Catching sight of them, he
asked permission to enter through the door, which he closed behind them,
so that now they stood in the little garden within the wall.
"Well," said Nehushta, "I see that you had a shot at your hyena; did you
kill it?"
"How do you know that?" he asked, looking at her suspiciously.
"A strange question to put to a Libyan woman who was brought up among
bowmen," she replied. "You had six arrows in your quiver when we met
you, and now I count but five. Also your bow was newly waxed; and look,
the wax is rubbed where the shaft lay."
"I shot at the beast, and, as I think, hit it. At least, I could not
find the arrow again, although I searched long."
"Doubtless. You do not often miss. You have a good eye and a steady
hand. Well, the loss of a shaft will not matter, since I noticed,
also, that this one was differently barbed from the others, and double
feathered; a true Roman war-shaft, such as they do not make here. If
any find your wounded beast you will not get its hide, since it is known
that you do not use such arrows." Then, with a smile that was full of
meaning, Nehushta turned and entered the house, leaving him staring
after her, half in wrath and half in wonder at her wit.
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