y did? They scurried down to comfort them,
and gathering in a great crowd about the terrible creatures, began to
pat and stroke them. Then I got down as well, for they were much too
absorbed to heed my calling to them; but before I could reach them, the
white one stopped fighting, and sprang among them with such a hideous
yell that they flew up into the trees like birds. Before I got back into
mine, the wicked beasts were at it again tooth and claw. Then Whitey
had the best of it; Spotty ran away as fast as she could run, and Whitey
came and lay down at the foot of my tree. But in a minute or two she was
up again, and walking about as if she thought Spotty might be lurking
somewhere. I waked often, and every time I looked out, I saw her. In the
morning she went away."

"I know both the beasts," I said. "Spotty is a bad beast. She hates the
children, and would kill every one of them. But Whitey loves them. She
ran at them only to frighten them away, lest Spotty should get hold of
any of them. No one needs be afraid of Whitey!"

By this time the Little Ones were coming back, and with much noise, for
they had no care to keep quiet now that they were at open war with the
giants, and laden with good stones. They mounted to their nests again,
though with difficulty because of their burdens, and in a minute were
fast asleep. Lona retired to her tree. I lay where I was, and slept
the better that I thought most likely the white leopardess was still
somewhere in the wood.

I woke soon after the sun, and lay pondering. Two hours passed, and then
in truth the giants began to appear, in straggling companies of three
and four, until I counted over a hundred of them. The children were
still asleep, and to call them would draw the attention of the giants: I
would keep quiet so long as they did not discover me. But by and by one
came blundering upon me, stumbled, fell, and rose again. I thought he
would pass heedless, but he began to search about. I sprang to my feet,
and struck him in the middle of his huge body. The roar he gave roused
the children, and a storm as of hail instantly came on, of which not a
stone struck me, and not one missed the giant. He fell and lay. Others
drew near, and the storm extended, each purblind creature becoming,
as he entered the range of a garrisoned tree, a target for converging
stones. In a short time almost every giant was prostrate, and a jubilant
paean of bird-song rose from the tops of fifty tree