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Then something stirred in Eudena; something that had never stirred in
her before; and, thinking all of little Si and nothing of her fear, she
sprang up from her ambush and ran swiftly forward. The old woman did not
see her, for she was busy beating little Si's face with her hand,
beating with all her heart, and suddenly something hard and heavy struck
her cheek. She went reeling, and saw Eudena with flaming eyes and cheeks
between her and little Si. She shrieked with astonishment and terror,
and little Si, not understanding, set off towards the gaping tribe. They
were quite close now, for the sight of Eudena had driven their fading
fear of the lion out of their heads.
In a moment Eudena had turned from the cowering old woman and overtaken
Si. "Si!" she cried, "Si!" She caught the child up in her arms as it
stopped, pressed the nail-lined face to hers, and turned about to run
towards her lair, the lair of the old lion. The old woman stood
waist-high in the reeds, and screamed foul things and inarticulate rage,
but did not dare to intercept her; and at the bend of the path Eudena
looked back and saw all the men of the tribe crying to one another and
Siss coming at a trot along the lion's trail.
She ran straight along the narrow way through the reeds to the shady
place where Ugh-lomi sat with his healing thigh, just awakened by the
shouting and rubbing his eyes. She came to him, a woman, with little Si
in her arms. Her heart throbbed in her throat. "Ugh-lomi!" she cried,
"Ugh-lomi, the tribe comes!"
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