372 PICCOLETTA'S ESCAPE. 



over with me now ! and the dust which I felt again in motion 

 assured me that my fate was at hand. I had scarcely power 

 left to cling to my last holdfast, but cling I did, and presently 

 became aware, from a terrific roaring of the branches of the 

 oak above, that it was now a violent gust of wind, and not the 

 movements of the Ogre, which disturbed the sand and was 

 whirling it in eddies round the pit. 



" Then came a tremendous crash, and my sole support shook 

 under me. ' Now/ groaned I, ' I am lost indeed ! ' but in that 

 moment I was saved. Something falling from above had 

 nearly shut out all remaining daylight from the mouth of the 

 pitfall, which it lay across, and nearly covered. Here and 

 there, however, I could catch a glimpse of light, and, when my 

 terror was a little abated, discovered with infinite joy that the 

 top of my hideous trap was nearly covered by a bough torn by 

 the storm from the oak above. Grasping with eagerness this 

 unlooked-for help, I speedily abandoned my dangerous station, 

 and a moment afterwards heard the stone which had supported 

 me rolling to the bottom of the pit. 



" Hope renewed my strength, and by turns climbing and 

 traversing the branches of my saving arm of oak, I soon found 

 myself again on solid ground, and, with the utmost speed I 

 could put forth, made my way homewards across the sandy 

 plain around the pitfall." 



The veil of mystery was now drawn in part from before the 

 dreadful pitfalls ; but the death which lurked within them was 

 not considered, by most of the listeners to Piccoletta's tale, as 

 a whit the less formidable in the palpable shape it had now 

 assumed. One old sage among them seemed, however, of a 

 different opinion. 



" My counsel is, that a strong party should leave the city, 

 and, closely encircling the first pitfall to be found, compel the 

 wily occupant either to stay within and starve, or come out 

 and fall an easy prey to our united force." 



A numerous party was assembled for the first expedition 



