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10 well her having passed a river two or three days before she was taken; and we shall see by and by, that this is one of the most certain facts of her history. She was then accompanied by another girl, a little older than herself, and a black likewise; but whether that was her natural colour, or whether she was only painted, like Le Blanc, is uncertain. They were swimming across a river, and diving to catch some fishes, as I shall have occasion to describe more particularly in the sequel, when they were observed by one M. de St. Martin, a gentleman of that neighbourhood, as Madamoiselle Le Blanc was afterwards told, who, seeing nothing but the two black heads of the children now and then appearing above the water, mistook them, as he says himself, for two water cocks, and fired at them from a good distance. Luckily, however, he missed them; but the report made them dive, and retire farther off.

little Le Blanc, on her part, had a fish in each hand, and an eel in her teeth. After having gutted and washed their fish, she and her companion eat, or rather devoured it; for, by her account, they did not chew their meat, but holding it in their hand, tore it with their fore teeth into small pieces, which they swallowed without chewing. After finishing their repast, they directed their course into the country,