like a swan. I went into the water to seize her, and when she came up
again I clasped her in my arms; but then the strangest thing happened--
she flowed away, she dissolved like the snow on the Syrian hills, when
you take it in your hand, and yet it was not the same, for her hair
turned to water-lilies, and her eyes to blue fishes that swam away
merrily, and her lips to twigs of coral that sank at once, and from her
body grew a crocodile, with a head like Mena, that laughed and gnashed
its teeth at me. Then I was seized with blind fury; I threw myself upon
him with a drawn sword, he fastened his teeth in my flesh, I pierced his
throat with my weapon; the Nile was dark with our streaming blood, and so
we fought and fought--it lasted an eternity--till I awoke."

Paaker drew a deep breath as he ceased speaking; as if his wild dream
tormented him again.

The dwarf had listened with eager attention, but several minutes passed
before he spoke.

"A strange dream," he said, "but the interpretation as to the future is
not hard to find. Nefert is striving to reach thee, she longs to be
thine, but if thou dost fancy that she is already in thy grasp she will
elude thee; thy hopes will melt like ice, slip away like sand, if thou
dost not know how to put the crocodile out of the way."

At this moment the boat struck the landing-place. The pioneer started
up, and cried, "We have reached the end!"

"We have reached the end," echoed the little man with meaning. "There is
only a narrow bridge to step over."