This discovery made her tremble, but she clenched her teeth and continued her search for Tibbs and Kiddiwee.
She had only gone a few steps, however, when her sharp eyes caught the gleam of gold upon a twig near by. Going closer, she saw that it was a long golden hair.
Once more her heart stood still! It was Kiddiwee’s, pulled from his tiny head as he and Tibbs fell through the branches.
Then the crocodile had them! There was no doubt of that.
And having made up her mind on that point, she decided that the creature must be found at once, and induced to smile! She would tell him the funniest joke she could think of, and if she could only succeed in making the reptile laugh really heartily, why then it would be the easiest thing in the world for her brothers to walk out unobserved.
“I don’t see a bit why they shouldn’t,” she said aloud. “Jonah was quite comfy in the whale! And I expect the crocodile is the same inside, only not quite such large rooms! I think they will be quite all right, if they didn’t get too much chewed up going in!”
It was no use flying, as she had to follow the footprints very closely, which was not easy to do on the rocky ground.
“What a good thing it was that he didn’t go back into the water,” thought Coppertop; “I could never have found him then, and Tibbs and Kiddiwee would have got damp, I expect, and have started sneezing!” And she smiled at the thought of the crocodile’s expression when this happened.
It was back-achy work stooping down to follow the crocodile’s tracks, but she was in the mood to endure things bravely.
“Tearful heart goes lame they say,