84 Tlir Terror by Night. 



cliam]iion rat catcher, a cat who feared notliing that ran in fur, 

 and whose strenL^tli was as tlie strength of ten, and for the first 

 time we slept in peace. In the morning down w^e went, with 

 hope tliat fiew beside. Again tlie sun pom^ed in at the window's ; 

 again the cloud of fear: again the sense of mystery the spirit 

 daimted. I )o\vn from the top of the big cage sprang the cat. 

 yawning from her long night's vigil, and — she had failed! 

 Against that unholy foe she could do nothing; it had been again. 

 T^ook on that empty cage'.!. 



vSo it went on. A something that came and went, now 

 here, now there, intangible and horril)le: a l)lood-thirsty some- 

 thing that had no shape or sound. 



One night I started from my uneasy sleep with every 

 nerve on edge: every hair erect, the blood freezing in its flow. 

 Wliat was it I had heard ? That most horrible of all sounds— 

 a creature's death scream. Thin, shrill and awful it rang out 

 on the night air as if it was loth to cease, and died away in a 

 choking whistle, and all was as silent as l)efore, only the leaves 

 rustled in the breeze. 



Another little feathered soul passed that dreadful night; 

 " (^ne little gasp, his luiiverse had perished." The nameless 

 horror had come upon him l)ut this time the body of the victim 

 was left behind. A tiny puncture only showed where the life 

 blood had been drained dry. 



The terror by night had slaked its thirst ; had taken at 

 long last the dearest and best. Nemesis was appeased and the 

 dreadful shadow was lifted. 



l^rinciple of evil! Principle of evil! Bird or beast or 

 reptile, in whatever shape it visited this earth, it had passed. 



Sun of ncj man, \vrapi:)e(l in mystery, behind a veil blood 

 red ! 



■^^M^ 



