Weird Tales v16n06 PDF

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WEIRD TALES 721
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W. T,—
Published monthly by the Popular Fiction Publishing Company. 2457 E. Washington Street,
Indianapolis, Ind. Entered as second-class matter March 20, 1928, at the post office at Indianapolis,
Ind., under the act of March 3, 1879. Single copies, 26 cents. Subscription, $2.50 a year in the
United States, $3.00 a year in Canada. English office Charles Lavell, 18, Serjeant’s Inn, Fleet
i
Street, E. C. 4, London. The publishers are not responsible for the loss of unsolicited manuscripts,
although every care will be taken of such material while in their possession. The contents of this
magazine are fully protected by copyright and must not be reproduced either wholly or in part
without permission from the publishers.
—
NOTE All manuscripts and communications should be addressed to the publishers' Chicago
office at 840 North Michigan Avenue. Chicago, 111.
FARNSWORTH WRIGHT, Editor.
Copyright. 1930, by the Popular Fiction Publishing Company
Contents for December 1930 ,
Cover Design Hugh Rankin

Illustrating a scene in "The Wolf of St. Bonnot"
•
The Eyrie 724

A chat with the readers
The Wolf of St. Bonnot Seabury Quinn 728

Jules de Grandin is the central figure in an adventure of extraordinary
fascination and blood-chilling action
Burnt Things Robert C. Sandison 747

A ghastly happening seared the mind of the man who dropped off the train
at Como to seek an old friend there
The Crime on Christmas Night Gaston Leroux 753

A tale of stark horror by the Edgar Allan Poe of Prance, author of "The
Phantom of the Opera"
[CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE]
722 COPYRIGHTED IN GREAT BRITAIN

[continued from preceding page]
Something From Above Donald Wandrei 763

Another powerful story of outer space by the author of "The Red Brain “
a doom from outside menaces the earth
A Dream of Bubastis Harvey W. Flink 778

Verse
The Primeval Pit B. Wallis 779

Huge prehistoric monsters in a lost valley of South America pack this story
with eery thrills
Fungi From Yuggoth:

5. The Bells H. P. Loveciaft 798
Verse
Tales of the Werewolf Clan:

2. The Master Fights H. Warner Munn 799
Occult forces were behind the disaster that overtook the Invincible Armada
sent by the Spanish king against the power of England
Men of Steel Ainslee Jenkins 815

A blood-chilling story about the conversion of human beings into robots,
or mechanical men
The Portal to Power (Part 3) Greye La Spina 827

A four-part serial story about a cult of devil-worshippers in a hidden valley
of the Rocky Mountains
The Boat on the Beach Kadra Maysi 842

Strange was the woman who came down to the boat at night, and stranger
still was the weird event that befell her
Weird Story Reprint:

Lucifer John D. Swain 846
In the heart of London was a cult of devil-worshippers — but the baronet rued
the day when he turned to them for assistance
Death Alice Pickard 855

Verse
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WEIRD TALES
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HARXJSY L, WARD, INC., Mgr. D. P. IUKKK, Mgr.
360 N. Michigan Ave., 303 Fourth Ave.,
Chicago, 111. New York, N. Y.
Phone, Central 6269 Phone, Gramercy 5380
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~ ~
<C
W7 EEP Weird Tales weird!” This is the advice that we are constantly receiving
from you, the readers of this magazine. To judge from the commen-
in letters
we are succeeding in doing this.
dations that pour into the editorial offices,
This is by way of prelude to announcing one of the weirdest stories that has ever ap-
peared in any publication: The Horror from the Hills, by Frank Belknap Long, Jr. This
is a three-part serial story that sounds cosmic depths of weirdness, a tale of a horror and
menace utterly beyond human means to combat; a tale in which horror blows in chill
gusts from the outer void. It is seldom that any story has aroused such vast enthusiasm in
the editorial rooms of Weird Tales, and we want to let you know what a treat is in
store for you. The Horror from the Hills is undoubtedly the finest work that this
brilliant and imaginative writer has yet produced.
Mengshoel, of Minneapolis, writes to the Eyrie: "The last two issues of

E. L.
Weird Tales were, in my opinion, the best that you have published since I began
reading your magazine. Especially did I enjoy the way the tide finally turned against
that typically small-brained and small-souled egotist, Herman Fuller, in Another
Dracula. And how vividly and strikingly realistically did the author portray the ac-
tivity of the mob spirit in the graveyard scene! It was a true-to-life sketch of such
human cattle, too much present in any community, in Main Street towns in particu-
lar. In your August number I found a story that made tremendous appeal to my
mind, namely, the reprint of Charles Dickens’ A Child’s Dream of a Star. It re-
called to me my boyhood days, as I read it in my school books, but it was in Nor-
wegian, the being: 'Guttens Drom om Stjemen.’ How I wept as I read it as a
title
ten-year-old ’kid’! Those school readers did not give the names of the authors of
their pieces, and though I had many times wondered who wrote that touching story,
it is first in Weird Tales that I learnt that no less a writer than Charles Dickens
was the author. All in all, I am glad that we have a magazine that is ’different’ —
something that we do not get tired of reading, like those vapid, commonplace and too
often downright silly love stories about ordinary middle class parvenues, and the va-
rious kinds of drivel which the majority of other magazines serve to a simple-minded
public.”
"Won’t you please give us more stories so weird that they make one’s hair
stand on end?” requests Ruth Ann Austin, of Aubumdale, Wisconsin, in a letter
to the Eyrie. ”1 like A Dying Man’s Confession in the October issue very muchj
also The Silver Curse of Yarlik, The Druid’s Shadow and The Grave at Goonhilly,
( Continued on page 726
724
This Queer Little Automatic Device
Protects My Car From Thieves
I have hit on something truly amazing. Since the first

