Lilith

Lilith
wished neither might be left able to climb a tree. But when the children saw the blood pouring from their
flanks and throats, what do you think they did? They scurried down to comfort them, and gathering in a great
crowd about the terrible creatures, began to pat and stroke them. Then I got down as well, for they were much
too absorbed to heed my calling to them; but before I could reach them, the white one stopped fighting, and
sprang among them with such a hideous yell that they flew up into the trees like birds. Before I got back into
mine, the wicked beasts were at it again tooth and claw. Then Whitey had the best of it; Spotty ran away as
fast as she could run, and Whitey came and lay down at the foot of my tree. But in a minute or two she was
up again, and walking about as if she thought Spotty might be lurking somewhere. I waked often, and every
time I looked out, I saw her. In the morning she went away."
"I know both the beasts," I said. "Spotty is a bad beast. She hates the children, and would kill every one of
them. But Whitey loves them. She ran at them only to frighten them away, lest Spotty should get hold of any
of them. No one needs be afraid of Whitey!"
By this time the Little Ones were coming back, and with much noise, for they had no care to keep quiet now
that they were at open war with the giants, and laden with good stones. They mounted to their nests again,
though with difficulty because of their burdens, and in a minute were fast asleep. Lona retired to her tree. I
lay where I was, and slept the better that I thought most likely the white leopardess was still somewhere in the
wood.
I woke soon after the sun, and lay pondering. Two hours passed, and then in truth the giants began to appear,
in straggling companies of three and four, until I counted over a hundred of them. The children were still
asleep, and to call them would draw the attention of the giants: I would keep quiet so long as they did not
discover me. But by and by one came blundering upon me, stumbled, fell, and rose again. I thought he would
pass heedless, but he began to search about. I sprang to my feet, and struck him in the middle of his huge
body. The roar he gave roused the children, and a storm as of hail instantly came on, of which not a stone
struck me, and not one missed the giant. He fell and lay. Others drew near, and the storm extended, each
purblind creature becoming, as he entered the range of a garrisoned tree, a target for converging stones. In a
short time almost every giant was prostrate, and a jubilant pæan of bird−song rose from the tops of fifty trees.
Many elephants came hurrying up, and the children descending the trees like monkeys, in a moment every
elephant had three or four of them on his back, and thus loaded, began to walk over the giants, who lay and
roared. Losing patience at length with their noise, the elephants gave them a few blows of their trunks, and
left them.
Until night the bad giants remained where they had fallen, silent and motionless. The next morning they had
disappeared every one, and the children saw no more of them. They removed to the other end of the orchard
valley, and never after ventured into the forest.
CHAPTER XXXIV. PREPARATION
Victory thus gained, the woman of Bulika began to speak about the city, and talked much of its defenceless
condition, of the wickedness of its princess, of the cowardice of its inhabitants. In a few days the children
chattered of nothing but Bulika, although indeed they had not the least notion of what a city was. Then first I
became aware of the design of the woman, although not yet of its motive.
The idea of taking possession of the place, recommended itself greatly to Lona−−and to me also. The
children were now so rapidly developing faculty, that I could see no serious obstacle to the success of the
enterprise. For the terrible Lilith−−woman or leopardess, I knew her one vulnerable point, her doom through
her daughter, and the influence the ancient prophecy had upon the citizens: surely whatever in the enterprise
could be called risk, was worth taking! Successful,−−and who could doubt their success?−−must not the
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