Thecrowdscatteredlikeadanceofflies。Thecreatureshadbeeninstructednottohurtmuch，buttohuntincessantly，untileveryonehadrushedfromthehouse。Thewomenshrieked，andranhitherandthitherthroughthehall，pursuedeachbyherownhorror，andsnappedatbyeveryotherinpassing。ifonethrewherselfdowninhystericaldespair，shewasinstantlypokedorclawedornibbledupagain。
Thoughtheywerequiteasfrightenedatfirst，themendidnotrunsofast;andbyandbysomeofthemfindingtheywereonlyglaredat，andfollowed，andpushed，begantosummonupcourageoncemore，andwithcouragecameimpudence。Thetapirhadthebigfootmanincharge：thefellowstoodstock—still，andletthebeastcomeuptohim，thenputouthisfingerandplayfullypattedhisnose。Thetapirgavethenosealittletwist，andthefingerlayonthefloor。
Thenindeeddidthefootmanrun。
Graduallytheavengersgrewmoresevere，andtheterrorsoftheimaginationwerefastyieldingtothoseofsensuousexperience，whenapage，perceivingoneofthedoorsnolongerguarded，sprangatit，andranout。Anotherandanotherfollowed。Notabeastwentafter，until，onebyone，theywereeveryonegonefromthehall，andthewholecrewinthekitchen。
Theretheywerebeginningtocongratulatethemselvesthatallwasover，whenincamethecreaturestroopingafterthem，andthesecondactoftheirterrorandpainbegan。Theywereflungaboutinalldirections;theirclothesweretornfromthem;theywerepinchedandscratchedany—andeverywhere;Ballbodykeptrollingupthemandoverthem，confininghisattentionstonooneinparticular;thescorpionkeptgrabbingattheirlegswithhishugepincers;athree—footcentipedekeptscrewinguptheirbodies，nippingashewent;variedasnumerousweretheirwoes。Norwasitlongbeforethelastofthemhadfledfromthekitchentothesculleries。