They now walked across to Chebron, who was stooping over the figure of
the crocodile's victim.

"Why, she is but a girl!" Amuba exclaimed. "She is no older than your
sister, Chebron."

"Do you think she is dead?" Chebron asked in hushed tones.

"I think she has only fainted," Jethro replied. "Here," he shouted to
one of the peasants who were gathered round the crocodile, "one of you
run down to the water and bring up a gourdful."

"I don't think she is dead," Amuba said. "It seemed to me that the
crocodile had seized her by the leg."

"We must carry her somewhere," Jethro said, "and get some woman to
attend to her. I will see if there is a hut near." He sprang up to the
top of some rising ground and looked round. "There is a cottage close
at hand," he said as he returned. "I dare say she belongs there."

Bidding two of the peasants run to fetch some women, he lifted up the
slight figure and carried her up the slope, the two lads following. On
turning round the foot of a sandhill they saw a cottage lying nestled
behind it. It was neater and better kept than the majority of the huts
of the peasants. The walls of baked clay had been whitewashed and were
half-covered with bright flowers. A patch of carefully cultivated
ground lay around it. Jethro entered the cottage. On a settle at the
further end a man was sitting. He was apparently of great age; his
hair and long beard were snowy white.

"What is it?" he exclaimed as Jethro entered. "Has the God of our
fathers again smitten me in my old age, and taken from me my pet lamb?
I heard her cry, but my limbs have lost their power, and I could not
rise to come to her aid."

"I trust that the child is not severely injured," Jethro said. "We had
just killed a hippopotamus when we heard her scream, and running up
found a great crocodile dragging her to the river, but we soon made
him drop her. I trust that she is not severely hurt. The beast seemed
to us to have seized her by the leg. We have sent to fetch some women.
Doubtless they will be here immediately. Ah! here's the water."

He laid the girl down upon a couch in the corner of the room, and
taking the gourd from the peasant who brought it sprinkled some water
on her face, while Amuba, by his direction, rubbed her hands. It was
some minutes before she opened her eyes, and just as she did so two
women entered the hut. Leaving the girl to their care, Jethro and the
boys left the cottage.

"I trust that the little mai