discoveries of radio, I know there has been nothing so
startling and uncanny. My
little secret device guards
every part of your automobile from spare tire to head-
lights and steering wheel. In your garage or on the street
it is on the job 24 hours a day. Never sleeps, rests or gets
tired. Already approved by insurance companies and
motor associations. Now offered on 5-day test.
Puzzles Everyone!
RECORD EARNINGS— $138 IN A DAY!
T HIS little, automatic “elec-
tric-watchman” invention
is called “Devil-Dog.” It is
stalled
less.
operation.
by anyone in ten minutes or
There is absolutely no cost for
It will last
No extra batteries to buy.
as long as the car. And
Every Devil-Dog sale brings you a
No penny-ante little business
reason Devil-Dog is a
!
real
real profit.
That’s another
big money
not only a new kind of device, you hide the secret switch button maker I G. Oliver, Illinois representative, re-
it is an entirely new ideal Abso- anywhere you want to around your ports, “Made $138 in a day. This is the easi-
lutely unique and utterly different car. It’s nothing but common sense est way to make money quick I ever heard
than anything anyone ever saw be- for a man to grab Devil-Dog the very of. My next order will be for 1.000." That’s
fore. So startling that grips the
it first time he sees it demonstrated. the top record so far. Who will beat it first T
imagination of everyone from the No wonder distributors already are
cleaning up young fortunes I
millionaire Rolls-Royce owner to POLICE BUY FOR ARMORED CAR
the fellow who drives a second-
hand Ford. Until he knows the se- 5-DAY FREE TEST Richard Jacques, Canada, just started, writes,
cret every motorist will swear that “Here’s our order for 24 Devil-Dogs. I have
I invite readers of this magazine to
you have some one hiding in your sold one to the police for their armored car.
send for the special 6-day test offer
car. He just simply can't believe
now being made on Devil-Dog. Am also getting letters from the Chief of
there can be such a device as this Police and the Detective Department. Tomor-
Test it. Show your friends. If your
queer “electrical-watchman." present income is less than about
row we demonstrate to the motor league."
$60 a week, profit opportunities as
INSTALLED IN TEN MINUTES— my spare-time or full-time repre- I~ “1
sentative may surprise you. My one Northwest Electric Corp., Dept. W-6G0,
COSTS NOTHING TO OPERATE condition is, I want men to help
1
Pukwana, 8. Dak.
J
1
|
Every man who owns a car can me quick! Write me today I Rush territory details and your 5-day test
afford Devil-Dog. Actually, no man 1 offer without obligation. j
who owns a car can afford to be
without this inexpensive protec-
tion. Last year over 116,000 auto-
1 Name - —— — 1
1
mobiles were stolen in this country.
Millions of dollars' worth of spare |
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thieves. Now Devil-Dog can be in- Dept. W-660, Pukwana, So. Dak. ° —— — «— — 1 Kmmmrn mmta — 1 » 1
i726 WEIRD TALES
'( Continued from page 7 24
Stories with scenes reflecting the glamor of moonlight on a Persian garden, the
charm of romantic France, the exoticism of a Turkish harem, or tales with a Chinese,
Arabian or South Sea locale would be greatly appreciated by us readers.”
W. A. Betikofer, of Washington, D. C., writes to the Eyrie: "I have read
Weird Tales without missing an issue since the 1926 number containing The Bird
of Space. In these four years there have been approximately a half-dozen stories
which completely overshadowed all others, with the possible exception of Seabury
Quinn’s stories of Jules de Grandin. I should enumerate them as follows: The Mon-
ster-god of Mamurth (Edmond Hamilton’s finest). The Lurking Fear, The Time-
raider, The Call of Cthulhu and Skull-face. Though I only know of The Rats in
the Walls by reprint, it is fully worthy to stand in their company. Jules de Grandin is
my favorite character, followed closely by Solomon Kane. The Shadow Kingdom
and its sequels nearly edge into the list of incomparables. E. Hoffmann Price in his
Orient creates perhaps the most fascinating and exotic atmosphere of
stories of the
any of your writers. Doctor Keller’s delightful little stories of Cecil the Overlord
add a finishing touch to your magazine that makes it truly unequaled. Writers such as
Quinn, Price, Lovecraft, La Spina and a few others give your magazine the quality
that makes it what it is. Doctor Keller is one of your best. Toksvig is fine, and
Adolphe de Castro is acceptable but could be better. As for Hamilton three —
cheers and a half-dozen boos! He has merited both in his time. To swing to the
other end of the scale, I should like to see such stuff as the Mother Goose asininity
of The Land of Lur eliminated. That was absolutely the punkest contribution to
Weird Tales I have ever seen.”
A letter from Robert Leonard Russell of Mt. Vernon, Illinois, says: " The Por-
tal to Power begins perfectly and I hope the other three installments are on a par
with the first. Try to“ get another Robert E. Howard story like Skull-face. His sto-
ries of Solomon Kane are very interesting. Jules de Grandin is just as perfect as he
thinks he is (which is saying a lot). Tell Seabury Quinn that if he ever writes any
other type of story the readers will come en masse and lynch him.”
Writes James Gartlan of Toronto, Canada: "I have been a constant reader of
Weird Tales since July, 1926. Weird Tales has given me some very interesting
evenings and also some when
I was afraid to move lest the creature of Seabury
Quinn or H. would come out of the shadows of my den. I get a bigger
P. Lovecraft
kick out of Jules de Grandin’s French slang and his method of combating the occult
demons than I get from any detective or Western novel. Jules is a great cheery
fellow always ready to help any one who is in the clutches of the occult. Just one
kick Earthworms of Karma started out great, as did The Black Monarch, but the
author seemed to be in too great hurry to finish. I am eagerly awaiting Oriental
Stories and hope that it will be a worthy sister magazine to Weird Tales.”
"Speaking as a reader,” writes Clark Ashton Smith, author of The End of the
Story, "Ishould like to say that Weird Tales is the one magazine that gives its
writersample imaginative leeway. Next to it come the three or four magazines in
which fancy can take flight under the egis of science; and after these, one is lost in
a Boeotian desert. All the others, without exception, from the long-established re-
( Continued on page 832
Classics of Weird Literature
Autographed by the Author
The Wind That Tramps the World
The Purple Sea

