XXII
I continue to proceed and outwit an immense giant; escape from a herd of angry cattle; scale a water fence; meet a friendly spider.
WHEN I arose from my siesta I observed the dame in charge of the caravansary was less dumb than the others I had met, and that her countenance bore evidence of the passing over it of a late smile or two. The faces of the others were so placid a really pleasant emotion would have slipped up on them had it attempted to cross their countenances.
These were my meditations as I passed along my way.
My late experiences had not dimmed my ardor in the least, and the refreshment both of victuals and of sleep had restored me to a very vigorous condition. So high-spirited was I that when I came to an immense giant sitting on a stump by the pathside, I was not in the least abashed or flustered. He was forming a toothpick by the aid of a pocket knife which would have answeredme quite well for a sword, and he glanced at me quite merrily out of the corner of his eye.
Now, while I was not a giant in stature, I was not by any means this man’s inferior in real strength, as will be shown by the following incident.
I bade him good-day, and after conversing with him for a time I made as if to go on, when he said I should have to kill him first.
I told him it was against the rules to kill any living thing within the enclosure, and his reply was quite to the point; for he said I would never pass on then.
I told him I thought I should go right on about my business, just as though I had not had the honor of his acquaintance; that I did not consider he could possibly prevent me from doing just as I liked. But such talk aside, he was not so strong or powerful as he undoubtedly thought he was; that he had plenty of bulk, I was willing to admit, but it was nothing else—it had no life in it.
This he did not agree with; but I insisted I was right, for I was sure I could outrun him, or outjump him, and do anything requiring quickness better than he could.
He only grinned.
I told him he certainly must admit I could jump higher than he could in proportion to my height.
I stood in the middle of the path, and springing nimbly upward, caught a branch of the tree and brought it down with me, being exceedingly careful not to pluck a leaf from it.
The limb next above that one was several good feet higher and quite strong enough to sustain his weight should he reach it, as I knew he quite well could.
The temptation was too great for him, and so he walked backward, to keep it in view all the time, to where I had stood, and stooping gave a very fine leap, in which he caught the branch all well enough, and I likewise caught his feet and ran swiftly in the direction in which I wished to go, a sufficient distance to bring him his full length on the ground, which he struck with sufficient force to stun or daze him, and he was not aware of my escape until I was too far away for him to overtake me, and I saw no more of him.
My ears next caught a sound which turned out to be the bellowing of a herd of cattle, comingat a terrific speed down my path. There were several hundred of them, according to the count I made of them as they were passing me, and they were in very much of a hurry and frightfully excited, one old bull in the lead having his head down, uttering dreadful cries and snorting viciously.
They would quickly be upon me, and they were so thick and dense I could not squeeze to one side and let them pass without being trod upon.
My presence of mind saved me from an awful death; a few seconds longer of delay on my part and I should have been crushed by their horrid hoofs. In those few seconds I grasped a sapling, bent its top into the path, took a firm hold and let go the other hand, swinging clear of their heads and horns just in the nick of time.
And my new dilemma was as great as the one I had safely passed. The leaves were so thick and so were the little branches, it became a very serious matter to fall to the ground without carrying with me a leaf or two or a twig or so. I was satisfied I could not escape such a catastrophe, and was about to resign myself to my fate, when a most peculiar thing happened.
A mammoth spider was spinning his web among the branches above my head, and his web was like linen thread. A happy thought came into my mind, and I was about to put it into execution when I saw he had stretched a thread across the path and I had disarranged this when I had bent down the tree, and he was now about to repair the damage. The best of it all was his main line was quite within my reach, along which he was just then traveling.
He belonged to a distinct species, specimens of which I have not seen since, for he spun five threads at a time. His progress was not very rapid, for he braided the threads together as he went.
He reached the other side, and after having made fast the end of his braid or rope, he came just as slowly back, leaving another line trailing behind.
When he reached a point just above me and had securely fastened his line by wrapping it several times around a good limb, and glueing it, I began to tease him with a small branch that I twisted around for the purpose, and he became so enraged he lost his hold and fell to the ground.
I quickly snipped the line which he had spun in his descent, pulled myself up to his rope bridge, along which I went hand over hand until I reached the middle of the path, where I swayed up and down until I could let go and drop to the ground without injury, which I did, quite glad of my escape from certain death; for so read the rule, and I could have come down in no other way without bringing with me many leaves and some twigs.
In a short time I came to a stop, as the path had done the same. I could not determine where it continued, for there was a very respectable waterfall into which it led, and over which, or rather up which, it undoubtedly went. No man could swim or climb that torrent of water; but mount it I must, for there was no path leading in any other direction.
I sat for a long time with my feet in the water, having removed my boots for the purpose, as my feet were hot from the long walk; but I could not concoct any scheme for scaling the water fence.
I was just dropping into a doze, when I heard a splashing below me and saw some great sturgeon preparing to shoot the falls. It took me no timeat all to wade into the water, and as a big one shot by, grasp him by his caudal fin, and I was up the chute before I had time to breathe. In fact, the transit was so sudden it was quite a spell before I got my breath back again; but I did it just in time to save myself from being swept back, for the great fish had shaken me loose when we had barely passed the verge.
But I had left my boots below, and I could never enter the presence of the Princess barefoot. So I secured them in this manner:
Disengaging one of the rope-walks of the giant spider I fastened one end to a long stone of such size and shape as when I threw it into the leg of the boot it stuck tight, and I was enabled to draw it up. I got the first one easily enough, but was less fortunate with the second, for as I was pulling it over the fall, a fish swallowed it, thinking it was some bait intended for him, and I had a very severe struggle with him. Had it not been for the strength of my rope I should have lost my boot; but the fish, evidently becoming convinced he would be delayed too long if he remained until he had his meal, peacefully coughed up the boot and went on.