A Night Near Water.

It was a beautiful night. Although it was very warm the air was clear,

and it was possible to make out the distant line of the higher land to the

east. The leaves moved a little as the night air played among them,

and we could hear the sounds of the movement as we walked along.

The fireflies were out in their hundreds, and their lights came and

went as they flew along, We could follow their course by watching the

coming and the going of their little lights. When we first got

out of the car and began to walk we thought that everything was still and

soundless, but as we grew used to the light we found that all was sound and

movement. Masses of little living things were on the move, and they all in

turn gave voice to their desires or needs as they want on their way, perhaps

looking for food, perhaps moving for no reason at all except the desire not

to be still.

it was dangerous, people said, to walk about after night had fallen.

Animals were out under cover of the night, and would not be seen untill it

was too late. The great water loving animals, who kept in the water by day,

came on land at night, and with their great heavy bodies they could

overturn a car. They could, too, and it would be very difficult for a man or

women to move quickly enough to get out of their way once they charged.

"Just stories," we thought. " you would not get these things happening so

near to houses and a town," we said. It was only a small town, but still it

was a town, and one did not in these days get charged by animals in streets

and among houses.

But, of course, we were no longer on the streets and the light of the

nearest houses could not be seen. The only light we saw were the little ones

of the fireflies as they went on their way, for purpose known only to

themselves. It was the kind of night on which anything could happen, for

not often in life are nights quite so perfect, quite so cut off from all that is

real and earthly.

We made our way little by little to the water. At last we came into piece of

water two hundred miles and more across. The water was still and was

touched by little points of light copied from the millions of white bodies

over our heads. The looked so near in that clear night that we had the

feeling that we could touch them if we sailed on the water.

"If only we had a little sailing ship now!" we cried . "If only we could sail

away, out and out on this sail, beautiful water."

"If we sailed away now," said one, " I am sure we could never come back.

That water is not of this world, I am sure , and when daylight came we

should find ourselves in the great unknown."

We did not really believe this, and yet it seemed possible. Anything seemed

possible on such a night and in such a place. The we heard the strangest

sound and , looking in it's direction, coming out of the water and on to the

land, about two hundred yard away. Without speaking we turned away

trying not to call attention to our movement . When we were out of the

open and among the underground once more we walked quickly. As we

got near to the car we said:"You see, those stories are not true. The things

keep near to the water. They would not come all this way." But when we

reached our car we found it on it's side, and the footmarks of a large

animal were clearly to be seen on the earth nearby.