e urn on her head soon rested on
Shyuote, and she was the first to break the silence by a hearty peal of
laughter. This started her companions again, and the one nearest to
Okoya exclaimed,--

"Mitsha help us throw the water in your urn over the head of the boy.
Okoya began it all, give it to him, too. You are strong enough."

At the mention of Okoya's name the maiden addressed as Mitsha started.
She threw a quick glance like a flash at him. Her face quivered and
coloured slightly. Turning away, she deposited the water-urn at the foot
of the wall, and remained standing, her eyes directed to the cliffs, her
lithe fingers carelessly playing with the beads of her necklace. She was
disinclined to take any part in the fray, and her behaviour acted as a
damper on the buoyancy of the others. Okoya hastily gathered up his
arrows, and called Shyuote to his side. But the boy did not care to
obey. Thirst for revenge held him to the spot of his defeat; he shook
his fists at the girls, clenched his teeth, and began to threaten
vengeance, and to shower uncomplimentary expressions upon them. As soon,
however, as the one who had so effectually routed him showed again a
decided movement toward his raven locks, he beat a hasty retreat to his
elder brother. This change of base excited new hilarity, and under a
shower of jokes and sarcasms the two boys departed. Okoya walked along
at a steady gait; but Shyuote, as soon as he considered the distance
safe enough, turned around, making grimaces at the belligerent damsels,
vowing vengeance, and uttering opprobrious epithets of the choicest
kind. He noticed that the two returned his compliments without reserve,
whereas Mitsha stood in silence leaning against the house-wall. One
single look, one earnest almost sad glance, she sent after the
disappearing form of Shyuote's elder brother.

The main building was now close at hand. It was an irregular pentagon,
and at places two, at others three stories high. With one single
exception these stories formed terraces, retreating successively from
the ground to the top like so many steps of a staircase. Nowhere did
there appear any entrance. Notched beams led up to trapdoors in the
roofs, similar beams penetrated into the interior below. Absolute
stillness reigned about the edifice. Some women scoured scanty clothing
in the ditch running past the structure; on the terraces not a soul
appeared. The lads directed their course toward that side where the