ATTEMPTED ESCAPE. 263 



ferent to life, we now felt an involuntary desire to escape from 

 tliis dark agent of destruction and its unseen comrades, whose 

 labours might in another instant crush us to atoms. The 

 spade we had purposed using for poor Martha's interment had 

 accompanied our fall, and assisted by this implement we 

 amassed a heap of rubbish whereon we climbed to the opening 

 above. We thus regained a footing on the broken floor of 

 what had been but three days previous our well-ordered, well- 

 swept domicile. Oh ! that giant spider ! she had well avenged 

 her pigmy sisterhood, victims of the broom ! Her victim was 

 buried in the ruins, where, with a sigh, we were compelled 

 to leave her, making our way in fear and sadness across 

 our so lately trim little garden, now a spot of barrenness, 

 not to be distinguished from the wider wilderness around. 

 It was a summer's evening ; but the glowing west, against 

 which the defoliated trees were exhibited in all their bareness, 

 wore much more the appearance of a frosty winter sunset. 

 In the midst of these skeleton trees we could discern the out- 

 line of a cottage the habitation of a neighbour some half- 

 mile distant from what had been our own abode ; and though 

 it seemed but too probable that its occupiers might have 

 perished, or be now perishing under the monstrous visitation 

 which had befallen, we felt impelled towards it, in hopes, at 

 least, of the brief companionship of some survivor like 

 ourself. Looking fearfully around, and perceiving no living 

 thing, we crawled onwards as well as our failing strength per- 



