increased every moment. I could now see their brown hairy bodies--for
they had approached close to the candle, and were full under its light.
They were _thick upon the floor_. It appeared to be alive with them,
and in motion like water under a gale. Hideous sight to behold!

Still nearer they came. I could distinguish their sharp teeth--the long
grey bristles upon their snouts--the spiteful expression in their small
penetrating eyes.

Nearer still! They climb upon the coffee-bags--they crawl along my legs
and body--they chase each other over the folds of my cloak--they are
gnawing at my boots!--Horror! horror! they will devour me!

They are around me in myriads. I cannot see on either side, but I know
that they are all around. I can hear their shrill screaming, the air is
loaded with the odour of their filthy bodies. I feel as though it will
suffocate me. Horror! horror! oh! merciful God! arouse me from this
terrible dream!

Such were my thoughts--such my feelings at that moment. I had a perfect
consciousness of all that was passing--so perfect that I believed it a
dream.

I made every effort to awake myself--to move hand and limb. It was all
in vain. I could not move a muscle. Every nerve of my body was asleep.
My blood lay stagnant within my veins!

I lay suffering this monstrous pain for a long, long while. I lay in
fear of being eaten up piecemeal!

The fierce animals had only attacked my boots and my cloak, but my
terror was complete. I waited to feel them at my throat!

Was it my face and my eyes staring open that kept them off? I am
certain my eyes were open all the while. Was it that that deterred them
from attacking me? No doubt it was. They scrambled over all parts of
my body, even up to my breast, but they seemed to avoid my head and
face!

Whether they would have continued under the restraint of this salutary
fear, I know not, for a sudden termination was put to the horrid scene.

The candle had burnt to its end, and the remnant fell with a hissing
sound through the neck of the bottle, thus extinguishing the light.

Frightened by the sudden transition from light to darkness, the hideous
animals uttered their terrible squeaking, and broke off in every
direction. I could hear the pattering of their feet upon the planks as
they scampered away.

The light seemed to have been the spell that bound me in the iron chain
of the nightmare. The moment it went out, I found myself agai