Page 127 - Child's own book

noise around m e ; but as I lay stretched on ray back* I could
only look tip wards. A t length I felt something move on my
left leg, which, advancing over my breast, came close up to
my chin, when, bending my eyes downwards as much as my
position would allow, ] perceived it to foe a human creature,
not more than six inches high, very perfect in its form, with a
how and arrow in its hand, and a quiver at its back ; and in an
instant I found at least forty of the same species running over
all parts of my body,
I was in tbe utmost astonishment, and roared so loud, that
they all ran back in a fright: and some of them, as I after­
wards understood, were hurt by the falls they got in leaping
from my sides to the ground, I lay ail this time in great
pain* and struggling to get loose; I at length had the good
fortune to break the strings and wrench out the pegs that
fastened my left arm and my hair to the ground, so that I was
able to turn about; but the creatures ran away before I could
seize any of them ; and 1 heard one cf them call aloud, Tolgo
phonec ! when, in an instant* 1 felt au hundred arrows sticking
into my hands and face, which pricked like so many needles,
1 now thought it most prudent to lie still; and the people
observing I was <juiet, discharged no more arrows at m e; but
by the noises that buzzed about me, I perceived their numbers
to increase ; and about four yards from me 1 heard a knocking,
and on turning my head that way, perceived they were erecting
a stage about four feet from the ground, capable of holding
about four of the inhabitants; from whence one of them, who
seemed to be a person of quality (for his train was borne by a
page about the size of my little finger), made a long oration, in
which, by hb gestures, he seemed to express pity and kindness,
but I could not understand his language ; I therefore signified
by signs,, that I was almost famished with hunger, and the