Inextinguishable laughter arose among the men; while even among the Lali there was merriment. The females were most amused at the seed-besplattered lover; and Ilo, glad in his heart at his inglorious retreat, said with contempt: “Go back to the women and get dried up; you were made not for war, but for love.” Like a bubble blown by a boy, which swells bigger and bigger, until the sky and mountains are reflected in it, and then, at the moment of its greatest bulk, when it seems to carry the whole world, bursts and settles into a little suds, so the swelling Oboo, who matched the sun in its splendor when he came to battle, dwindled to a sop as he returned. Meanwhile the girls who had been drawn into the battle, and for whom Oboo had left his retreat, fought so fiercely that none of them were captured, but many of their assailants were slain or left wounded on the field. And now all the Lali retreated from the victorious Ammi, being demoralized by the victory of the girls and the discomfiture of Oboo, while the Ammi prepared to move with all their force on the Lali and to end the war that day. But Night settled down on the contending armies, and the wheels of history stopped awhile. CHAPTER XXX. [Illustration] Sleep came not to the Ammi that night, but instead Pestilence settled down upon them. The water of the Swamp, stirred by the recent floods, and the strange fruits which they had eaten since leaving home, had brought Colic to the camp, and, like Dreams, it visited the couches of the heroes, and rolled them about in aches and pains. Night slackened its pace and dwelt long among them, covering with darkness their pain; and, as they ran about holding their stomachs and looking for sweet relief, which came not, the Lali, who faintly discerned their movements in the moonlight, thought they were making preparations for battle, and so they fled, lest disaster should follow on their defeat of the day before. Thus did the Lali run away from the Belly-ache. And when Aurora, closing the gates of the world on Night, advanced, announcing with freshened breath the Day, and her golden train fell in rich drapery over the eastern sky, the Ammi were seen lying about in groups, doubled up and griping, each caring not for glorious victory but for peace within. Koree forgot his beloved Sosee, and Pounder lay in a big heap, caring neither for battle nor country. Gimbo walking about on all fours administered relief, being physician as well as priest. “There is nothing so good for colic,” he said, “as to pound the stomach;” and, taking a long-necked pumpkin, he gave each a blow on the spot where the pain was felt. This caused the patient to give a jerk and a howl. “That is good;” said Gimbo, “it is the colic jumping out of you;” and in very bad cases he repeated the blow. “It is well,” he added, “to keep your stomachs turned toward the Swamp; the colic always goes out on that side, owing to the influence of the Alligator.”