Atondido Stories
The track led him right into the camp, where alone Weedah was
to be seen. Mullyan advanced towards him and asked where
were the people whose voices he had heard as he came through
the bush.
Weedah said: "How can I tell you? I know of no people; I live
alone."
"But," said Mullyan, the eagle hawk, "I heard babies crying,
women laughing, and men talking, not one but many."
"And I alone am here. Ask of your cars what trick they
played you, or perhaps your eyes fail you now. Can you see any
but me? Look for yourself."
"And if, as indeed it seems, you only are here, what did you
with Beeargah my cousin, and where are my friends? Many are
their trails that I see coming into this camp, but none going out.
And if you alone live here you alone can answer me."
"What know I of you or your friends? Nothing. Ask of the
winds that blow. Ask of Bahloo the moon, who looks down on
the earth by night. Ask of Yhi the sun, that looks down by day.
But ask not Weedah, who dwells alone, and knows naught of
your friends." But as Weedah was talking he was carefully edg-
ing Mullyan towards the fire.
Mullyan, the eagle hawk, too, was cunning, and not easy to
trap. He saw a blazing fire in front of him, lie saw the track of his
friend behind him, he saw Weedah was edging him towards the
fire, and it came to him in a moment the thought that if the fire
could speak, well could it tell where were his friends. But the
time was not yet come to show that he had fathomed the mys-
tery. So he affected to fall into the trap. But when they reached
the fire, before Weedah had time to act his usual part, with a
mighty grip Mullyan the eagle hawk seized him, saying, "Even
as you served Beeargah the hawk, my cousin, and my friends,
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