Raising my head, I saw that our canoe was preparing to cross the river. I had little energy left for asking questions and lay down again as before. Once more I watched the play of the moon and the clouds and listened to the roar of the water. Thus another hour must have passed away.
Swish!—Our canoe had come up on the sandbanks. Sitting up, I saw that we had crossed over to our own side of the river. But what place was this? How far away was our home? Nothing but immense wastes of sand lay before us. Suddenly I heard the barking of dogs. Surely, I thought, sitting up, there must be human habitations close by.
'Just wait for a bit, will you?' said Indra. 'I'll be back presently: there is nothing to be afraid of. Just over there are fishermen's huts.'
I had no desire to show myself unequal to the occasion, after having passed so many difficult tests. So without the least hesitation I said, 'Why should I be afraid? I will wait for you here.' Indra said nothing more and in an instant disappeared out of sight.
Above me, the same hide-and-seek of light and darkness; behind, the long, unceasing, murmurous moan of the big river, and before me, dim stretches of a sandy bank. As I sat trying to conjecture what place this might be, all of a sudden Indra came running back to me. 'Srikanta,' he said, 'I have come back to say something particular. If anybody comes and asks you for fish, don't give him any. Be very careful you don't give any fish to anybody, even if you see somebody exactly like me. Mind this. If anyone asks for fish, say to him, "I'll put
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