30 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



strange melancholia in the wild scene as it is rapidly 

 unfolded in the growing light ; a mysterious strain, a 

 sweet, simple melody, at first infinitely faint and distant 

 as the dawn itself, seems to grow and swell until the 

 whole earth lonely jungle though it be is pouring it 

 forth in long-sustained, slowly crescendo notes. And with 

 them comes an echo of the half-remembered words 



"... whose almighty word 

 Chaos and darkness heard 

 And took their flight. 



Boundless as ocean's tide, 

 Rolling in fullest pride . . .'' 



Then, as that great materialistic sun, with his mighty 

 glowing orb, reddens the distant horizon, the spiritual 

 music seems to cease ; but we are supplied with a clue to 

 the forgotten lines 



" Let there be Light ! " 



And so another Indian dawn comes up. 



A flight of chattering parrakeets goes whirling and 

 twisting up the valley, and the tree-tops catch a golden 

 glint as the level beams run like long, bright fingers 

 through the newly awakened jungle. 



A distant " Caw ! " comes floating through the calm, 

 cool air, and a couple of the black scouts of the wilder- 

 ness are seen winging high over the forest, till some- 

 thing suddenly arrests their keen eyesight. They wheel, 

 cawing, in descending circles and swoops, and settle ex- 

 pectantly not far away. 



There was a great screaming of small birds that 

 morning among the bushes of the little river-bed ; they 

 congregated in ever-growing numbers, chattering, hover- 

 ing, and scolding over some as yet unseen object at the 



