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94 his body made the man look round, and even cast a spear into the grass to kill the beast which he thought made the rustling sound. But the lad, seeing the spear coming, moved to one side, and went warily until the man reached the sea shore. Then the boy hid behind a corkwood tree (which is the tioba whereon Nagara the lizard sat and played the duraio and drew many women to him), and from thence he saw this strange thing. The man laid down his basket and, putting both hands to his head, he pulled, and the head came off in his two hands. Then the man laid his head beside the basket on the beach, and walked into the sea, until the waters were about his middle. There he stood, and the boy's heart trembled for fear of what might next befall. And it came to pass that the man bowed himself, and a multitude of fishes rushed down the man's throat, which was open to the water, his head being upon the beach. After a short space the man turned and walked slowly to the shore. There he shook out the fish, and feeling for his head he placed it upon his neck and it was a part of him once more. Then he sat down and sorted out the fish he had thus caught, filling his basket with the largest, and throwing away those which were poor.

All this the boy saw from behind the tioba tree, where he lay hidden. And having seen he fled the place, for he feared the man who did such things as these.

Now it came to pass that at supper that night all