o her. The creature turned a quick glance towards us, and
discovered, as it might suppose, that it had two enemies instead of one.
"Quick! quick, Ursula! quick!" now shouted Grace, pointing to the mias.
The poor Frau showed by her gestures how frightened she was. Still she
managed to run on, while the mias continued descending the tree.
Before, however, it had reached the ground she had got up to the rock,
at no great distance from Grace.

"Run! run!" cried Grace; "get safely on to the rock, good Frau, and I
will defend you."

"No, no, my child," answered the Frau. "It is for me to fight. Give me
the gun. I know how to use it. You run back to Emily and Oliver.
Here, take this shell of water, though. I will fire the gun, I say."

She almost snatched the weapon out of the hand of Grace, who came on
towards us with the water. I saw that the Frau was taking aim at the
mias, and was considering whether she could hit it at so great a
distance. I was afraid that she would not, and entreated her not to
fire.

"No, no, my child," she shouted out; "I will wait till he come nearer."

Our position was truly a dreadful one, for the creature might in a few
minutes have destroyed the good Frau, and then come and attacked us if
it had been so disposed. We were now once more quiet, and this induced
the mias to remain stationary. I wondered why Merlin had not come. I
thought that he might have assisted us at all events; at the same time
it was too probable that should he attack the creature, he would be
speedily worsted.

We now again applied more water to Oliver's brow, and gave him a few
more drops to drink. The effect was satisfactory; and not only did he
open his eyes, but his lips began to move, and a slight colour came back
to his cheeks. At length I heard him speaking, but in so low a voice
that I had to put my ear to his mouth.

"What is it all about?" he asked; "what has happened?"

"Do not be anxious, dear Oliver," I said. "The sun was very hot, and
you fainted." I did not like to tell him of our alarm about the mias.

"But I shall soon be well," he answered. "It is very hot here. I think
I could reach the shade of some tree, where it would be cooler."

"Oh no, no; you must not move," I cried out. "We are safer here."

The exertion of speaking, however, was evidently very great, and with a
gentle sigh he again leaned back. Of course, with that horrid creature
near us, I would not have ventured to