Alroy jumped off the horse,
and would have led it to the fountain, but the animal would not advance.
It stood shivering with a glassy eye, and then with a groan fell down
and died.
Night brings rest; night brings solace; rest to the weary, solace to the
sad. And to the desperate night brings despair.
The moon has sunk to early rest; but a thousand stars are in the sky.
The mighty mountains rise severe in the clear and silent air. In the
forest all is still. The tired wind no longer roams, but has lightly
dropped on its leafy couch, and sleeps like man. Silent all but the
fountain's drip. And by the fountain's side a youth is lying.
Suddenly a creature steals through the black and broken rocks. Ha, ha!
the jackal smells from afar the rich corruption of the courser's clay.
Suddenly and silently it steals, and stops, and smells. Brave banqueting
I ween to-night for all that goodly company. Jackal, and fox, and
marten-cat, haste ye now, ere morning's break shall call the vulture to
his feast and rob you of your prey.
The jackal lapped the courser's blood, and moaned with exquisite
delight. And in a moment, a faint bark was heard in the distance. And
the jackal peeled the flesh from one of the ribs, and again burst into a
shriek of mournful ecstasy.
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