NUER BEAST TALES. 107

4.

When they next met Rill was about to cook Looth the fish (Protopterus) which he had caught and had indeed already got on the embers when Yak appeared.

"I let you off last time through the goodness of my heart," said Yak, "but never again and this time you surely shall die." However, at that moment the delightful smell of the roasting fish reached his nostrils and instead of taking action sat down beside Rill to partake of the feast. "Why do you not kill me," said Rill, "After I've tasted some of that fish," replied Yak, licking his lips in anticipation. No word passed between them until Yak had devoured the whole fish himself and then turning to Rill asked how that was procured. "Saved again" thought Rill to himself and then addressing the hyena continued: "That's a very easy matter. Go to the River and on the bank look out for a small mound of newly turned earth and when you find this scrape with your fingers to the depth of a few inches when you will find the fish with its mouth open looking up at you. All you have then to do is to lower a certain part of your anatomy into the hole thus made when the fish will catch hold of it and can be lifted out."

They once again parted Yak for the River and Rill in the opposite direction, having asked to be excused on the pretext of cleaning his crops. Doing as he had been bidden, the hyena was badly bitten on a very tender part of his body and ran away howling with pain.

5.

No words were wasted at their next meeting but Rill was immediately attacked, knocked down, and pulled over the rough ground by the infuriated Yak. Rill stuck it for a bit but the pain was getting so intense that something really had to be done if he was to survive such terrible treatment. In a very feeble voice Rill murmured, "I'm nearly dead now so please finish me off quickly by pulling me over the sandy soil." This the hyena did and so saved Rill's life for the sand scratching his back soothed him immensely and he dosed off to sleep. Waking up suddenly he saw Yak perspiring profusely and at the same time drew his attention to some people who were passing with a herd of goats a little way off. Noticing that the hold on his legs had slackened somewhat Rill jerked them free and grabbing Yak by the ankles soon had him on his back and raced backwards and forwards over the rough ground paying no attention to the pleadings of his enemy. This went on until Yak became unconscious and seeing this Rill left him on the ground and departed for Yak's house.

On reaching there he told Yak's wife that her husband had had a seizure and was on the point of death and suggested that she should go and bring him home but before doing so to kill a bull and get her sister to prepare plenty of