"The colambs then rising, declared that having seen and conversed with him, they could not observe any hair on the fore part of his head; but I answered that when I left you I well remembered your having short stubbs of hair upon your cheeks and chin; which I had no sooner mentioned than your father arose and told the assembly that though he did not mind it whilst he was with you, yet he remembered that his daughter, a year before, had told him that you had hair on your face before as long as that behind. "This again putting new life into the ragan, he proceeded--'Then let this,' says he, 'be put to the trial by an embassy to glumm Peter; and if it answers, there will be no room to doubt the rest. Then,' says the ragan, 'it is plain by the report of the colambs, that glumm Peter has not the graundee. "'As to the next point, he is to swim and fly. Now I am informed he swims daily in a thing he calls a boat.'--To which the colambs all agreed.--'And now,' says he, 'that he flies too, that must be fulfilled; for every word must have a meaning, and that indeed he must do if ever he comes hither. I therefore advise that a contrivance be somehow found out for conveying glumm Peter through the air to us, and then we shall answer that part of the prediction; and I think, and do not doubt, but that may be done. "'Now,' says he, 'let us see the benefit predicted to us upon the arrival of glumm Peter. Our words are: "Who, with unknown fire and smoke, shall destroy the traitor of the west." What can be plainer than this? For I again appeal to the colambs for his making unknown fire and smoke. "'Thus far,' says the ragan, 'we have succeeded happily towards a discovery of the person; but it ends not here with the death of the traitor; but such other benefits are to accrue as are mentioned in the following part of the prediction: they are blessings yet to come, and who knows the end of them? "'I hope,' says the ragan, 'I have given satisfaction in what I have said, and shall now leave it to the care of those whose business it is to provide that none of those woes pronounced against us may happen, by missing the time which, when gone, will never return.' "The assembly were coming to a resolution of sending you a pompous embassy, but your father prevailed for sending me only; 'For,' says he, 'my son thinks better of him than of the rest of our whole race.' So this important affair was committed to me, with orders to prepare a conveyance for you, which I cannot attempt to do; but shall refer myself to your more solid judgment in the contrivance of it."