ACCLAIMED BY CRITICS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
New York Times: "Fanciful, touched by the super- Daily Argus Leader, Sioux Palls, S. D.: "This is a
natural, exotic in thought and coloring. Flowers, poems, collection to be read, laid down and read again.”
music and jade are interwoven with their themes and Wilmington Every Evening, Wilmington, Del.: "De-
the effect is often both quaint and charming." serves a place among one’s favorite books.”
Radio Station KDKA, Pittsburgh: "For those who are
The China Weekly Review, Shanghai, China: "Reveals
interested in Chinese literature and traditions, we
a true sense of gentleness, the heart of a dreamer, a
believe this book will find a cordial welcome. A very
deep sense of rhythm and beauty. He sees China and
beautiful book.”
the Chinese through misty, naive, sometimes philo-
sophic eyes."
The Globe, Toronto, Ont.: "Dealing with curious
phases of Chinese life, they are imaginative, colorful
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Honolulu, Hawaii: "They are and replete with poetry. For the first of these qualities
strange and glowing tales of an unearthly beauty. Their they might be likened to some of the creations of Edgar
scenes are laid in China but they might be anywhere. Allan Poe, but even the weirdest of them possess a
They are essentially a part of the history of those lost tenderness to which Poe was a stranger."
lands where Dunsany’s heroes live and die magnificently Arizona Republican, Phoenix, Ariz.: "It is not often
and where Walter de la Mare’s dark travelers knock that such a book, as deserving of praise and as full of
vainly at mysterious moonlit doors.” real literary merit as "The Wind That Tramps the
Ohio State Journal, Columbus, Ohio: "There is some World,” comes our way. This sounds like effusiveness,
weirdness here, some mystery and some tender passages, but it isn’t. It’s merely giving credit for a real literary
enough of each to make a superlative ensemble that achievement. . . . They are masterpieces of a rich
won for this author a secure place in the field of Far imagination, deep and gripping in their beauty and
East fiction." romance.”
SPECIAL AUTOGRAPHED FIRST EDITIONS

Here are some real gems of literature. Poetic and fanci-
ful Chinese stories with a real thrill to them.These are I Weird Tales, Book Dept. F. O.
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ness will grip you. Both books are special first editions Enclosed find $ Please send me an auto-
autographed by the author. These books are very artis- graphed first edition of
j
tically bound and would make an excellent gift to a "The Wind That Tramps the World”
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Remember, first edition copies grow more valuable with Name
{
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able. Order today. Price $1.50 each postpaid. I
City, ..State.
^eWclf of
lb$* <§e&bur3) • Qumn
T
new
HE house party with which Nor-
val Fleetwood
completion of
was celebrating the
Twelvetrees,
country seat, was drawing to an in-
his
the fight and winter took possession of
the world like a
a captured city.
raced
rowdy barbarian sacking
The late-November gale
round the house, wrenching at
auspicious close. Friday and Saturday doors and shutters, howling bawdy songs
had been successful, and more than one down chimneys and wrestling savagely
luckless bunny had found his way into with the twelve great oaks in the front
the game-bags and thence to the pot-pie, lot from which the house took its name.
but with Sunday morning came a let- The guests were wearied of each other as
down which set the guests longing for shipwrecked mariners might tire of their
the city, the theater, the night clubs and companions’ faces, and to make matters
the crowded, comfortable associations of more unbearable the linewhich fed elec-
the workaday world. Rain, lashed and tric current to the house went dead
driven by a northwest wind, opened the beneath the bufferings of the wind-storm
day, by midafternoon autumn gave up and the radio ceased blaring forth its
728
<$ t.B onnot
"The liny, savage thing died slowly, writhing horribly.
dancing jazz at the same instant every ily. "Dodson’s are infernally slow get-
light in the house winked out and the ting the furniture out, it seems to me.”
motors of the big refrigerator in the pan- "Too dark to play bridge; can’t see
try stopped humming. whether you’re holdin’ spades or di-
Little spurts of flame here and there amonds.”
proclaimed lighted matches, a few candles "I shouldn’t play if it weren’t. Lost
were requisitioned and set alight, their too much last night— lot more than I
feeble, trembling flames doing little more could afford.”

