When know he dead, not fight any more; make peace quick." One of the men asked a question, and the lads' limited knowledge of the language was sufficient to tell them that he was asking whether they should fire the village.

Hassan shook his head.

"Many men," he said, waving his arm to the forest, "see fire; come fight.

Plenty of fight been; no need for more." For a time he stood with them in front of the pool.

A series of splashes in the water told what was going on.