time such a tremendous volume of
sound that the earth shook to it, yet so engrossed was I in my lesson
and in my teacher that often I was deaf to what at another time would
have filled me with awe. The face and voice of the beautiful girl who
leaned so eagerly toward me as she tried to explain the meaning of some
word or correct my pronunciation of another quite entirely occupied my
every faculty of perception. The firelight shone upon her animated
features and sparkling eyes; it accentuated the graceful motions of her
gesturing arms and hands; it sparkled from her white teeth and from her
golden ornaments, and glistened on the smooth firmness of her perfect
skin. I am afraid that often I was more occupied with admiration of
this beautiful animal than with a desire for knowledge; but be that as
it may, I nevertheless learned much that evening, though part of what I
learned had naught to do with any new language.

Ajor seemed determined that I should speak Caspakian as quickly as
possible, and I thought I saw in her desire a little of that
all-feminine trait which has come down through all the ages from the
first lady of the world--curiosity. Ajor desired that I should speak
her tongue in order that she might satisfy a curiosity concerning me
that was filling her to a point where she was in danger of bursting; of
that I was positive. She was a regular little animated question-mark.
She bubbled over with interrogations which were never to be satisfied
unless I learned to speak her tongue. Her eyes sparkled with
excitement; her hand flew in expressive gestures; her little tongue
raced with time; yet all to no avail. I could say man and tree and
cliff and lion and a number of other words in perfect Caspakian; but
such a vocabulary was only tantalizing; it did not lend itself well to
a very general conversation, and the result was that Ajor would wax so
wroth that she w