than stain the pitch-black darkness with "Grand service the electric company
an indeterminate dusk, and host and gives, I don’t think. If I had my
”
guests settled down in gloomy contem- way
plation of events to wait the opportunity "Oh, 1 know what let’s do!” Mazie
of a reasonable excuse to say good-night Noyer, plump, forty and unbecomingly
and escape from each others’ company. flirtatious, suddenly cried in the high,
"No one here can play dance music,” thin voice which seems the exclusive
grumbled one. property of short, fat women. "Let’s
"No piano here to play, even if we had have a seance! This is just the night for
a musician,” Fleetwood answered gloom- it; cold and dark and spooky. Come on,
729
730 WEIRD TALES
everybody; I’ll be the medium; I can your presence by rapping once upon the
make a dining-table take a joke any table.”
time!” Another pause, in which the crackling
"But certainly,” Jules de Grandin of a burning knot and the hissing of an
whispered in my ear. "Does she not do imperfectly seasoned log sounded almost
so three times each day, to say nothing of thunderously, followed her invitation.
the enormous sandwiches she consumes Jules de Grandin snapped the flint of
between meals? Do not join them, Kis pocket lighter and set a vile-smelling
Friend Trowbridge; he who puts his French cigarette aglow, then glanced im-
hands upon the table to summon spirits patiently through the archway leading to
risks more than burned fingers. Yes. Let the room beyond. "Insensee,” he whis-
them have their foolishness bv them- pered contemptuously. "Had she but the
selves.” sense with which the good God endowed
the most half-witted of silly geese, she
Accordingly, while Fleetwood, his
would know that her greatest success
young wife and seven of their guests
tonight would be a total failure to
trailed into the dining-hall in the wake of ”
evoke
Mazie’s provocatively swishing skirts, de ’
"Oh, how nice!” Mazie’s high-pitched
Grandin and I remained on the leather-
exclamation cut through his muttered
upholstered settle before the blazing
where we could
logs in the hall fireplace
observation. "Is it fine or superfine —
mean man or woman? Rap once for a
watch the dim shapes circled round the
man, twice for a woman, please.”
table, yet be ourselves unobserved.
The little Frenchman’s sleek, blond
The ring was quickly formed. Each
head shot forward, his ear turned toward
member of the party placed his hands
the doorway. All pretense of boredom
upon the table’s polished oak, his
flat
was gone and every line of his small,
own thumbs touching, his extended little
sensitive face registered alert attention as
fingers in light contact with those of his
it showed in sharp silhouette against the
neighbors to left and right.
bright background of the firelight.
"I think we ought to sing,” suggested Through the dim, candle-lit dusk we
Mazie. “Madame Northrop always begins caught the echo of a single sharp, in-
her seances with aJiymn. What shall it cisive knock.
be?” For a moment there was silence; "A man!” Miss Noyer’s voice came in
then, in a high falsetto she began: an awed whisper. "Who are I mean —
"Behold the innumerable host who were you? Where and when did
Of angels clothed in light.
Behold the spirits of the just you live? Strike once for A, twice for B,
Whose faith is changed to sight.” three times for C, and so on.”
She concluded the verse with a drop- Another pause, then a slow, distinct
ping, pleading tremolo, then spoke in a rapping, as though the table had been
still, awe-struck voice, as though she half struck sharply with a bent knuckle. Seven
believed her own mummery: strokes, followed by nine, then twelve,
"Spirits of the departed, you from another twelve, then five, continuing
before whose eyes the separating veil has until "Gilles Gamier — St. Bonnot — in the
been lifted, we are assembled tonight to reign of King Charles,” had been labo-
commune with you, if any of you be here riously spelled on the resounding wood.
present.” A short pause, then: "Are "Dieu de Dieu, 'Gilles Gamier of St.
there any spirits with us? If so, signify Bonnot,’ it says!” de Grandin exclaimed
THE WOLF OF ST. BONNOT 1731
in a sharp, rasping whisper. "This is no business of the monkey?” de Grandin

longer merely a matter to amuse fools, challenged sharply. "I will not have it!”
Friend Trowbridge; we must intervene, He burst into the dining-room, eyes

right away, immediately, at once. Come.” ablaze, faceworking with unbridled fury.
He rose abruptly from the couch and "Fools, betes, dupes, you know not what
took a step toward the dining-room, but you do! To mock at them is to invite
”
paused in mid-stride, his head thrown destruction of
back like a hunting dog sniffing the He paused, fairly choking with savage
breeze for quarry. Almost, it seemed to anger, and as if to punctuate his tirade
me, the needle-sharp ends of his little, the electric current came on again, flood-
tightly waxed mustache quivered with ing the big house with sudden brilliance,
excitement like the whiskers of an ir- limning the scene in the dining-hall like
ritable and super-alert tom-cat. I, too, a tableau vivant on the stage. Fleetwood
felt a sudden chill of nervous excitement and eight others sat with hands still
— —
almost terror run through me, for pressed upon the table, startled, rather
even as de Grandin paused, there came foolish expressions on their faces as they
from far away, seemingly from the blinked owlishly in the sudden deluge of
gloomy, wooded hill, which lay a mile or light. Hildegarde, his six-months’ bride
more across the cleared pasture-land, a for whom the house at Twelvetrees had
faint but steadily growing sound. So low been built, lay cheek-down upon the
it could scarcely be dissociated from the table, her heavy, dark-bronze hair un-
dismal skirling of the wind it was at bound and cascading across the polished
first, but steadily it mounted and swelled Flemish oak, her face pale as carven
in tone and volume, a long-drawn, ulu- ivory, her lush red lips slightly parted,
lant howl, rising to a shrill crescendo, displaying twin lines of little milk-white
sinking to a moan, then rising once again teeth between them.
in quavering, hopeless cry, poignant as "Good Lord!” our host exclaimed,
the wailing of a lost soul seeking sanctu- "she’s fainted! That fool joke was too
ary from pursuing furies. And as the dis- much for her.” He glared angrily around
tant belling bay died once again amid the circle of startled faces. "Who let out
the whistling chorus of the wind, there that God-awful howl?” he demanded
came an answering call from the dark - fiercely.
ened dining-room. It started with a chok- The little Frenchman cast an apprais-
ing, raspingmoan, though one of the
as ing look at the unconscious girl and a
sitters at the table had strangled and quick, venomous glance at Mazie Noyer.
gasped for breath; then, as though torn "See to her, Friend Trowbridge, if you
from tortured flesh by torment too great please,” he ordered curtly with a nod
to be resisted, it rose in answer to the dis- toward Hildegarde. "Mademoiselle, this
tant howl: " Ow-o-o-o-O-O-O!” swelling is your work; I trust you are duly proud
with ever-increasing
stress, then repeated of it,” he added coldly, glaring at Mazie
once again with hopeless, mourning again.
diminuendo: ''OW-O-O-O-o-o-oo!” "I?” Miss Noyer returned in a scan-
Strangely, too, the half -reluctant, half- dalized voice. "Why, I never even
exultant cry was so quickly voiced that it dreamed of doing such a thing! I was as
was impossible to place its origin, save to surprized as any one when that inhuman
say it emanated from the dining-room. howl started ugh, right in this room,
"Nom d’un chat noir, who makes this too!” She shook her well-upholstered
732 WEIRD TALES
shoulders in a gesture of repugnance, course of nature, be either hurried or de-
then favored de Grandin with a wither- layed? I doubt it. Indeed, I greatly doubt
ing look. "I think you forget yourself, thatit has anything to do with this” he —
Grandin,” she reminded. tapped the telegram with his breakfast
Doctor de
"You owe me an apolo
”
fork
— "but concerns something much
"Mille pardons, Mademoiselle,” he cut more sinister. Yes, I have worried much
in acidly, "whatever my debt may be, concerning Madame Hildegarde since
this no time for repayment. Me, I
is that accursed night when the senseless
think an evening of ennui would have Mademoiselle Noyer played her monkey
”
been preferable to your so stupid invoca- tricks in that darkened house. And
tion of forces of which you know noth- "You're absurd,” I told him.
ing. However, we can but pray that no "I hope so,” he admitted seriously.
great harm is done.” "We shall eventually see who laughs in
He turned his shoulder squarely on her whose face, my friend.”
and bowed to the company with frigid In deference to Fleetwood’s message I
courtesy. "Messieurs, Mesdames,” he an- stayed indoors most of the following day,
nounced, "it grows late and we all have but dinner-time came and went without
business in the city tomorrow. I suggest further word from him. "Confound it,”
we seek our beds while this so tempera- I grumbled, glancing irritably at my

