LOST 307 



A shaft of light suddenly entered the cave, and an 

 upward effulgent glow illumined the sky outside, and 

 the edge of a bright disc, silvery and soft, protruded 

 above the black rampart of the hills on the opposite 

 side of the valley. A rapid change took place within 

 the canon, and the darkness slowly disappeared, the 

 light of the rising luminary invading the field it had 

 occupied, leaving only the black shadows cast by its 

 impinging rays upon the rocks. The full moon rose, 

 and her fair face passed clear above the opposing hills, 

 standing black as jet against her radiance. The light 

 brought into strong relief the exposed surfaces of the 

 landscape, touched the distant peaks, brightening them 

 with faint hues and disclosing the places where Nature 

 slumbered, to where, far away, the dominion of dark- 

 ness still shrouded the distance. 



I sprang up, my teeth chattering with cold, seized 

 my carbine, stretched my cramped limbs, and, drain- 

 ing the last mouthful from my flask, sallied from the 

 cave. The way was now clearer, illumined by the 

 moon, and I could continue my ascent of the canon. 



Hearing a noise, I turned round, and the bull was 

 standing close by. I advanced slowly towards him, 

 and he did not retreat, but eyed me angrily. I raised 

 my rifle, pointed it at the spot on his forehead between 

 his eyes where a bullet's impact would cause him to 

 drop like a stone, and gazed along the barrel. The 

 animal and myself looked long at each other in the 

 moonlight. ' Should he rush? ' he asked himself. 

 ' Should I fire? ' I asked myself. ' Poor beast ! why 

 should I wantonly slay you? ' I lowered my weapon, 

 and the animal lowered his noble head. I backed 

 away, with my eyes still on him, and turned and pursued 



