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He
had run hard, so that he panted, and his legs were scratched with
brambles, but he still tried to be polite.

As soon as Teshumai saw the picture she screamed like anything
and flew at the Stranger-man. The other Neolithic ladies at once
knocked him down and sat on him in a long line of six, while
Teshumai pulled his hair.

'It's as plain as the nose on this Stranger-man's face,' she
said. 'He has stuck my Tegumai all full of spears, and frightened
poor Taffy so that her hair stands all on end; and not content
with that, he brings me a horrid picture of how it was done.
Look!' She showed the picture to all the Neolithic ladies sitting
patiently on the Stranger-man. 'Here is my Tegumai with his arm
broken; here is a spear sticking into his back; here is a man
with a spear ready to throw; here is another man throwing a spear
from a Cave, and here are a whole pack of people' (they were
Taffy's beavers really, but they did look rather like people)
'coming up behind Tegumai. Isn't it shocking!'

'Most shocking!' said the Neolithic ladies, and they filled the
Stranger-man's hair with mud (at which he was surprised), and
they beat upon the Reverberating Tribal Drums, and called
together all the chiefs of the Tribe of Tegumai, with their
Hetmans and Dolmans, all Neguses, Woons, and Akhoonds of the
organisation, in addition to the Warlocks, Angekoks, Juju-men,
Bonzes, and the rest, who decided that before they chopped the
Stranger-man's head off he should instantly lead them down to the
river and show them where he had hidden poor Taffy.

By this time the Stranger-man (in spite of being a Tewara) was
really annoyed. They had filled his hair quite solid with mud;
they had rolled him up and down on knobby pebbles; they had sat
upon him in a long line of six; they had thumped him and bumped
him till he could hardly breathe; and though he did not
understand their language, he was almost sure that the names the
Neolithic ladies called him were not ladylike. However, he said
nothing till all the Tribe of Tegumai were assembled, and then he
led them back to the bank of the Wagai river, and there they
found Taffy making daisy-chains, and Tegumai carefully spearing
small carp with his mended spear.

'Well, you have been quick!' said Taffy. 'But why did you bring
so many people? Daddy dear, this is my surprise. Are you
surprised, Daddy?'

'Very,' said Tegumai; 'but it has ruined all my fishing for the
day. Why, the whole dear, kind, nice, clean, quiet Tribe is here,
Taffy.'

And so they were. First of all walked Teshumai Tewindrow and the
Neolithic ladies, tightly holding on to the Stranger-man, whose
hair was full of mud (although he was a Tewara). Behind them came
the Head Chief, the Vice-Chief, the Deputy and Assistant Chiefs
(all armed to the upper teeth), the Hetmans and Heads of

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