Atalapha, a Winged Brownie 
threads round here and there, but not for long. 
Within half the room’s length the fly was snatched 
in full career. Its legs and wings went floating 
away and the body made a pleasant bite of food 
for the gifted one. 
What further proof could any ask, what stronger 
test could be invented? The one with the won- 
derful wings was the one with the tactile power 
that poor blind man gropes hard for words to 
picture, even in the narrow measure that he can 
comprehend it. 
Tired with the unwonted flight, Atalapha was 
hanging from the wall. His silky seal-brown sides 
were heaving just a little with the strain. The 
butterfly net was deftly dropped upon him; then 
with warm water and skilful care the plasters and 
wax were removed, and the prisoner restored to 
his cage, to be a marvel and to furnish talk for 
many a day as “the Bat that could see with his 
wings.” 
Then in the second week of captive life there 
was a change: the boy came no more with coarse 
lumps of food, the sister alone was feeder and jailer, 
and she was listless. She barely renewed the 
water, and threw in the food, taking little note of 
the restless prisoner or the neglected cage. Then 
one day she did not come at all, and next day 
185 
