Ill 



day, with frefh delight, the intercourfe of the fufferers was renew- 

 ed. Having gained ftrength, the emaciated prifoner was at length in- 

 duced to clamber up the fides of his cavern, to enjoy the warmth of the 

 fun. His ghaflly looks and matted hair engaged the humanity of his fifter. 

 She feparated the clotted knots with which his locks were entangled, and re- 

 moved the clammy, concretions that mantled on his forehead ; he returned 

 to his abode of darknefs, relieved by her kind offices, and fhe awaited 

 the approach of night with redoubled apprehenfions. Her hufband re- 

 turned, he ■ furveyed her by the light of the fire, he fcrutinized her 

 looks, he examined her trembling hands ; he obferved her fingers ftained 

 with an nnufual red ; (he funk down in an agony of defpair. She was 

 only roufed from it, to behold the fevered head of her brother, the 

 viftim of her kindnefs, in the hands of his murderer, fufpended by his 

 long red hair, and yet palpitating with life. She inftinftively ruflied 

 forward to the fpot ; the murderer vanilhed, terrified by the approach 

 of a woman. The air refounded with his fcreams. The moon as he fled, 

 difcovered his frantic and favage courfe through the clearings of the 

 woods, till at length he was buried in the thickets. There ftill might 

 be heard the refoundings of the trees, which he wounded as he pafTed 

 along with the brandiflied head. He at length ftruck a hollow tree, 

 the objeft of his fearch, when hurling the head with its fiery treffes, 

 to a great height in the air, with a well-direfted aim, it was lodged 

 in its defcent in the trunk of an ancient oak hollowed by lightning. 

 He then with wolf-like yells, announced his approaching change, and 

 adding to his nature what alone was wanting, the Ihape and figure of a 

 wolf, took his range with the other beafts of the foreft. The extreme 

 of torture with which his wife had been harrowed, abated by degrees 

 in its agonies, as (he lay extended near the body of her brother ; till 

 exhaufted by fuffering, flie gradually funk into repofe. She awoke com- 

 pofed) the obje^s around her renewed her tortures. The fame in- 

 ftinft which led her to the fpot at firft, now forced her to abandon 

 it ; and ftie fought a flielter from the horror it prefented, in the deepeft 



recefles 



