THE FAIRY OF THE DAWN out and the water disappeared, without his knowing
181
how
or when.
Take breath,' said the horse, for you have no time The Welwa will return in a moment.' lose. Petru made no reply, only wondered how, exhausted '
'
to
as he was, he should ever be able to carry on the fight. But he settled himself in his saddle, grasped his sword,
and waited.
And
then something came to him CD
what
I
cannot
tell
Perhaps, in his dreams, a man may see a creature which has what it has not got, and has not got what it you.
least, that was what the Welwa seemed like to She flew with her feet, aud walked with her wings her head was in her back, and her tail was on top of her body her eyes were in her neck, and her neck in her forehead, and how to describe her further I do not know.
has.
At
Petru.
;
;
Petru felt for a moment as if he was wrapped in a garment of fear then he shook himself and took heart, and fought as he had never yet fought before. As the day wore on, his strength began to fail, and ;
when darkness
fell he could hardly keep his eyes open. he knew he was no longer on his horse, but standing on the ground, though he could not have told how he got there. When the grey light of morning came, he was past standing on his feet, but fought now upon his
By midnight
knees.
Make one more struggle it is nearly over now,' said the horse, seeing that Petru' s strength was waning '
;
fast.
Petru wiped the sweat from his brow with and with a desperate effort rose to his feet. Strike the Welwa on the mouth with the the horse, and Petru did it.
his gauntlet,
'
The Welwa
bridle,' said
uttered a neigh so loud that Petru thought life, and then, though she too was
he would be deaf for
nearly spent, flung herself upon her
enemy
;
but Petru