g wherever they could bite, furiously scratching me anywhere and
everywhere. A multitude clung to my body; I could not flee. Madly I fell
on the hateful swarm, every finger instinct with destruction. I tore
them off me, I throttled at them in vain: when I would have flung them
from me, they clung to my hands like limpets. I trampled them under my
feet, thrust my fingers in their eyes, caught them in jaws stronger
than theirs, but could not rid myself of one. Without cease they kept
discovering upon me space for fresh mouthfuls; they hauled at my skin
with the widespread, horribly curved pincers of clutching claws; they
hissed and spat in my face--but never touched it until, in my despair, I
threw myself on the ground, when they forsook my body, and darted at
my face. I rose, and immediately they left it, the more to occupy
themselves with my legs. In an agony I broke from them and ran, careless
whither, cleaving the solid dark. They accompanied me in a surrounding
torrent, now rubbing, now leaping up against me, but tormenting me no
more. When I fell, which was often, they gave me time to rise; when from
fear of falling I slackened my pace, they flew afresh at my legs.
All that miserable night they kept me running--but they drove me by a
comparatively smooth path, for I tumbled into no gully, and passing the
Evil Wood without seeing it, left it behind in the dark. When at length
the morning appeared, I was beyond the channels, and on the verge of the
orchard valley. In my joy I would have made friends with my persecutors,
but not a cat was to be seen. I threw myself on the moss, and fell fast
asleep.

I was waked by a kick, to find myself bound hand and foot, once more the
thrall of the giants!

"What fitter?" I said to myself; "to whom else should I belong?" and I
laughed in the triumph of self-disgust. A second kick stopped my false
merriment; and thus recurrently assisted by my captors, I succeeded at
length in rising to my feet.

Six of them were about me. They undid the rope that tied my legs
together, attached a rope to each of them, and dragged me away. I walked
as well as I could, but, as they frequently pulled both ropes at once,
I fell repeatedly, whereupon they always kicked me up again. Straight to
my old labour they took me, tied my leg-ropes to a tree, undid my arms,
and put the hateful flint in my left hand. Then they lay down and pelted
me with fallen fruit and stones, but seldom hit me. If I could hav