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Updated: June 11, 2025
Eudena suddenly became rigid, ceased to breathe, her clutch convulsive, and her eyes starting. She had never seen the thing before, she did not even see him clearly now, but she knew at once it was the Terror of the Woodshade. His name was a legend, the children would frighten one another, frighten even themselves with his name, and run screaming to the squatting-place.
Eudena lay like a hare in its form, with shining eyes fixed on the bent witch away there, and presently she dimly understood it was the lion the old woman was worshipping the lion Ugh-lomi had slain. And the next day the hunters came back weary, carrying a fawn, and Eudena watched the feast enviously. And then came a strange thing.
No civilised man could have lived who had been so sorely wounded, but Eudena got him thorns to close his wounds, and squatted beside him day and night, smiting the flies from him with a fan of reeds by day, and in the night threatening the hyænas with the first axe in her hand; and in a little while he began to heal. It was high summer, and there was no rain.
There was a patter of feet, and a faint snarling the sound of a blow. There was little sleep that night for the women and children at the squatting-place until they heard Eudena scream. But the men were weary and sat dozing. When Eudena screamed they felt assured of their safety, and hurried to get the nearest places to the fires.
Eudena, though in age a woman, was in heart like a little child. She kept as still, poor little animal, as a hare before it is started. The stars gathered and watched her her one grain of comfort. In one bright one she fancied there was something like Ugh-lomi. Then she fancied it was Ugh-lomi. And near him, red and duller, was Uya, and as the night passed Ugh-lomi fled before him up the sky.
Then something stirred in Eudena; something that had never stirred in her before; and, thinking all of little Si and nothing of her fear, she sprang up from her ambush and ran swiftly forward. The old woman did not see her, for she was busy beating little Si's face with her hand, beating with all her heart, and suddenly something hard and heavy struck her cheek.
Then Eudena's heart was light, and she laughed with him; and afterwards she ate what he had left of the horseflesh with gladness. After that it was he had a dream, and the next day he made Eudena bring him the lion's teeth and claws so much of them as she could find and hack him a club of alder. And he put the teeth and claws very cunningly into the wood so that the points were outward.
And as it moved it gave a low groan. The blood rushing through her veins was suddenly joy. "Ugh-lomi!" she whispered. The thing stopped. "Eudena," he answered softly with pain in his voice, and peering into the alders. He moved again, and came out of the shadow beyond the reeds into the moonlight. All his body was covered with dark smears.
On the right hand, and near by them, came the men swift and heavy, with bearded Uya, antler in hand, leading them; and on the left, scattered as one scatters corn, yellow dashes among the fern and grass, ran Wau and the women; and even the little children from the shallow had joined the chase. The two parties converged upon them. Off they went, with Eudena ahead.
But she made him think of Eudena. "Come over to us, Ugh-lomi," they cried, and the voice of the shrivelled old woman rose above them all. At the sound of her voice his hesitation returned. He stood on the river bank, Ugh-lomi Ugh the Thinker with his thoughts slowly taking shape. Presently one and then another paused to see what he would do. He was minded to go back, he was minded not to.
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