376 A NEW ALARM. 



her in the lurch. When, however, they had time to think of 

 it, they felt shame enough, as they well might, at their base 

 desertion, to control even their new fears of their new enemy, 

 in defiance of whom a small party speedily retraced their steps, 

 and reached, without interruption, the pitfall round which they 

 had been stationed. But there was no Piccoletta to be found, 

 and not a thing was visible at bottom of the excavation ; not 

 even the wonderful ball, from whose heaving throes and living 

 outbirth they had recoiled in terror, before the ascent of the 

 winged form, which, instead of a good, they now looked on, 

 and with pretty sufficient reason, as an evil genius. An hour or 

 two's fruitless search ended in the persuasion that Piccoletta 

 was lost for ever; and, sorrowful for the loss of their little 

 townsfellow, and crest-fallen at the cowardice to which, perhaps, 

 it was owing, the party turned again towards home. 



The summer sun had now attained its height, and the baffled 

 Monticellians were toiling onward under its scorching beams, 

 their dread of pitfalls, ogres, and genii, all nearly overpowered 

 by vexation and fatigue, when suddenly their path was over- 

 shadowed ; a flapping of heavy wings was heard above their 

 heads, and at the same moment there fell amongst them a 

 something from the stroke of which several individuals fell 

 prostrate. The others hastily recoiled ; and in the space thus 

 cleared, there appeared in the now sunny road (for the shade 

 had passed away with the onward flight of the object which had 

 caused it) the miraculous ball which they had seen last within 

 the pitfall. It exhibited, as then, a rent in the side, and was 

 now, moreover, somewhat crushed and battered. 



So fearfully connected was that ball of wonder with the den 

 of the Ogre, and with the apparition of the cruel winged genius, 

 that not one of the gazers dared approach, much less touch it; 

 and, on beholding it again in motion, all drew back, as before, 

 in consternation. 



A voice was heard, it proceeded from the interior of the 

 ball, and, strangely as it sounded, there was something in its 



