140 THE EAGLE OWL. 



near its own end may be. To-morrow night will 

 see its carcase exposed to the birds and insects. 

 A dark and moving shadow comes upon the 

 glittering surface of the water; and on looking 

 up, we see the form of a huge owl floating 

 noiselessly through the still air. Its shadow 

 has crossed the spot where the leopard crouches. 

 Its cry makes one's blood run cold, and would 

 cause the poor natives to live in dread of the 

 death of someone dear to them. 



The cry itself suggests the sound of children 

 being choked, or strangled. A low and spas- 

 modic gurgling is preceded and followed by 

 screams of desperate agony. This being's flight 

 is perfectly noiseless. Hardly a feather can be 

 seen to move, but like a ghost it haunts the 

 scene, its red eyes gleaming luridly at the 

 sleeping world below. This is the ' Ulama '- 

 the Devil bird of the Cinghalese, who affirm 

 that every living thing upon which its shadow 

 falls will die. This can only happen upon 

 clear and moonlit nights, as the mysterious 

 visitor is never seen by day. We watch its 

 form disappear over the tufted and lemon 

 scented mana-grass upon its plutonian mission. 



Suddenly we partly awake ; the noise of 

 civilization surges to our ears, but again dies 

 away. The opalled tank shines out clearer than 

 before : and we roam through Jungle vines and 

 palmyras, talipot palms, and bamboos as we 

 once did years ago. 



Across undulating ' patenas ' of waving mana- 

 grass; past gigantic ant hills and sacred Bo 



