In the Morning of Time

by Sir Charles G. D. Roberts

As he stood near the forward end of the raft he began sweeping the spear in a wide arc through the water, as if it were a paddle, but with the idea merely of testing the resistance of the water. Poor substitute as the spear was for a paddle or an oar, his great strength made up for its inefficiency, and after a few sweeps he was astonished and delighted to notice that the head of the raft had swung away from him, so that it was heading for the shore from which they had come.

He pondered this in silence for a little, then stepped over to the other side and repeated the experiment. After several vigorous efforts the unwieldy craft yielded. Its head swung straight, and then, very gradually, toward the other side. Yes, there was no 274 doubt about it. He had found a way of influencing their direction.

“I am going to take you over to the other shore,” he announced proudly.

And now, laboring in a keen excitement, he set himself to carry out his boast. First he so overdid it that he made the raft turn clean about and head upstream. He puzzled over this for a time, but at length got it once more headed in the direction which he wished it to take. Then he found that he could keep it to this direction––more or less––by taking a few strokes on one side, then hurriedly crossing to take a few strokes on the other. And in this way they began once more to approach the other bank. The process, however, was slow; and Grôm presently concluded that it was wasteful. He hit upon the idea of setting A-ya and Loob together to stroking with their spears on one side, while he, with his great strength, balanced their effort on the other. Whereupon the sluggish craft woke up a little and began to make perceptible progress, on a slant across the current toward shore.

“I have found it!” he exclaimed in exultation. “On this thing we can travel over the water where we will.”

“But not against the current,” objected A-ya, whose enthusiasm was a little damped by the fact that she did not like the look of that further shore.

“That will come in time,” declared Grôm confidently.

“Here’s something coming now,” announced Loob, springing to his feet and grabbing his bow. At the same moment the flat, villainous head of a big crocodile 275 shot up over the edge of the raft, and its owner, with enormous jaws half open, started to scramble aboard.

A-ya’s bow was bent as swiftly as Loob’s, and the two arrows sped together, both into the monster’s gaping gullet. Amazed at this reception it shut its jaws with a loud snap, halted and came on again. Then a stab of Grôm’s great spear caught it full in the eye, and this wound struck fear into its dull mind. It rolled back hastily into the water and sank, leaving a foamy wake of blood behind it.

By this time they were getting nearer the other shore. But on close view, Grôm was bound to admit that it was not alluring. It was so low as to be all awash, and fringed deep with towering reeds, which were traversed by narrow lanes of water. Of dry land there was none to be seen.