H. C. Bailey

“ Blacker than the night before them loomed the narrow mouth of a cavern, and out of it over the bare rock ran a tiny stream. Glaucon strode on into the cool gloom; but Laloo stopped, for it was the sacred cave of Grantor, where the god of the water lived, in the stream that was never dry in hottest summer drought.
“Good!” said Glaucon, sniffing the clean air, and set down his burdens and called “Laloo!” But Laloo would not come, lest the god of the water should be angry, and Glaucon ran back to her and caught her up with a laugh, and bore her in and set her down and kissed her lightly. ”

“ In the grey dawn the sharp slate throwing-stones began to beat down the skin roofs of the huts, and the men of Bodinnoc, creeping out, heard Bagaw, the chief of the Grantor folk, raise the song of red war. A shower of the edged stones beat on the men of Bodinnoc as they gathered round Ammaw, and Ammaw raised his song in answer.
The din came to Glaucon's ear in the cave, and he started up with his hand to his sword and went stealthily to the mouth of the cave. But when he was there he laughed loud. For the war of Bodinnoc and Grantor was like no war he had ever seen. ”

“ Such was the way of Rataw, her father, the chief. But indeed the west wind had not availed Rataw at the last, for as he lay sick in the hut by the sacred stone, Peraw of the broad shoulders had broken in his head with a hammer of flint, and thereafter flung him into the quicksand. Laloo was held by Peraw's sister to see her father slain; and Laloo had gone to the quicksand with him, but that she alone of the folk had the trick to bevel the eyes of the slate needles. ”