said Black Noggy.

[Illustration]

So Little Black Mingo took the dhobi's great big chatty, and started
again to go to the river. But first she went to a little bank above the
river, and peeped up and down, to see if she could see the old Mugger
anywhere. But she could not see him, for he was hiding under the very
bank she was standing on, and though his tail stuck out a little she
never saw him at all.

She would have liked to run home, but she was too much afraid that
Black Noggy would beat her.

So Little Black Mingo crept down to the river, and began to fill the big
chatty with water. And while she was filling it the Mugger came creeping
softly down behind her and caught her by the tail, saying, "Aha, Little
Black Mingo, now I've got you."

And Little Black Mingo said, "Oh! please don't eat me up, great big
Mugger."

[Illustration]

"What will you give me, if I don't eat you up?" said the Mugger. But
Little Black Mingo was so poor she had nothing to give. So the Mugger
caught her in his great cruel mouth and swam away with her to an island
in the middle of the river and set her down beside a huge pile of eggs.

[Illustration]

"Those are my eggs," said he; "to-morrow a little mugger will come out
of each, and then we will have a great feast, and we will eat you up."

Then he waddled off to catch fish for himself, and left Little Black
Mingo alone beside the big pile of eggs.

And Little Black Mingo sat down on a big stone and hid her face in her
hands, and cried bitterly, because she couldn't swim, and she didn't
know how to get away.

[Illustration]

Presently she heard a queer little squeaky noise that sounded like
"Squeak, Squeak, Squeak!!! Oh Little Black Mingo, help me or I shall be
drowned." She got up and looked to see what was calling, and she saw a
bush coming floating down the river with something wriggling and
scrambling about in it, and as it came near she saw that it was a
Mongoose that was in the bush. So she waded out as far as she could, and
caught hold of the bush and pulled it in, and the poor Mongoose crawled
up her arm on to her shoulder, and she carried him to shore.

[Illustration]

When they got to shore the Mongoose shook himself, and Little Black
Mingo wrung out her petticoat, and so they both very soon got dry.

[Illustration]

The Mongoose then began to poke about for something to eat, and very
soon he found the great big pile of Mugger's eggs. "Oh, joy!" said
he,