He lay there longer than he knew, and the twilight settled down at
last, and the evening stars came out. And then, after a while, and by
imperceptible degrees, Cosmo Waynflete became conscious that the scene
had changed and that he had changed with it. He was no longer in Japan,
but in Persia. He was no longer lying like a drunkard in the street of
a city, but slumbering like a weary soldier in a little oasis by the
side of a spring in the midst of a sandy desert. He was asleep, and his
faithful horse was unbridled that it might crop the grass at will.
The air was hot and thick, and the leaves of the slim tree above him
were never stirred by a wandering wind. Yet now and again there came
from the darkness a faintly fetid odor. The evening wore on and still
he slept, until at length in the silence of the night a strange huge
creature wormed its way steadily out of its lair amid the trees, and
drew near the sleeping man to devour him fiercely. But the horse
neighed vehemently and beat the ground with his hoofs and waked his
master. Then the hideous monster vanished; and the man, aroused from
his sleep, saw nothing, although the evil smell still lingered in the
sultry atmosphere. He lay down again once more, thinking that for once
his steed had given a false alarm. Again the grisly dragon drew nigh,
and again the courser notified its rider, and again the man could make
out nothing in the darkness of the night; and again he was wellnigh
stifled by the foul emanation that trailed in the wake of the
misbegotten creature. He rebuked his horse and laid him down once more.
A third time the dreadful beast approached, and a third time the
faithful charger awoke its angry master. But there came the breath of a
gentle breeze, so that the man did not fear to fill his lungs; and
there was a vague light in the heavens now, so that he could dimly
discern his mighty enemy; and at once he girded himself for the fight.
The scaly monster came full at him with dripping fangs, its mighty body
thrusting forward its huge and hideous head. The man met the attack
without fear and smote the beast full on the crest, but the blow
rebounded from its coat of mail.
Then the faithful horse sprang forward and bit the dreadful creature
full upon the neck and tore away the scales, so that its master's sword
could pierce the armored hide. So the man was able to dissever the
ghastly head and thus to slay the monstrous dragon. The blackness of
night wrapped him about once more as he fell on his knees and gave
thanks for his victory; and the wind died away again.