THE WATER-HEN 
falling into the trap, allowed herself to be 
decoyed away for the time being. But for the 
rest of the night Cearouise only dared to doze 
fitfully on her eggs, and woke in dread lest 
fierce, inquisitive eyes should be upon her. 
On that day, the thirteenth of Cearc-uise's 
brooding, the skies were cloudless, and even the 
Dark Pool was warm, but the water sank lower 
still. Cearc-uise was restless and nervous, and 
spent more time than she should have done in 
patrolling the Pool. 
It was a race between the hatching of the eggs 
and the subsidence of the Pool ; for the vixen 
knew of the nest, and would come again and 
again until it was 
stranded high and 
dry, and then, with- 
out the protection of 
the surrounding 
water, it would no 
longer be safe to cover 21 
the eggs at night. 
In the evening Kar- 
ruck came and dozed on a branch beside the 
nest, and it was well that he did so, for he 
gave the alarm, and Cearc-uise woke to see the 
vixen on the bank. Her jowl was red after 
successful hunting, and as she eyed the coveted 
game the saliva dribbled from her mouth with 
