Page:An account of a savage girl.djvu/35

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A wild Girl.
7

out of this house in a most severe storm of frost and snow; on which occasion, after making good her escape, she betook herself for shelter to a tree. The dread of the resentment of M. d'Epinoy threw the whole family that night into a hurry and confusion; who never imagining, that in so excessive a frost, she would have ventured into the country, rummaged every corner of the house; but finding all their researches in vain, they at last resolved, that they might leave no means untried, to look for her without likewise; where, behold, they find Miss perched, as I have just said, on the top of a tree! from whence, however, they were lucky enough to prevail on her to descend.

I myself have been an eye-witness of some instances of the ease and swiftness with which she ran, than which nothing could be more surprising; and yet what I saw was but the remains of her former agility, which long sickness, and the want of practice for many years, have greatly impaired. Without having seen it, it is hardly possible to imagine her singular and agile manner of running. It was not at all setting one foot before the other alternately, as we do; it was a sort of flying gallop, almost too quick for the eye.—It was rather jumping than running, one foot being kept constantly behind the other. One could scarcely observe the motion