mental light still holds.” He turned on watch, "I wish they’d come, if they’re
his heel and left the room without a coming. King Lear’s playing at the Acad-
single backward look at Mazie Noyer or emy tonight, and I’d like to see it. If
any offer of apology for his hasty accu- they’ll only hurry I’ll have time to get
sation. there before the middle of the first aa,
”
“Am bringing Hildegarde
and
to town for con-
x\. sultation. Please see me tomorrow. "Eh be patient, my old one,” de
bien,
"Fleetwood.”
Grandin counseled. "Unless I am more
I passed the telegram to Jules de Gran- mistaken thanI think, you shall soon see
din and grinned in spite of myself at the a tragedy the like of which Monsieur
sober expression on his face as he pe- Shakespeare never dreamed. Indeed, I
rused the terse message. "Why so serious?” ”
think the curtain is already rising—
I asked, helping myself to a fresh serving He turned toward the consulting-room

of griddle cakes and honey. "That sort door expectantly, and as though evoked
of thing has been going on ever since by his words Norval Fleetwood entered.
Adam and Eve left Garden to set up
the "Hildegarde’s up at the Passaic Boule-
housekeeping. Norval and Hildegarde vard house,” he answered my query as we
are excited, of course, but it’s only a bio- shook hands. "It’s such a wretched night,
logical function, and — I thought I’d better leave her home,
"Ah bah!” he cut in. "You annoy me, and ” He paused, as though the
you vex me, you harass me, my friend. words somehow stuck in his throat; then:
You say it is the coming of a happy "And I thought I’d better see you before
event which brings Monsieur and Ma- you see her, sir.”
dame Fleetwood to town. I hope you are "Ah?” de Grandin’s barely whispered
correct, but I fear you are in error. Would comment had a ring of triumph in it,
he telegraph if that were all? Must he and I favored him with a black lock.
see you right away, at once, immediately Fleetwood nodded shortly, almost as if
about a matter which can not, in the in answer to the Frenchman. "I’m almost
wild with anxiety about her, Doctor,” he room Sunday night? Doctor de
that
told me. "You remember that fool Grandin accused Mazie Noyer of it.”
seance Mazie Noyer got up that Sunday I nodded.
night two weeks ago when the lights "It wasn’t Mazie. It was Hildegarde.”
went out at Twelvetrees? It started right "Nonsense,” I objected sharply.
after that.” "Hildegarde had fainted; it couldn’t
?” ”
" A-ah de Grandin murmured. have been
"What seems to be the trouble?” I "Yes, it was, sir. I know it, because
asked, casting another withering glance the next night, when that devilish baying
toward the Frenchman.
little sounded under our window, she began to
"I —I only wish I knew, sir. Hilde- roll and toss restlessly in bed, as though
garde was restless as a child with fever suffering a nightmare; then” —
he stopped
all that night, and dull and listless as a again, then hurried on though anxious
convalescent next day. I had to come to to get the statement finished
as
— "then she
town and was delayed considerably get- threw back the bed-clothes, rose to her
ting back that night, and dinner should knees and answered it!"
have been over an hour when I returned, "A-a-ab?” Jules de Grandin placed his
but she hadn’t eaten and said she had no fingers tip to tip, crossed his knees and
appetite. That was strange for her, she’s regarded the toe of his patent leather
always been so well and healthy, you evening shoe as though it were a novel
—
know. But” he looked at me with the sight. "And then. Monsieur, if you
man what next?”

