"You might try the pigeon," suggested Tua, who, now that there was less
smell, felt her curiosity returning.

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