Koree, advancing, threw a sharpened flint at him, aiming at where the hair is parted on the brow, and there it entered. The distant Alps disappeared from the eyes of Owl-catcher, and, as all things faded from his sight, he knew not whether the world or a monkey was collapsing.
Now Ilo, hearing that he was challenged, came to the fight; but not willingly. Sosee had demanded that he play not the coward; for love cannot follow the timorous. But whether she deeply designed that he should die or be victor, none could fathom. He came to the front and met the proud Koree who said:
“I have a plentiful supply of death for the Lali, and for you I will send it on this bone;” and he discharged a split marrow-bone at his breast. It was one that Sosee had sharpened while they talked together of love and acted out their conversation, and she had graved on it, with a bear’s tooth, the wing of a dragon fly.
This marrow-bone pierced the flesh of Ilo, but not his love-tickled heart; and he ran away screaming and bleeding, not wishing to die while in the joys of his first love.
He sought out Sosee in the distance, who showered her compassion, if not her affection, upon him; and she drew the bone from his breast, when, seeing it was the weapon of Koree which her own hands had fashioned, she was thrown into consternation.
“Is my lover fighting my lover?” she asked, “and do I make the weapons that slay them?” and she rushed to the scene of battle and came between the lines.
At the sight of Sosee a shout arose from the Ammi, who thought that she had escaped, or else that the Lali, fearing their defeat, were surrendering her. Koree ran to meet her, forgetful that the battle was raging, when, being about to grasp her in his arms, he was struck by a cocoanut in the ear, which had been thrown by Tree-jumper, an ape from the Bamboo plains, who had started in her pursuit. Koree fell to the ground, stunned by the stroke of the ape and the sight of his beloved, for the double blow on his eye and ear exhausted him, being already weary from strife. But he fell unhurt, and was picked up by friends and carried to a place of safety.
Sosee, however, was seized by Tree-jumper, and taken back to the Lali, who placed her far from the front, where she was safe from both death and rescue.