The poor fellow was all but unconscious from fright and rough usage. The soldiers fled before the giants as they carried their dear little friend away. Pietas revived, sat up, called all the people to his side, and told them he was glad that they had treated him so. "For," explained he, "they have not really hurt me, and I rejoice to suffer in witnessing to the truth."
No sooner had he spoken than many poor people came to him and begged to be allowed to go with him. He told them to remain and tell all the others the good news. "When you are through doing your duty, then I will come for you. Meanwhile, I am going with my friends to the Upper Country."
With sorrow he bade them good-by, and with the American party he turned and walked the road to the great alligator. At first, the children were afraid of the monster, but soon they cautiously approached him on his blind side, without attracting his attention. It was not difficult for them to spring upon his head; but when they had done so, the monster opened his mouth and threw them into the air and they rolled down his nose.
"Oh! Oh!" they shouted. It took them a few minutes to realize that they had been in the park all the time and that Uncle Rupert had been telling them a story. "Oh, Uncle, where is Pietas?" asked Madge. "Pietas," replied Uncle Rupert, "is not here, he has returned to his own country to tell his people more about his new home. He expects to lead all his people here some day.
"I have preached you a long sermon, my dears, and I do hope that you understood it. Pietas represented the Master who was killed but was revived by his Father to return again on Easter to tell his own country of the beautiful heaven and how to live so as to be worthy of it."
"Do tell us another story!" cried Madge. "We did so enjoy that one. Why, I thought that I was in the land of the Under World and I pitied the poor creatures there."
"So, my dear, do the saints pity us in this world; and they are hoping that we will be good, so that we may reach the Upper World.
"Now what do you say—shall I jump off the cliff?"
"No!" they all shouted.