77 ^® ^°^ there before Coronado 



evolve. Some of the irrational distaste and fear wliich the 

 sight of him inspires in most people is partly the result of 

 their dim half -realization that he comes down from a past 

 too remote not to suggest unimaginable horrors. He is a 

 living reminder of "the dark and backward abysm of time" 

 and, like the earliest myths of the human race, he suggests 

 the monstrous beginnings of instinct and mind and emo- 

 tion. He is altogether too much like some bad dream and 

 we would rather not be reminded of it. 



As to the mystery of why he is still here, we shall have 

 to be content to put him down as a left-over without know- 

 ing precisely how he managed to achieve that humble sta- 

 tus. A long time ago he wandered into the desert pretty 

 much what he is. now and found that he could survive 

 there, partly no doubt because his demands are modest 

 and he can satisfy them without exposing himself very 

 much. He eats insects which are plentiful and he can do 

 without water as well as without food for long periods. 

 Like the members of certain very old human families he 

 has little to be proud of except the achievements of his re- 

 mote ancestors, and if he were capable of pride he might, 

 like them, grow prouder just in proportion as he comes to 

 be more and more remote in time from them and their 

 virtues. Like such people, he also makes us wonder what 

 became of all the greatness which was once in his race. 

 Did the scorpion use up all the daring of his tribe in his 

 one great exploit all those millions of years ago? Did he 

 squander it all at once like the wits at the Mermaid Tav- 

 ern, each of whom seemed resolved to: 



Fut his whole wit in one jest 

 And live a fool the rest of his dull life? 



