A RAVAGED WOULD. 261 



while lie made his disgusting meal unseen and unmolested. 

 Amidst this abhorrent crew some of whose gigantic forms 

 occasionally crossed our window we could not perceive a 

 single human being, or one domestic quadruped or bird. The 

 latter had no doubt been nearly exterminated by parasitic and 

 blood- sucking inf esters turned from mites to monsters, with 

 appetites augmented in proportion to their bulk. As for our 

 fellow men, we could only conclude, that what with the ravages 

 of swollen vermin of the like description, the wounds of 

 monstrous biters and stingers, lack of food and terror, num- 

 bers had been brought to a fearful end ; while others, hidden 

 within the temporary and partial shelter of their houses, were 

 probably awaiting a fate such as must soon inevitably befall 

 ourself. 



' The sooner the better \" we mentally groaned, as we 

 turned with loathing from the window to a sight yet more 

 sickening within that, to wit, of the body of the hapless 

 Martha, as it lay beside that of her bloated murderess ; " but 

 first," we continued, ( ' let us inter these poor remains ; and 

 that will we do in the very teeth of these demoniac monsters 

 which have taken possession of the earth. We took a spade 

 from a corner of the kitchen, and were just about to issue 

 forth in pursuance of our purpose, when we felt the floor 

 tremble beneath our feet the walls shook and in another 

 second we found ourselves in the midst of ruins, and in nearly 

 total darkness. Stunned and stupefied, we knew not at first 



