Part 25 (1/2)

”But she will think me dead,” said I, as a new idea occurred. ”She will think that some accident has befallen me.”

”Oh no, she won't,” said Layelah; ”she will think that you have gone off with me.”

”Then that will be worse, and I would rather die, and have her die with me, than live and have her think me false.”

”You are very, very obstinate,” said Layelah, sweetly.

I made no reply. During this conversation I had been too intent upon Layelah's words to notice the athalebs before me; but now as I looked up I saw that we had fallen far behind, and that Layelah had headed our athaleb in a new direction. Upon this I once more s.n.a.t.c.hed the reins from her, and tried to return to our former course. This, however, I was utterly unable to do.

Layelah laughed.

”You will have to let me guide our course,” said she. ”You can do nothing. The athaleb will now go in a straight line to the land of the Orin.”

Upon this I started up in wild excitement.

”Never, never, never!” I cried, in a fury. ”I will not; I will destroy this athaleb and perish in the water!”

As I said this I raised my rifle.

”What are you going to do?” cried Layelah, in accents of fear.

”Turn back,” I cried, ”or I will kill this athaleb!”

Upon this Layelah dropped the reins, stood up, and looked at me with a smile.

”Oh, Atam-or,” said she, ”what a thing to ask! How can I go back now, when we have started for the land of the Orin?”

”We shall never reach the land of the Orin,” I cried; ”we shall perish in the sea!”

”Oh no,” said Layelah; ”you cannot kill the athaleb. You are no more than an insect; your rod is a weak thing, and will break on his iron frame.”

It was evident that Layelah had not the slightest idea of the powers of my rifle. There was no hesitation on my part. I took aim with the rifle. At that moment I was desperate. I thought of nothing but the swift flight of the athaleb, which was bearing me away forever from Almah. I could not endure that thought, and still less could I endure the thought that she should believe me false. It was therefore in a wild pa.s.sion of rage and despair that I levelled my rifle, taking aim as well as I could at what seemed a vital part under the wing. The motion of the wing rendered this difficult, however, and I hesitated a moment, so as to make sure. All this time Layelah stood looking at me with a smile on her rosy lips and a merry twinkle in her eyes--evidently regarding my words as empty threats and my act as a vain pretence, and utterly unprepared for what was to follow.

Suddenly I fired both barrels in quick succession. The reports rang out in thunder over the sea. The athaleb gave a wild, appalling shriek, and fell straight down into the water, fluttering vainly with one wing, while the other hung down useless. A shriek of horror burst from Layelah. She started back, and fell from her standing-place into the waves beneath. The next instant we were all in the water together--the athaleb writhing and las.h.i.+ng the water into foam, while I involuntarily clung to his coa.r.s.e mane, and expected death every moment.

But death did not come; for the athaleb did not sink, but floated with his back out of the water, the right pinion being sunk underneath and useless, and the left struggling vainly with the sea. But after a time he folded up the left wing and drew it close in to his side, and propelled himself with his long hind-legs. His right wing was broken, but he did not seem to have suffered any other injury.

Suddenly I heard a cry behind me:

”Atam-or! oh, Atam-or!”

I looked around and saw Layelah. She was swimming in the water, and seemed exhausted. In the agitation of the past few moments I had lost sight of her, and had thought that she was drowned; but now the sight of her roused me from my stupor and brought me back to myself. She was swimming, yet her strokes were weak and her face was full of despair.

In an instant I had flung off my coat, rolled up the rifle and pistol in its folds, and sprung into the water. A few strokes brought me to Layelah. A moment more and I should have been too late. I held her head out of water, told her not to struggle, and then struck out to go back. It would have been impossible for me to do this, enc.u.mbered with such a load, had I not fortunately perceived the floating wing of the athaleb close beside me. This I seized, and by means of it drew myself with Layelah alongside; after which I succeeded in putting her on the back of the animal, and soon followed myself.

The terror of the rifle had overwhelmed her, and the suddenness of the catastrophe had almost killed her. She had struggled in the water for a long time, and had called to me in vain. Now she was quite exhausted, and lay in my arms trembling and sobbing. I spoke to her encouragingly, and wrapped her in my coat, and rubbed her hands and feet, until at last she began to recover. Then she wept quietly for a long time; then the weeping fit pa.s.sed away. She looked up with a smile, and in her face there was unutterable grat.i.tude.

”Atam-or,” said she, ”I never loved death like the rest of the Kosekin; but now--but now--I feel that death with you would be sweet.”

Then tears came to her eyes, and I found tears coming to my own, so that I had to stoop down and kiss away the tears of Layelah. As I did so she twined both her arms around my neck, held me close to her, and sighed.