A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille

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from Layelah. She started back, and fell from her standing-place into
the waves beneath. The next instant we were all in the water
together--the athaleb writhing and lashing the water into foam, while
I involuntarily clung to his coarse mane, and expected death every
moment.
But death did not come; for the athaleb did not sink, but floated with
his back out of the water, the right pinion being sunk underneath and
useless, and the left struggling vainly with the sea. But after a time
he folded up the left wing and drew it close in to his side, and
propelled himself with his long hind-legs. His right wing was broken,
but he did not seem to have suffered any other injury.
Suddenly I heard a cry behind me:
"Atam-or! oh, Atam-or!"
I looked around and saw Layelah. She was swimming in the water, and
seemed exhausted. In the agitation of the past few moments I had lost
sight of her, and had thought that she was drowned; but now the sight
of her roused me from my stupor and brought me back to myself. She was
swimming, yet her strokes were weak and her face was full of despair.
In an instant I had flung off my coat, rolled up the rifle and pistol
in its folds, and sprung into the water. A few strokes brought me to
Layelah. A moment more and I should have been too late. I held her
head out of water, told her not to struggle, and then struck out to go
back. It would have been impossible for me to do this, encumbered with
such a load, had I not fortunately perceived the floating wing of the
athaleb close beside me. This I seized, and by means of it drew myself
with Layelah alongside; after which I succeeded in putting her on the
back of the animal, and soon followed myself.
The terror of the rifle had overwhelmed her, and the suddenness of the
catastrophe had almost killed her. She had struggled in the water for
a long time, and had called to me in vain. Now she was quite
exhausted, and lay in my arms trembling and sobbing. I spoke to her
encouragingly, and wrapped her in my coat, and rubbed her hands and
feet, until at last she began to recover. Then she wept quietly for a
long time; then the weeping fit passed away. She looked up with a
smile, and in her face there was unutterable gratitude.