Evening star., 1928-12-30

At first the rats scattered at the leap,
save one only, which, struck down by
the cats paw, writhed screaming on the
floor and was now left unnoticed. The
cleaning eyes of the cat, as it crouched
with head close to the ground, were
watching the host returning to the on
slaught.
They advanced slowly, with hideous
squealing that voiced both their fear
of death and savage rage of battle.
But when the cat sprang among them
The rat singled out for attack fixed its
teeth in his lip. In transport of pain,
he struck out fiercely but devoid of aim,
leaped high into the air and twisted
about on the floor, while the rat clung
tenaciously to the cats mouth and was
jerked to and fro, up and down.
Almost breathleSs with horror, I
watched the shadcwy forms of the COM
panions of the rat that had inundated
itself, for the tribe imbedded their teeth
from all sides into the feline fighter.
Presently I saw close to the wall an
other troop of rats advancing to attack
the cats huddled in the corner. They
came forward in compact mass like
slowly moving shadow; the terrible wall
ing of the dying tom-cat in the center
of the room seemed to keep time with
their ghostly march like martial music,
awesome and challenging.
AS II upon a preconcerted signal, the
| shadowy coil hurled itself like lightning
upon the cats; and there ensued now
second and equally fierce struggle in
the darkness, struggle that seemed to
me all the more terrifying because I
could not make out the details in the
darkness.
A DAINTY little kitten, hardly real
izing the danger, sprang into the
moonlight, gracefully leaping. Two
shadows, perceptible only by their fur
tive movements, followed swiftly. At It's
heartrending cry Of distress, its mother
made a desperate effort to come to the
rescue.
Now, at the very moment when, tor
mented with horror and pity, I had
made up my mind to put stop to the
battle-when I was reaching for my
revolver and anticipating with secret
satisfaction the instant effect the crash
of a pistol shot would have in clearing
the battlefield, there issued from the
dark corner behind me a sound more
potent and imperiousl than bark from
out of the muzzle of revolver.
It was a faint kissing or rather
splitting sound, resembling the ludicrous
noise geese are making when they go to
meet an opponent with lowered head.
But the effect of this tuneless, repul-
sively penetrating voice was anything
but ludicrous--it was distinctly terri
flying.
I felt the blood CONCEAL in my veins,
and the deadly stiffness that followed
heightened my terror to the point OF
lifeless petrifaction. Then I heard, in
the stiffness of the room, my blood rush
to my ears and hammering OF my
heart so painful that I had choking
sensation. I saw the animals on the
fioor-dark, motionless patches. Even
the death-cry of the wounded was
Silenced for time.
I once heard a fakir declaim these
lines in Mahratti:
The serpent spoke beneath the heated
It's tuneless song freezes the heart to
sn ow,
For from its voice protrude the eyes of
death,
AS from expanses of eternal ice.
AS I took them down at his dicta-
ton I learned from him that they were
of ancient origin, part OF song mucn
in vogue with the hillmen OF the West
ern Chats. Now, did not think OF
the verses at that moment; it was as
though the verses thought of me. They
took possession of me in my terrible
plight, and again I experienced the
miracle of that sublime serenity which
In moments of anguish sometimes de-
scends upon us like a superior and in
dependent power outside of us.
saw a huge snake gliding forward.
It's narrow head was perhaps hands
breadth above the floor, and as 1t en-
tered the moonlight saw its delicate
tongue flashing in and out. To my
fancy the creature seemed to be smiling.
There began now under my very eyes
the cruel interlude of the serpent,
known to and extolled or accurSed by
all the nations of the earth. To no
other creature has been given that
mysterious power of the snake which
seems to emanate from a soundlesS, in
scrutable inferno of evil
Neither strength nor courage, neither
good arms nor sturdy resolution are
able, as rule, to imperil the dominion
of the serpent for in addition to its
potent magic it has that power OF in
spring loathing which disarmS even
the hero.
Apart from this power of inspiring
disgust and other protective qualities
that are of the essence Of the. snake,
its movements radiate o bad charm
which fascinates Us like q rooted men,
ory Of the perpetual triumph of evil. |
It's furtive creeping is like an evil rite; |
its beauty suggests subtlety; its power |
baseness. All the qualities that make |
for frankness in the strong are in the |
serpent alloyed with craft, for the secret |
satisfaction, as it were, Of selfish wick I
edness.
The elements Of water, earth and air
seem to forfeit their distinctive pecu- |
liarities under the influence of serpen-
tine twinings-for the movements Of
the serpent are Incompatible to that |
NJ anu iiNinR nRAakiira In IL fhA aiYnnlA