36 AUDUBON THE NATUEALIST. 



of some drugs in jars and phials, lancets, ampu 

 tating knives, and other sanguinary apparatus, 

 which, filling a comer of his large and solidly 

 built log house, had a few days before narrowly 

 escaped destruction through the shock. At 

 length all retired to rest — some to be haunted 

 by bright faces, sighs and smiles ; others to sink 

 into pleasing dreams or oblivion as delightful. 

 But oh! "that on night so blest such awful 

 morn should rise I" Instead of tender accents 

 and soft sighs, gentle ears were greeted at dawn 

 by the rumbling noise of the agitated earth. 

 Unhesitating demonstrations of true terror were 

 exchanged for the silently endured apprehen- 

 sions, or timid avowal of less overwhelming emo- 

 tions. Young and old anticipating instant de- 

 struction, rushed wildly into the grass enclosure 

 fronting the building, terrified at the creaking of 

 the log-house, to mingle again in a general as- 

 sembly — this time, however, as disorderly and 

 incongruous as that of the spirits meeting in 

 Macbeth. 



Meanwhile the full moon slowly descended 

 from her throne, attended by a stately retinue of 

 dark clouds intervening, as if to conceal fi-om 

 her placid saintly gaze the confusion of the scene 

 below. Thus the ladies in their frail and partial 

 attire were happily veiled in appropriate obscu- 

 rity, and recognitions to the discomfiture of the 



