The Sacred Beetle and Others 



edged forehead and his toothed legs; he 

 flings armfuls of it behind him; and the work 

 of excavating proceeds apace. Soon the 

 Beetle has disappeared from view in the 

 half-dug cavern. Whenever he returns to 

 the upper air with a load, he invariably 

 glances at his ball to see if all is well. From 

 time to time, he brings it nearer the threshold 

 of the burrow; he feels it and seems to ac- 

 quire new vigou'r from the contact. The 

 other, lying demure and motionless on the 

 ball, continues to inspire confidence. Mean- 

 while the underground hall grows larger and 

 deeper; and the digger's field of operations 

 is now too vast for any but very occasional 

 appearances. Now is the time. The crafty 

 sleeper awakens and hurriedly decamps with 

 the ball, which he pushes behind him with the 

 speed of a pickpocket anxious not to be 

 caught in the act. This breach of trust 

 rouses my indignation, but the historian tri- 

 umphs for the moment over the moralist and 

 I leave him alone: I shall have time enough 

 to intervene on the side of law and order if 

 things threaten to turn out badly. 



The thief is already some yards away. 

 His victim comes out of the burrow, looks 

 around and finds nothing. Doubtless an old 

 hand himself, he knows what this meana. 



34 



