Bannertail 



lashed in writhing convolutions, felt the 

 cool water that he could no longer see, 

 went squirming out upon it, working 

 his frothy jaws, lashing, thrashing with 

 his tail. Then up from the darkest depths 

 came a hideous goggle-eyed head, a mon- 

 strous head, as big as a Squirrel's whole 

 body, and on it a horny beak, which, 

 opening, showed a huge red maw, and the 

 squirming Blacksnake was seized by the 

 bigger brute. Crushed and broken in 

 those mighty jaws was the Black One's 

 supple spine; torn open by those great 

 claws was his belly, ended was his life. 

 The Snapper sank, taking the Blacksnake 

 with him. It was the finish of an ancient 

 feud between them, and down in the dark 

 depths of the pond the Water Demon 

 feasted on the body of his foe. 



And Bannertail, the brave fighter, with 

 the heroic little Mother and Nyek-nyek 

 now revived, drew quickly back to safety. 



[ 240] 



