This was a good thought upon which Rames acted at once.  Taking the dead bird from the bag he spread out its wings to make it look as though it were alive, and threw it into the water, exclaiming, “Arise, O Holy Crocodile!”

Then with fearful suddenness, whence they knew not, that crocodile arose.  An awful scaly head appeared with dull eyes and countless flashing fangs, and behind the head cubit upon cubit of monstrous form.  The fangs closed upon the pigeon and everything vanished.

“That was the Holy Crocodile,” said Rames abstractedly as he stared at the boiling waters, “which has lived here during the reigns of eight Pharaohs, and perhaps longer.  Now we have seen it.”

“Yes,” answered Tua, “and I never want to see it again.  Get me away quick, or I will tell your father.”

Thus adjured the boy, nothing loth, seized his oar, when suddenly the ancient crocodile, having swallowed the dove, thrust up its snout immediately beneath them and began to follow the boat.  Now Tua screamed aloud and said something about her Ka.

“Tell it to keep off the crocodile,” shouted Rames as he worked the oar furiously.  “Nothing can hurt a Ka.”

But the crocodile would not be kept off.  On the contrary, it thrust its grey snout and one of its claws over the stern of the boat in such a fashion that Rames could no longer work the oar, dragging it almost under water, and snapped with its horrible jaws.

“Oh! it is coming in; we are going to be eaten,” cried Tua.

At that moment the boat touched the landing-place and swung round, so that its bow, where Tua was, struck the head of the crocodile, which seemed to infuriate the beast.  At least, it hurled itself upon the boat, causing the fore part to heel over, fill with water, and begin to sink.  Then the little lad, Rames, showed the courage that was in him.  Shouting to Tua: 

“Get on shore, get on shore!” he plunged past her and smote the huge reptile upon the head with the blade of his oar.  It opened its hideous mouth, and he thrust the oar into it and held on.

“Leave go,” cried Tua, as she scrambled to land.

But Rames would not leave go, for in his brave little heart he thought that if he did the crocodile would follow Tua and eat her.  So he clung to the handle till it was wrenched from him.  Indeed he did more, for seeing that the crocodile had bitten the wooden blade in two and, having dropped it, was still advancing towards the slope where it was accustomed to be fed, he leapt into the water and struck it in the eye with his little fist.  Feeling the pain of the blow the monster snapped at him, and catching him by the hand began to sink back into deep water, dragging the lad after it.

Rames said nothing, but Tua, who already was at the head of the stage, looked round and saw the agony on his face.