serio-comic expression every
such circumstances
— "well, you
uses in
know
please,
Fleetwood’s voice trembled, almost as
how they are, sir.” if with ungovernable anger. “That was
This time it was my turn to register only the beginning!” he shot back. "I
triumph, but I forbore to glance at de shook her, and she seemed to wake, but
Grandin, waiting Fleetwood’s next re- for more than an hour she lay there as if
mark. on the borderline of consciousness, finger-
"It must have been something after ing the bedclothes, rolling her head on
eleven,” he continued, "when out across the pillow, and moaning piteously every
the cleared land I heard the deep, long- once in a while. It must have been
drawn baying of a hound. Some one in almost morning before she finally went
the neighborhood must have a pack of to sleep. Once or twice while she lay in
the brutes and let ’em run at night, for that odd semi-conscious state, that in-
I’d heard ’em once or twice earlier in the fernal howling sounded underneath the
evening, but not so near or loud as this window, and each time she shook and
” ”
time. Doctor Trowbridge trembled as if
He paused again, swallowed once or "Of course. It frightened her,” I in-

twice convulsively, and drumm d nerv- terrupted soothingly.
ously on the edge of the desk with his "No! It wasn’t like that. It was as if
finger-tips, averting his gaze like a shame- she were all eagerness to get out there
faced schoolboy about to make a con- with that devilish hound — fairly trem-
fession. bling to go, sir!”
"Yes?” I prompted as the silence I stared at him incredulously, but his
lengthened embarrassingly. next words left me fairly breathless:
"You remember that horrible, inhuman "Next night she went!"
howl some one let out in my dining- "What?” I almost shouted.
,734 WEIRD TALES
"Just that, sir. The howling started way my wife looked at me, Doctor Trow-
during dinner next evening, and Hilde- bridge. And down in her throat she
garde dropped her knife and fork and made a sort of savage growling noise,
almost went into hysterics. I went to the like a police dog when he’s ready to
den and got out a gun to give the beast spring. It frightened me almost senseless
a dose of bird-shot, but when I opened for a moment, but I kept on, and she
the door there was nothing to be seen. I seemed normal enough when I reached
wandered round the house several times, her.
"
and once I thought I saw it over by the 'My dear, what are you doing out
wood lot— a big, white, shaggy brute here?’ I asked, but she just looked at me
but it was so far out of range I didn’t in a dazed, half-frightened sort of way,
even try a shot. and made no answer. I picked her up
"I woke up a after midnight with
little and carried her into the house, and put
a queer feeling something was wrong, her to bed. She went to sleep immediate-
and when I looked at Hildegarde’s bed ly. Next morning she remembered noth-
she wasn’t there. I waited nearly half an ing, and I didn’t press matters, you may
hour, then went to look for her. While be sure. I didn’t hear the dog again that
I was going through the library I heard night.”
that dam’ dog howling again, and when "Later?” de Grandin asked softly.
I went to the window and looked out I’ll "Yes, sir. Next night, and the next,
be hanged if I didn’t see her out on the and every night since then it’s howled
—
lawn and a great, white, fuzzy-looking around the house like a banshee, but
beast was fawning on her and leaping at though my wife has tossed in her sleep
her and licking her face! Yes, sir, there and risen to answer it once or twice, she
she stood in a temperature of thirty de- hasn’t gone out again —
not to my knowl-
grees with nothing but her nightdress on, edge, at any rate.”
fondling and playing with that beast as "Now, Norval,” I soothed, "all this is
if itwere a pet she’d had all her life!” very distressing, but I don’t think there’s
"What did you do?” I asked. anything to be really alarmed about. The
"Went out after her,” he answered other night when Hildegarde fainted and
simply. "The ground was pretty well I was tending her, I made a discovery
frozen and hurt my feet, and I must have has she told you?”
”
looked away once or twice as I tried to "You mean
pick my way across the lawn, though I "Just so, boy. Perhaps she’s not aware
tried to keep my eyes on her, for when of it, herself, yet, but you have a right
I reached her the dog was gone and she to expea some one will be occupying a
was standing there alone, her teeth chat- crib at Twelvetrees before next June.
tering with the cold. I called to her, and I’m violating no confidences when I tell
she looked at — —
me ” the words you me re than one patient I’ve had in
came slowly, and there was a choke in similar conditions has been as erratic in
his voice. behavior as Hildegarde. One lady could
I waited a moment, then patted his not abide the smell of fish, or even their
shoulder gently. "What was it, boy?” I sight. Merely seeing a bowl of goldfish
asked softly. would make her violently sick. Another
"She looked at me and snarled. You’ve had an inordinate craving for dried
seen the way a vicious cur curls back its herring, the saltier and smellier the better,
lips when you approach it? That’s the and in several cases conditions were so
bad they simulated real insanity, yet all keenest pleasure from running their fin-
came out right in the end, bore normal, gers over the smooth back of a pussy-cat
healthy children and became normal, or the rugged coat of a sheep-dog—-but
healthy women again. Zoophilia an ab- — they do not respond to wandering beasts’
normal love of animals isn’t as rare in — howling in kind. No. They do not run
such circumstances as you might suppose. barefoot into the winter night to fondle
I’m sure Hildegarde will be all right, wandering brutes; they do not greet their
son.” husbands with dog-snarls. These things
The young husband beamed on me, are different, my friend, but as yet I fear
and to my surprize de Grandin concurred we have seen but the prologue to the play.
in my opinion. "It is so,” he assured Still” —he shrugged his shoulders
Norval. "I, too, have seen strange things "trouble will come soon enough too —
at times like this. No woman is account- soon, parbleu ! — let the poor young Fleet-
able for anything, however strange it be, wood be spared as .long as possible,
which she may do while she bears another ”
for
life beneath her heart. Assuredly Friend The shrilling of the office telephone
Trowbridge is correct. At present you cut through his words.
have little to fear, but both of us will "Doctor Trowbridge?” the tortured
assist you in every manner possible. You voice across the wire asked tremulously.
have but to call on us, and I entreat you
do so the moment anything untoward
"This —
Norval Norval Fleetwood. I
is
just got home. Hildegarde’s gone! Nancy,

