“‘Where?’ cried his mother; ‘oh, where?’
“The boy fell back in his seat and covered his face with his hands.
“‘He was speaking of his memory,’ said the old man. ‘If he can trust it, well and good.’
“‘You should have brought the child home with you,’ said the matter-of-fact woman.
“‘It was not in my power,’ replied the old man. ‘She had gone too far. She had already entered the domain of Rimrak, the Conjurer. All that I could do I did. I warned her not to drink of the waters of the spring. I warned her not to eat of the seed of the pomegranate. But now that I am here, let us see what can be done.’
“He went to his wallet, which he had placed on the table, opened it and took from it three knives. One was a clasp-knife with a long, slim blade, the next was a common case-knife, and the third was a big butcher’s-knife. The case-knife had once had a horn or wooden handle, but this had dropped off, and the iron that held the knife in place had been run into a corncob. The old man took these knives from his wallet, one by one, and placed them on the table.
“‘Now listen to me,’ he said to the boy. ‘All will go well with you if you are bold, and if you really remember the color of the little girl’s eyes. Here are your arms. This,’ taking up the clasp-knife, ‘is Keen-Point. This,’ taking up the case-knife, ‘is Cob-Handle. And this is Butch. Remember their names,—Keen-Point, Cob-Handle, and Butch. Keen-Point is to show you the way, Cob-Handle is to warn you of danger, and Butch is to protect you. But they will all fail you—they will all go wrong—if you do not remember the color of the little girl’s eyes.’
“The boy took Keen-Point, Cob-Handle, and Butch, and stowed them away in a wallet, in which his mother placed a supply of food. Then he set out on his journey, with a light heart. He was not afraid, for he knew that he loved the little girl well enough to remember the color of her eyes. He went on his way till he came to the open fields where no one lived. He had been there many a time before, but now it seemed to him that he had never seen so many paths and by-ways. They led in all directions and crossed each other almost at every turn.
“He stopped and looked all around, and then he took Keen-Point from his wallet, and said:—
“‘Keen-Point can, Keen-Point may,
Point keen and true, and show me the way.’