ind to her.

Here I must supplement, partly from conjecture, what Lona told me about
the woman. With the rest of the inhabitants of Bulika, she was aware
of the tradition that the princess lived in terror of the birth of an
infant destined to her destruction. They were all unacquainted, however,
with the frightful means by which she preserved her youth and beauty;
and her deteriorating physical condition requiring a larger use of those
means, they took the apparent increase of her hostility to children for
a sign that she saw her doom approaching. This, although no one dreamed
of any attempt against her, nourished in them hopes of change.

Now arose in the mind of the woman the idea of furthering the fulfilment
of the shadowy prediction, or of using the myth at least for her own
restoration to her husband. For what seemed more probable than that
the fate foretold lay with these very children? They were marvellously
brave, and the Bulikans cowards, in abject terror of animals! If she
could rouse in the Little Ones the ambition of taking the city, then
in the confusion of the attack, she would escape from the little army,
reach her house unrecognised, and there lying hidden, await the result!

Should the children now succeed in expelling the giants, she would
begin at once, while they were yet flushed with victory, to suggest the
loftier aim! By disposition, indeed, they were unfit for warfare; they
hardly ever quarrelled, and never fought; loved every live thing, and
hated either to hurt or to suffer. Still, they were easily influenced,
and could certainly be taught any exercise within their strength!--At
once she set some of the smaller ones throwing stones at a mark; and
soon they were all engrossed with the new game, and growing skilful in
it.

The first practical result was their use of stones in my rescue. While
gathering fruit, they found me asleep, went home, held a council, came
the next day with their elephants and horses, overwhelmed the few
giants watching me, and carried me off. Jubilant over their victory,
the smaller boys were childishly boastful, the bigger boys less
ostentatious, while the girls, although their eyes flashed more, were
not so talkative as usual. The woman of Bulika no doubt felt encouraged.

We talked the greater part of the night, chiefly about the growth of the
children, and what it might indicate. With Lona's power of recognising
truth I had long been familiar; now I began to be ast