was the twang of the bow and the
deadly missile whined through the air. A hoarse scream rang out; the
points of greenish fire were gone; a heavy body tore its way through the
undergrowth. Then all was still again.

That effort had cost Oomah his last particle of strength. He shuddered,
swayed, and clapping his hands over his eyes as if to shut out a
frightful dream, sank to the ground.

* * * * *

Nechi, on her way to the fish-traps in the river found the unconscious
youth when the sun was two hours high in the heavens and claimed him for
her own by right of discovery. In other words, to the captor belonged
the choicer tidbits when the captive should be restored to fit condition
for eating.

[Illustration: There was the twang of the bow and the deadly missile
whined through the air]

As she exultantly viewed the prostrate form a pang of fear shot through
her heart. What if he should be dead? She would be cheated out of the
delicacies and also the laurels to which the victor was always entitled.
In haste she knelt by his side and placed one hand over his heart; it
was fluttering weakly. She rushed to the river and brought water in a
folded plantain leaf and dashed it into his face. After that she pried
open his eyelids with her fingers.

Oomah regained his senses with a start and his eyes met the grimaces of
the delighted Nechi.

"_Sabana_ is not dead!" she exclaimed.

"No, the stranger is not dead--not quite dead."

"You are mine. I will take you to the village; it is less than half a
rest away. I will feed you and cure you of the fever. You are mine."

Oomah looked again at his discoverer, and closed his eyes.

"I know you," he said feebly. "You are of the Patocos who have eaten
many of my people."

"Yes, I am of the Patocos and we have eaten many of the Cantanas. When
you are well and fat again we will eat you too."

The youth showed no emotion. What mattered it if the girl should make
good her threat, now that his mission had failed?

"I will take you to the village," Nechi repeated. She left the baskets
she had been carrying on the ground and picking up the youth threw him
over her back. Accustomed as she was to carrying heavy burdens, the
weight was not too great for her strength. A half hour later she reached
the village, a collection of dilapidated shelters nestling under the
protection of the giant palm trees.

The arrival of the girl with her find cre