266 A HIDEOUS PAIR. 



continued to approach till they seemed but a few paces disr 

 tant, though the walkers were still concealed in "darkness. We 

 strove to speak again, but our tongue refused its office. 



At this moment the scene was suddenly illumined by a 

 blaze of light proceeding from the enormous lanthorn of a 

 giant glow-worm (one of the last survivors of its harmless 

 race) suddenly protruded from a heap of half-devoured leaves 

 on a bank by the way-side. Then we beheld (oh ! sight of 

 terror and sickening disappointment !) instead of the fellow- 

 men we had fondly hoped to encounter, two hideous shapes, 

 human in naught but bulk so hideous that our blood ran 

 cold at their very aspect. On a level with our head (on either 

 side one) were a pair of long triangular bony faces, motionless 

 as visages of the dead, save for the fierce twinkle of their pro- 

 minent green eyes, each studded by a blood-red pupil. Fitting 

 pedestals for capitals so frightful were the figures of these 

 monstrous creatures their bodies gaunt and lanky, their 

 limbs angular and rigid, resembling rather the skeleton 

 branches of a blasted tree than any animal form of life and 

 motion. Yet of motion, fierce and threatening, there was no 

 lack in the long spectral arms waved above their heads and 

 brandishing in all directions as many tremendous weapons, 

 knife-like and saw-like, which, being part and parcel of them- 

 selves, could never be wrested from their grasp. The horrid 

 pair seemed about to rush upon us, when they both turned 

 suddenly towards the bank stopped bent under them their 



