Page:The book of wonder voyages (1919).djvu/143

 On the morrow the eagles returned and sleeked its plumage as if it were done with a comb. At midday they rested a little, and then flew off to that quarter of the heavens whence they had come. But the great bird remained, shaking his pinions, until the third day, when it soared up and flew thrice round the island, alighting for a little while on the same hill. Then it flew towards the land whence it came with a speed swifter and stronger than before. Wherefore it was manifest to all that to it had been restored the gift of youth, and through it the word of the prophet had been fulfilled: Thy youth shall be renewed like the eagle's.

Then Diuran wondered greatly and said, "Let us go bathe in the lake and make ourselves young even as the bird has done." And when one of his comrades would have dissuaded him, fearing the venom left by the bird in the lake, he still persisted, saying that he would go first.

So he plunged in and bathed and drank of the water. And from that time forth until the end of his life he suffered from neither weakness nor infirmity, his eye-sight was passing strong, nor did he lose a tooth from his jaw or a hair from his head.

After bidding farewell to that ancient man, and taking with them a provision of sheep, they came to an island around which ran a moving fiery rampart. In the side of the rampart was an open doorway. And whenever this doorway, as it turned around the island, came opposite to them they could see through it the