Page:The further side of silence (IA furthersideofsil00clifiala).pdf/282

 sluddering group in the bed of the stream. One of their number-Ple, the Fruit and the two small children whom she had been carrying in the knapsack slung upon her back, were missing, and the man who had been her husband, staring at nothing with eyes that protruded horribly, was making strange clicking noises in his throat, which is the way in which the male Sâkai gives expression to deep emotion. Grad- ually, however, the band was stilled into silence, and huddled together listening as though spellbound to the growlings of the tiger. Then Ka' spoke.

"It is the accursed one," he said. "It is he that followeth ever at the heels of To' Pangku. I beheld his navel, yellow and round and swollen. It is situated at the back of his neck. Because I saw it, he dared not touch me, and passing by me, took Ple and the little ones, her children. Come, my brothers, let us cry aloud informing him that we have seen his navel, and he, being overcome with shame, will seek speedily to hide himself."

Taking their time from Ka', all the men raised a shout in chorus, imparting the strange, anatomical information in question to the growling monster on the ridge. They made so goodly a noise that for a moment the snarling of the beast was drowned by it; but when they paused to listen, it was heard as dis- tinetly as before.

"It is the accursed beast of magic, without doubt," said Ka' despondently. "Otherwise, a great shame would have overcome him, and he would surely have fled."