appears.” the colored maid, tells me a dog began
howling under the windows almost as
V ^ hat was decent of you, backing me soon as I left the house, and Hildegarde
A up that way, old chap,” I thanked seemed to go absolutely wild hysterical —
him as the door closed on Fleetwood. "I —laughing and crying, and shouting
was a perfect ague for fear you’d
in some sort of answer at the beast. Then
spring some of that occult hocus-pocus of she let out an answering bay and rushed
yours and scare the poor lad so we’d have out into the yard. She’s not been back,
two of ’em to treat instead of one.” and Nancy was frightened almost white.
He regarded me solemnly, tapping the She’s no idea which way Hildegarde
corner of my desk with the nail of a well- went. What shall I do?”
manicured forefinger for emphasis. ”1 "Wait a moment,” I bade, then re-
played the unutterable hypocrite,” he tailed his statement to de Grandin.
answered. "No word of what I said did "Mordieu, so soon? I had not thought
I believe, for I am more than sure a very it!” the Frenchman cried. "Bid him wait
evil thing has been let into the world, and for us, mon vieux, we come to him at
that much tears — blood, too, perhaps once, right away, immediately!”
must be shed before we drive it to its
own appointed place again. All that you “rrilENS, my friend, they fish in
said concerning the manic-depressive in- M. troubled waters who dabble in
sanity sometimes present in such condi- spiritism,”he remarked as we hastened
tions was true, my friend, but the history toward Fleetwood’s town house in Passa-
of this case differentiates it from those ic Boulevard. "Have I not said it before?
which you recalled. Normal young But certainly.”
women may develop a morbid love for "Bosh!” I answered testily. "What has
animals — I have seen them derive the spiritism to do with Hildegarde’s disap-
736 WEIRD TALES
pearance? suppose you’re referring to
I "Very well,” he nodded solemnly.
the seance at Twelvetrees? When some "Here is my opinion: The dog,’ as we
smart Alec answered that hound’s bay in have calledit, is no dog at all, but a wolf,
the dining-room that night it gave the or rather a loup-garou, what you call a
poor girl a dreadful shock. That was all werewolf, who has availed himself of the
that was needed to set her unbalanced opportunity given him by Mademoiselle
nervous system running wild—she prob- Noyer’s so detestable stance to return
”
ably wasn’t aware of her condition and and
hadn’t taken any care of herself, and re- I laughed aloud in spite of myself.
current depressive insanity has resulted.” "You are fantastic!” I told him.
"Oh?” he asked sarcastically. "And "Let us hope so,” he answered grimly.
since when has depressive insanity or any
"Jules de Grandin fancies himself most
recognized state of aberration connected excellently, but in this case nothing
with birth made the patient sit up in bed would please him more than to see him-
”
and howl like a dog, or self proved a superstitious booby. Yes.”
"Of course!” I broke in triumphantly.
"Norval gave us a typical symptom when <(
~\T as, suh,” the colored maid replied
he said she snarled at him. You know as X
to our hurried questions, “Miz
well as I that aversion for the husband Hildegarde done scairt me outa seven
is one of the commonest incidents of this years’ growth, a’most. Mistu Norval
form of derangement. She’s fought it as hadn’t hardly turned his back on de
hard as she could, poor child, but it’s house when de a’ mightiest howlin’ yuh
overmastered her. Now she’s run away. ever did hear started right underneath
We may have to keep Norval out of her Miz Hildegarde’s winder, an’ Ah like to
”
sight until fainted right where Ah wuz.”
"What of the dog — as we persist in "What were you doing? Where were
calling it —
which follows her and whose you at the time?” de Grandin asked.
howls she answers in kind?” he insisted. "Well, suh, hit wuz like dis yere: We
"Do you find it convenient to ignore him,
ail’d come in from de country today, an’
or had he slipped from your memory?” Miz Hildegarde me wuz ’most froze
an’
"Rats!” I scoffed. "The country’s full wid de cold. Ah done git me sumpin hot
”
of night-prowling dogs, and fo’ to drink — jest a little gin an’ lemon,
"And the city, also?” he broke in. suh — directly Ah got here, but she didn’t
"Dogs which howl beneath ladies’ win- want none, though she kep’ shiverin’ an’
dows the moment their husbands’ backs shakin’ like a little dog that’s been flung
are turned?” in de river an’ jest swum out an’ ain’t
"See here,” I turned on him, "just dry yet. —
They Mr. Norval an’ Miz
what are you driving at, anyway, de —
Hildegarde had dinner about seven
Grandin? What has the dog to do with o’clock, an’ Ah had mine at de same time,
the case?” ’cause Ah knowed Miz Hildegarde’d be
"If it were a dog, littleor nothing,” he wantin’ me directly. Pore thing, she ain’t
replied slowly. "We might dismiss it as been feelin’ so pert lately. So, soon’s
a case of zoophilia, as you suggested to they’s finished Ah gits up to her room
”
the young Fleetwood, but an’ waits there fo’ her. Ah’d helped her
"But what?” I demanded. "Out with outa her dress an’ jest got a black-chiffon
it. What's your idea?” negly-jay on her when Mistu Norval
W. T.—
comes to say he’s goin’ over to see Doc- "Lawdy, no, suh. Ah don’t speak no
tor Trowbridge. Yessuh. language ’ceptin’ English!”
*'
’Bout five minutes later, Ah ’speck "Think, Mademoiselle. Much, a very
hit wuz, whilst Ah wuz brushin’ Miz greatmuch, depends on it. Can not you
Hildegarde’ s hair, Ah hears all sudden- say what the words sounded like, even
like, de awfulest hollerin’ an’ yellin’ though they conveyed no meaning to

