CHAPTER VII.
They all clustered round, and seeing me, raised a dreadful clamour.
Each second I expected them to fall on me and kill me, but they simply stood howling.
In a few moments the leader stepped from the rest, and advancing close to me—to my utmost astonishment—said some words. At first I could not understand, then I made out he was speaking in bastard Latin and meant "Unde venis," "Where do you come from?" I replied in the best Latin I could muster, "Ex terra superna," "From above this place."
He then said, "quid facis," "What are you doing here?" I replied "cecidi," "I have fallen down."
Directly he had finished, the others, who had remained quite quiet during this conversation, commenced to jabber all at once.
I could not understand what they were saying; but as they first pointed at me and then at the pool wherein they had thrown the body, I had no difficulty in arriving at the conclusion that they were discussing whether they should drown me or not.
