ched up their babes and followed me. And here we were reckless for
ourselves; but we knelt the innocents in one close line across the neck
of land, so that the Black Reaper should not find space between any of
them to swing his scythe. And having done this, we fell back with our
hearts bubbling in our breasts, and we stood panting and watched.

He had paused over that one full sheaf of his reaping; but now, with the
sound of the women's running, he seized his weapon again and set to upon
the narrow belt of corn that yet separated him from the children. But
presently, coming out upon the tender array, his scythe stopped and
trailed in his hand, and for a full minute he stood like a figure of
stone. Then thrice he walked slowly backwards and forwards along the
line, seeking for an interval whereby he might pass; and the children
laughed at him like silver bells, showing no fear, and perchance meeting
that of love in his eyes that was hidden from us.

Then of a sudden he came to before the midmost of the line, and, while we
drew our breath like dying souls, stooped and snapped his blade across
his knee, and, holding the two parts in his hand, turned and strode back
into the shadow of the dripping well. There arrived, he paused once more,
and, twisting him about, waved his hand once to us and vanished into the
blackness. But there were those who affirmed that in that instant of his
turning, his face was revealed, and that it was a face radiant and
beautiful as an angel's.

Such is the history of the wild judgment that befell us, and by grace of
the little children was foregone; and such was the stranger whose name
no man ever heard tell, but whom many have since sought to identify with
that spirit of the pestilence that entered into men's hearts and
confounded them, so that they saw visions and were afterwards confused in
their memories.

But this I may say, that when at last our courage would fetch us to that
little field of death, we found it to be all blackened and blasted, so as
nothing would take root there then or ever since; and it was as if, after
all the golden sand of the hour-glass was run away and the lives of the
most impious with it, the destroyer saw fit to stay his hand for sake of
the babes that he had pronounced innocent, and for such as were spared to
witness to His judgment. And this I do here, with a heart as contrite as
if it were the morrow of the visitation, the which with me it ever has
remained.