Every time I went to the river, I had to pass in the vicinity of
Nah-ee-lah’s hut. It was a little out of my way, but I always made the
slight detour in the hope of meeting her, though I had never entered her
hut nor called for her, since she had never invited me and realizing her
position, I did not wish to intrude. I was of course ignorant of the
social customs of her people, and feared offending her accidentally.
It chanced that the next time that I walked down to the lake shore,
following our stroll in the woods, I made my usual detour that I might
pass by the hut of Nah-ee-lah. As I came near I heard voices, one of
which I recognized as that of Nah-ee-lah, and the other, a man’s voice.
The girl’s tones were angry and imperious.
“Leave my presence, creature!” were the first words that I could
distinguish, and then the man’s voice.
“Come,” he said, ingratiatingly. “Let us be friends. Come to my hut, and
you will be safe, for Ga-va-go is my friend.” The voice was the voice of
Orthis.
“Go!” she ordered him again. “I would as soon lie with Ga-va-go as with
you.”
“Know then,” cried Orthis, angrily, “that you will go, whether you wish
it or not, for Ga-va-go has given you to me. Come!” and then he must
have seized her, for I heard her cry out, “How dare you lay hands upon
me, Nah-ee-lah, princess of Laythe!”
I was close beside the entrance to the hut now, and I did not wait to
hear any more, but thrusting the hanging aside entered. There they were,
in the center of the single room, Orthis struggling to drag the girl
toward the opening while she resisted and struck at him. Orthis’ back
was toward me and he did not know that there was another in the hut
until I had stepped up behind him and grasping him roughly by the
shoulder, had jerked him from the girl and swung him about facing me.
“You cad,” I said; “get out of here before I kick you out, and don’t
ever let me hear of you molesting this girl again.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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