"My God!" he exclaimed, "Will I die today? No... God... please, I mustn't die like this. No, p-l-e-a-s-e, God... save me ...save me. No... No... Noooo!" As he muttered these words silently, expecting a miracle to happen, the pains in his arms and body doubled. His arms started shaking due to spasmodic pains. He had been dangling now for about five minutes and the water was violently splashing over him. The next moment he could not endure the gnawing pain and agony anymore. His ribs and legs were shaking and writhing in torturous pain. Then, suddenly, he relaxed his muscles. What happened? He fell headlong into the large stream of water beneath the rope bridge. He wailed "ooooooooh!" as he fell inside the crocodile-infested stream. His cry was chilling and shrill. It reverberated in the jungle. The birds heard it. They twittered loudly and flew helter-skelter. The monkeys heard it, too, they howled and frisked about from tree to tree. The crocodiles under the waterfall had surfaced to the open. They swam to the centre of the stream and spread in different directions. As Ayanfe landed in the stream the crocodiles advanced toward him, they were so lucky to have got a prey again. In the next minute, Ayanfe's head re-emerged from the water. He heaved a heavy sigh and gasped for breath. The water was not so deep, just about six feet deep. As he turned to the right he saw two crocodiles moving swiftly toward him. He knew he must be prepared for the deadly game. The crocodiles opened their massive huge jaws. They gnashed their jaws threateningly at him. Ayanfe couldn't swim properly because of his injured right arm. He managed to draw the long stick he sharpened some minutes ago, which was hidden beside his waist. He prepared himself to engage the advancing giant reptiles in a bloody fight. On seeing his readiness, the crocodiles spread into two opposite directions to confuse him. Ayanfe was still waiting and brandishing his spear-like stick. Then, like darts of arrows the crocodiles attacked him. Now, the trouble has begun! Ayanfe was in between the two hungry reptiles. He began the battle for dear life. He turned to the crocodile advancing from his right. He faced it and brandished his weapon in readiness.

The next minute they began struggling. The crocodile opened its jaws wide to tear him to pieces, but Ayanfe was waiting for just that. He forcefully pierced the long spear-like stick into its snout, then drew it out and swam backward, raised it again and pierced through the crocodile's hard, scaly, blade-like body. Blood spurted from the reptile's body. This terrible blow from the spear-like stick reduced the aggressiveness of the crocodile.

Meanwhile, the other crocodile advancing from the left side had moved very close to Ayanfe. He turned immediately, but before he could make any move the crocodile tore his flesh just beside his belly. Ayanfe cried and struggled with the ferocious reptile. It was like wrestling with a giant whale.

Amidst the red-coloured water, human and beast fought. The reptile opened its sharp jaws again to gobble up Ayanfe, but he moved backward, dodged to the left and threw the sharp, long stick into the beast's mouth. The reptile instantly began struggling in the throes of death. It died few minutes later. At that precarious moment, other crocodiles had been alarmed and were swimming toward Ayanfe. He knew death was close. He summoned courage and waded through the water. The crocodiles were fast on his heels. He lost balance, but staggered up again in terrible and excruciating pain. He sighed, groaned and cried. Luckily for him, before the three advancing crocodiles got nearer he had staggered out of the stream and wobbled perseveringly towards a nearby tree. There was blood all over him. He was panting and groaning every now and then. He felt so groggy.

One of his sokoto legs had been ripped open by the crocodiles and his buba was ragged and torn like a mad man's clothe. On his right limb was the deep wound the crocodiles inflicted on him. Blood was dripping from his body like a slaughtered cow in an abattoir. He was in terrible pains. He limped, fell and limped again, but fell and collapsed. Then he started crawling, and within two minutes he had crawled under the tree. He rested his back on the tree, bleeding profusely and expecting death. He was feeling dizzy after the exertion.

"God... I'm going to die," he thought, "save me God... please... save me... don't let me die here and be eaten by voracious beasts of the jungle... have mercy... God... have mercy. Let me enter Ayeni town, my God... don't let the worms of the jungle eat my body."

About 30 minutes later, his blood-soaked body dried up. Since he was weak, and walking was very difficult, he decided to take a good rest and later continue his journey if he had the strength and energy. He grew dizzier and dozed off. He was now at the other side of the waterfall. And the next town, which was Ayeni town, was just a few kilometres away. It was afternoon and the scorching sun was at its full bloom. But the trees provided cool shade for him.

Ayeni was the only town to pass through before reaching Ife for his eternal refuge. Ayeni was a town of bizarre cultures and strange rituals. African cultures, like other cultures of the world had its bad and good sides. And Ayeni town was not an exception. In Ayeni town it had been predicted by their great medicine man called Orisagbemi that the gods would sooner or later send a human being for sacrifice to appease them (the gods) for the untold problems plaguing the town. King Oluwabunmi II heads the town, but Ayeni was bedeviled with diseases, disasters and other calamities for the past few years. The whole town including King Oluwabunmi II and his chiefs had pledged to be generous and kind to any diviner, medicine-man or herbalist who could find a solution to the town's misfortune.

Orisagbemi, the aforementioned great medicine man had predicted before King Oluwabunmi II himself that "a man is coming who will bring an end to our sufferings. He is a gift from the gods to be sacrificed to them. If the man is taken and slaughtered as sacrifice to placate the gods, then there will be a permanent end to our woes." The king was surprised on hearing Orisagbemi's prediction. Orisagbemi, a man versed in esoteric and mystical background, was never to be toyed with as far as divination was concerned. So, the people of the town believed him. Orisagbemi was short, bald-headed and fat. He had always taken charge of the traditions of his people for a very long time.