g mats or rafts, such as I saw one of the Fishing-mulgars
squatting on while he dangled his tail for fish-bait. Comfort your weary
bones, then, Eengenares. Tishnar, who guards you, Tishnar, whose Prince
you are, Tishnar, who feasted even Utts like me on fruits of
sleeping-time, will not forsake us now."

Nod turned cold, and trembling, as if to tell this solemn Man of the
Mountains that his Wonderstone was gone. But he swallowed his spittle,
and was ashamed. So he rose up and listlessly hobbled after him to where
the rest of the travellers were toiling to gather branches for their
rafts.

The storm had snapped and stripped off many branches from the trees.
These the travellers dragged down to the water. Others they hauled down
with Cullum ropes, and some smaller saplings they charred through with
fire at the root. When they had heaped together a big pile of boughs and
Samarak, Cullum and all kinds of greenery, Ghibba and Thumb bound them
clumsily one by one together, letting them float out on to the water,
until the raft was large and buoyant enough to bear two or three Mulgars
with their bags. For one great raft that would have carried them all in
safety would have been too unwieldy to enter the mouth of the cavern,
besides being harder for these ignorant sailors to navigate. The torrent
flowed swiftly into the cavern. And if but two or three sailed in
together, Fortune might drown or lose many in the dark windings of the
mountain-water, but one or two at least might escape.

They toiled on till evening, by which time four strong green rafts
bobbed side by side at their mooring-ropes on the water. Then, tired
out, sore and blistered with their day's labours, the travellers heaped
up a great watch-fire once more, and supped merrily together, since it
might be for many of them for the last time. Nor did the
mountain-mulgars raise their drone for their kinsfolk beneath the
cataract, wishing to keep a brave heart for the dangers before them.

Only Nod sat gloomy and downcast, waiting impatiently till all should be
lying fast asleep. One by one the outwearied travellers laid themselves
down, with the palms of their feet towards the fire. Nod heard the
calling of the beasts in the ravine, and ever and again from far up the
mountain-side broke out the long hungry howl of the little wolves. Only
Nod and the Mountain-mulgar whose turn it was to keep watch were now
awake. He was a queer old Mulgar, blind of one eye, but he co