Into this hole she crept, taking her chance of its being the home of
snakes or other evil creatures, to find that the interior was wide and
warm. It was dry also, for at the bottom of the cavity lay a foot or
more of rotten tinder and moss brought there by rats or birds. Upon this
tinder she lay down, and covering herself with the moss and leaves soon
sank into sleep or stupor.
How long Nanea slept she did not know, but at length she was awakened by
a sound as of guttural human voices talking in a language that she could
not understand. Rising to her knees she peered out of the hole in the
tree. It was night, but the stars shone brilliantly, and their light
fell upon an open circle of ground close by the edge of the river. In
this circle there burned a great fire, and at a little distance from the
fire were gathered eight or ten horrible-looking beings, who appeared to
be rejoicing over something that lay upon the ground. They were small in
stature, men and women together, but no children, and all of them were
nearly naked.
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