Indeed, my worthy Ellen, mine is a pursuit, which has its dangers
as well as that of the warrior. This very night," he continued,
glancing his eye behind him, "this awful night, has the principle of
life, itself, been in great danger of extinction!"
"By what?"
"By the monster I have discovered. It approached me often, and ever as
I receded, it continued to advance. I believe nothing but the little
lamp, I carried, was my protector. I kept it between us, whilst I
wrote, making it serve the double purpose of luminary and shield. But
you shall hear the character of the beast, and you may then judge of
the risks we promoters of science run in behalf of mankind."
The naturalist raised his tablets to the heavens, and disposed himself
to read as well as he could, by the dim light they yet shed upon the
plain; premising with saying--
"Listen, girl, and you shall hear, with what a treasure it has been my
happy lot to enrich the pages of natural history!"
"Is it then a creature of your forming?" said Ellen, turning away from
her fruitless examination, with a sudden lighting of her sprightly
blue eyes, that showed she knew how to play with the foible of her
learned companion.
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