tune, just to prove to myself that I had completely recovered
from the panic caught from the miserable Indian; but it is never
possible in such cases to get back one's serenity immediately,
and a vague suspicion continued to trouble me for a time. After
sitting there for half an hour or so, listening to distant
bird-sounds, I began to recover my old confidence, and even to
feel inclined to penetrate further into the wood. All at once,
making me almost jump, so sudden it was, so much nearer and
louder than I had ever heard it before, the mysterious melody
began. Unmistakably it was uttered by the same being heard on
former occasions; but today it was different in character. The
utterance was far more rapid, with fewer silent intervals, and it
had none of the usual tenderness in it, nor ever once sunk to
that low, whisper-like talking which had seemed to me as if the
spirit of the wind had breathed its low sighs in syllables and
speech. Now it was not only loud, rapid, and continuous, but,
while still musical, there was an incisiveness in it, a sharp
ring as of resentment, which made it strike painfully on the
sense.

The impression of an intelligent unhuman being addressing me in
anger took so firm a hold on my mind that the old fear returned,
and, rising, I began to walk rapidly away, intending to escape
from the wood. The voice continued violently rating me, as it
seemed to my mind, moving with me, which caused me to accelerate
my steps; and very soon I would have broken into a run, when its
character began to change again. There were pauses now,
intervals of silence, long or short, and after each one the voice
came to my ear with a more subdued and dulcet sound--more of that
melting, flute-like quality it had possessed at other times; and