orture, the same mortal anguish, for
long hours? No! God forgive the heavy sin, but I would end my life; I
was already condemned to hell! I grasped my sword-belt; an empty sheath
hung from it. The blade had dropped out in the fall. I glanced around
and saw the trusty weapon lying very near. Never had I loved it as I
did at that moment; it was just at my left; I tried to seize it--in
vain. Far as I could stretch my arm, my fingers, the faithful blade
lay--perhaps barely six inches away--but beyond my reach. Then a low
growl reminded me of the lion, and by a great effort (my strength was
failing) I raised myself high enough to see the animal.

"Alas! Was it an illusion, indicative of approaching madness? For my
thoughts were darting through my brain like clouds whirling before the
blast of the coming storm. No! It was true. The monster had moved
nearer, much nearer than the day before. It was no illusion. I could
estimate clearly. Yesterday, no matter how far he stretched his paw, he
could not reach the large black stone which had fallen from the cliff
directly in front of my horse; now it lay almost by the wild beast's
hind leg. During these hours, urged by increasing hunger, the lion had
pushed himself forward almost the entire length of his body, and now
lay only a foot and a half or two feet from me. If he should advance
still farther--if he should reach me? Helpless, defenceless, I must
allow myself to be devoured alive! Then terror darted through my heart.
In mortal anguish I prayed aloud to God, struggled with Him in appeal:
'No, no, my God, Thou must not abandon me! Thou must save me, God of
Mercy!' At this moment I suddenly remembered the belief of our whole
people concerning the guardian spirits whom God has allotted to us in
the form of helpful human beings. Do you remember? The attendant
spirits."

"Yes," said Gibamund. "And by fervent prayer we can, in the hour of
supreme peril, constrain God to show us the guardian spirit sent by Him
to our rescue."

"My ancestor, too," said Hilda, "believed in them firmly. He said that
our forefathers imagined the guardian spirits in the form of women who
invisibly followed the chosen heroes everywhere to protect them. But
since the Christian religion came--"

"These demon women have left us," said Gelimer, crossing himself, "and
God has assigned to us _men_, who are our keepers, counsellors,
saviors, and guardian spirits here on earth. 'Send me, O God,' I cried,
in an