"The Arrival of the Herd 



The sun sank, 

 and the brilliant 

 light of day was 

 followed by the 

 soft illumination 

 of the stars. The forest became dim and 

 indefinite amid an intense and motionless 

 silence. There was no sound of wind, or of 

 animal life ; the dew had not begun to drip 

 from the foliage, and each leaf was still as if 

 arrested in its task. Yet there was no sense 

 of fear or oppression : rather the atmosphere 

 was charged with the vitality of countless 

 millions of plants rejoicing in their growth, 

 struggling against the competition of their 



