And then she put its dress on, gently smoothed its hair, held it for a while against her bosom as she swayed from side to side telling it to go to sleep, hummed gently a cradle song, and put it back in the satchel as a mother might put her sleeping baby in its cradle.

I crept silently away.
It was dark when I returned to camp, and she had supper ready and was anxiously awaiting me.

She ran to me and took my hand affectionately.
"What kept you so long ?" she asked earnestly.

"I have been anxious.

I thought something must have happened to you!" And as we approached the fire, she looked in my face, and cried out in astonishment.
"Something has happened to you.