"Who are you, little girl?" I asked.

"My name is Mary," she replied. "I am Victory's sister."

"And who is Victory?"

"You do not know who Victory is?" she asked, in

astonishment.

I shook my head in negation.

"You saved her from the elephant country people, and yet you

say you do not know her!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, so she is Victory, and you are her sister! I have not

heard her name before. That is why I did not know whom you

meant," I explained. Here was just the messenger for me.

Fate was becoming more kind.

"Will you do something for me, Mary?" I asked.

"If I can."

"Go to your mother, the queen, and ask her to come to me," I

said. "I have a favor to ask."

She said that she would, and with a parting smile she left

me.

For what seemed many hours I awaited her return, chafing

with impatience. The afternoon wore on and night came, and

yet no one came near me. My captors brought me neither food

nor water. I was suffering considerable pain where the

rawhide thongs cut into my swollen flesh. I thought that

they had either forgotten me, or that it was their intention

to leave me here to die of starvation.

Once I heard a great uproar in the village. Men were

shouting--women were screaming and moaning. After a time

this subsided, and again there was a long interval of

silence.

Half the night must have been spent when I heard a sound in