214 NEIGHBOURS UNKNOWN 



scarlet machines which clattered as they 

 moved. 



One of these scarlet monsters, dragged by 

 its horses, swerved off toward the further 

 side of the meadow, The other started 

 straight down through the deep grass along 

 the edge of the stream. Into the grass, 

 belly-deep, the big horses plunged, breasting 

 it like the sea. Instantly the scarlet machine, 

 which was ridden by a man, set up a new cry. 

 It was a harsh, strident, terrifying cry, as if 

 a million twanging locusts had found one 

 voice. Before it, to the amazed horror of all 

 the furry, scurrying grass-dwellers, the grass 

 went down flat in long ranks. The peril 

 of the floods was as nothing to this loud 

 uncomprehended peril. Marsh-mice, water- 

 voles, shrews, with here and there a for- 

 aging musk-rat, here and there a murder- 

 ous and ravaging weasel, all fled franti- 

 cally before it. A few, a very few, fled 

 too late. These never knew what happened 

 to them, for great darting knives, dancing 

 unseen through the grass close to the earth, 

 caught them and slew them. 

 ' The high cry of the deadly scarlet thing, 

 however, gave warning fair and sufficient. 

 As the big brown marsh-mouse heard it 

 approaching, he dived straight to the bot- 



