DUR GHELLA AND ITS INHABITANTS l8l 



Then from the comer of my eye I noticed a slight movement 

 at my side. I had a closer look. A Sioux ! A big one with two 

 burning eyes. He was trying to get into the tent. This had 

 never happened before. He must have been a tribal hero. I 

 growled at him and tried to lift him away with my hand. 

 But for some reason or another, he dropped right into the 

 tent. 'I'll smash you into little pieces', I vowed, and taking 

 hold of a hammer and a torch, I followed. I looked in all of 

 the out-of-the-way corners, scoured under the rubber 

 mattresses, moved the straw pillows, raked through the 

 clothes. In short, I turned upside-down the frightful mess 

 which made up the normal order of our nocturnal refuge. 

 And I couldn't see a thing. Convinced that the Sioux had 

 gone out somewhere I took up my writing again in peace 

 and quiet. 



After an hour I had finished. I went to have a drink and 

 was the last to turn in. I stretched myself, yawned and placed 

 my head on the pillow ... a tremendous yell lasting more 

 than a second tore the others from their beatific dreams. 



'What's wrong? What is it? Where? Who the hell . . .?' 

 Cecco already had the rifle in his hand. 



'Here, here,' I shouted, 'it's him!' 



'Have you gone mad ?' 



'Get a light. I swear it's there. Look at my ear. It's red, 

 eh? I told you. He nipped it, the swine. Yes, it's there, in the 

 lining. The hammer, give me the hammer.' Smack! With a 

 blow that would have killed a bull, the Sioux was turned to 

 pulp. 



A complete extermination took place on the following day. 



The vegetation of Dur Ghella was something quite on its 

 own. In the first place the island was completely covered by 



