ople were too generous and
kind-hearted to refuse to kill them after they had received wounds."

At this my perplexity grew deeper than ever, for such an
explanation as this only served to make the mystery greater.

"Here," said she, "no one understands what it is to fear death.
They all love it and long for it; but everyone wishes above all to
die for others. This is their highest blessing. To die a natural
death in bed is avoided if possible."

All this was incomprehensible.

"Tell me, Almah," I said--"you hate darkness as I do--do you not
fear death?"

"I fear it above all things," said Almah. "To me it is the horror
of life; it is the chief of terrors."

"So it is with me," said I. "In my country we call death the King
of Terrors."

"Here," said Almah, "they call death the Lord of Joy."

Not long after, the Kohen came in, looking as quiet, as gentle,
and as amiable as ever. He showed some curiosity about my rifle,
which he called a sepet-ram, or "rod of thunder." Almah also
showed curiosity. I did not care to explain the process of loading
it to the Kohen, though Almah had seen me load it in the galley,
and I left him to suppose that it was used in some mysterious way.
I cautioned him not to handle it carelessly, but found that this
caution only made him the more eager to handle it, since the prospect
of an accident found an irresistible attraction. I would not let it
go out of my own hands, however; and the Kohen, whose self-denial
was always most wonderful to me, at once checked his curiosity.

CHAPTER XI

THE SWAMP MONSTER

A few joms after, I was informed by the Kohen that there was to be
another sacred hunt. At first I felt inclined to refuse, but on
learning that Almah was going, I resolved to go also; for Almah,
though generally mistress of her actions, had nevertheless certain
duties to perform, and among these was the necessity of accompanying
hunting-parties. I did not yet understand her position here, nor had I
heard from her yet how it was that she was so different from the rest
of them. That was all to be learned at a future time. For the present
I had to be satisfied with knowing that she belonged to a different
nation, who spoke a different language, and that all her thoughts and
feelings were totally different from those of the people among whom
she was living. She loved the light, she feared death, and she had
never been able in the slightest degree to reconcile herself to the