“Chatter no more!” burst out the old man furiously. “They are gone. A hundred and twenty thousand kurdi--perhaps more--are lost. And why? Because of thy folly. Because thou must needs bring this yellow-skinned hog of an unbeliever into our camp.” “I did it for the best, my father,” urged Maháma. The old man made no reply, but, as I put my eye to the crack in the bark, I saw him kick viciously at the horse with his great spurs, and he soon disappeared at a brisk trot among the trees, leaving his followers to double wearily after him. When they were gone I woke up Aminé, who sat up yawning and rubbing her eyes. “Is it morning?” she asked. “No,” I replied. “It is not yet night, but they have gone back.” “Is there anything to eat?” she inquired. “Nothing,” I answered. “We ate all the shell-fish.” “Then let us sleep,” said she, and without further parley she curled up like a dog and instantly fell asleep again. It seemed the best thing to do, for the night was coming on, and we had large arrears of rest to make up; so stretching myself on the soft floor, as well as the space would allow, I settled myself with an unwonted feeling of comfort, and followed her example. CHAPTER XIX. I MAKE MY APPEARANCE IN A NEW CHARACTER. The sun was well up when I opened my eyes on the following morning and Aminé had evidently been awake some time, for she was standing with her chin on the edge of the rough parapet that enclosed the hollow, looking across the country and beguiling the time by slapping at the flies that settled on the bark. “At last thou art awake!” she exclaimed, turning her head as I rose and stretched my cramped limbs. “I thought thou wast going to sleep all day. Let us go down and look for something to eat.” My own sensations strongly seconded this suggestion, so I at once helped Aminé over on to the monkey-rope, and having passed the lashing round her and seen her safely to the bottom, I slid down myself. The first necessity being the immediate satisfaction of our ravenous hunger, we took to the stream and eagerly searched the shallows for shell-fish, and I was filled with mingled envy and disgust at the indiscriminate way in which Aminé gobbled up every living thing that she encountered. Nothing came amiss to her. Water-snails, queer little round-bodied crabs, insect larvæ and fish spawn, all went into her mouth as soon as they were picked up, while I, more fastidious although famishing, restricted my diet to the rather scarce mussels. However, Aminé presently discovered in the forest, close to the water, a gourd-like fruit about the size of an orange, which she told me she had often eaten, and as it grew quite profusely in that spot, we were able to make a really substantial meal and a much more agreeable one than the uncooked shell-fish afforded.