under de winder. you?”
"
’Nancy!’ Miz Hildegarde says to me, The woman rolled her eyes upward
’does yuh hear dat?’ and inhaled deeply, compressing her lips
*'
'Certainly, Ah hears it, honey,’ Ah and puffing out her cheeks as though she
says. 'Does yuh think Ah’s deef?’ would force memory by the very pressure
''She kinder walls up her eyes, like de of pent-up breath. At length:
pictures ob de saints ’bout to git kilt by "Hit sounded like she said 'jere raven,’
de lions yuh sees, an’ says, real fast-like, suh,” she replied, excelling the breath
'No, no; Ah won’t; Ah won’t, Ah tell from her packed lungs with an explosive
yuh; Ah won’t!’ An’ then she kinder gasp. "Not perzackly 'raven,’ suh, but
breaks down an’ shivers like she’d taken sumpin like hit. Dat’s de neares’ Ah can
a chill or sumpin, an’ sorter turns around come to hit. Yuh see, Ah wuz so scairt
to me an’ says, no use, Nancy; he’s
'It’s Ah wuzn’t takin’ no proper notice ob
’
got me; tell Mistu Norval Ah love what she said. What she wuz gwine to
An’ wid dat she stops talkin’, an’ her lips do wuz what int’ rested me, suh.”
sorter curls back from her teeth, an’ her "Jere raven; jere raven?” de Gran-
eyes goes all glassy an’ stary, an’ she din muttered musingly to himself.
sorter growls way down in her throat, "Jere
an’ her hands sorter balls up into fists, "Barbe d’un pore, I have it! Je reviens
on’y de fingers is stretched out like she — I return — I come back! That was it;
wuz goin’ to scratch somebody, an’ — jest n’est-ce-pas, Mademoiselle?” he turned
about dat time Ah gits down behind de inquiringly to the maid.
sofa over yonder, suh, ’cause Ah was "Yas, suh; dat’s jes’ what she said, like
pow’ful ’feared she wuz a-goin’ to jump Ah done tole yuh. 'Jere raven;’ dat’s hit!”
on me.” He cast a swift, triumphant glance at
"Yes, and then?” de Grandin asked, me. "What have you now to say, my
his little eyes shining. old one?” he demanded.
”
"Lawd-a-massy, suh. Den de trouble "Nothing, only
did start. Like to scairt mah haid white! "Tres bon. Say the 'nothing’ now; the
Miz Hildegarde done run over to de 'only’ will wait till later. Let us first seek
winder sumpin down

an’ looked out at Madame Hildegarde.”
there in de yard, an’ yelled sumpin in A hurry call was put in to police head-
some foreign words, an’ den she took out quarters, and for upward of three hours
an’ run downstairs like de debbil hisse’f we patrolled the cold, deserted streets,
wuz after her, a-howlin’ an’ yellin’ an’ but neither sight nor information of
carryin’ on like she wuz a dawg her own Hildegarde Fleetwood could we obtain.
se’f, suh. ’Deed, she did!” At last, cold, exhausted and discouraged,
"And can you recall what it was she we turned back, dreading Norval’s tragic
said when she looked out the window, eyes when we reported failure.
Mademoiselle?” Beside the front portico of the house
W. T.—
738 WEIRD TALES
we paused a moment while I spread my chilled water, followed by a rubdown
lap-robe over the engine-hood, for I had with alcohol and gentle massage with dry
not yet put on my winter radiator-front. flannel cloths restored her circulation,
As I turned toward the steps, a feeble, and a cup of hot beef tea administered in
whimpering moan from the copse of spoonful doses brought some semblance
dwarf spruce beside the porch attracted of color to her pallid cheeks. watched We
my attention. A moment later we had for any symptoms of congestion, but were
parted the evergreens, and de Grandin at satisfied that Hildegarde had
last
flashed the light of his pocket lamp into suffered nothing worse than shock, and
the shadow under them. so we gave a bromide sedative and left,
Hildegarde Fleetwood crouched hud- impressing Norval with the importance
dled in a heap in an angle of the wall, of calling us immediately if any change in
the flimsy black-chiffon pajama negligee her condition came.
she wore torn to tatters, one black-satin shook my head despondently as we
I
mule hanging to her delicate, unstock- drove toward my house. "This case ap-
inged foot by its heel-strap, the other pears more serious than I’d thought at
only heaven knew where. Beneath the first,” I finally admitted.
rents in her diaphanous costume cancelli "Much,”de Grandin nodded em-
of deep, angry scratches showed, her feet "Very much, my friend. Very
phatically.
were bruised and bleeding and stained damn much, indeed. Yes. Certainly.”
with red-clay mud above the ankles,
other patches of earth-soil were on her “ 71 ATORD1EU, my worst fears are all
knees and hands and arms, and the nails ±V± confirmed! It is devilish, in-
of every carefully-cared-for finger were fernal, no less! Read, my friend, read
grimy with fresh earth and broken to the and weep, then say whose diagnosis was
quick. Earth-stains were on her face and wrong, who talked the words of the fool
clotted in her hair, too, as though she concerning poor, bedeviled Madame
might have wiped her countenance and Hildegarde, if you please!" Jules de
put back the flowing veil of her long, Grandin cried as he perused the Morning
bronze hair with clayey hands while she Journal next day at breakfast. He thrust
performed some arduous task. the paper at me with hands which trem-
"Good Lord!’ 1 I cried, stooping to bled with excitement, indicating the item
gather the all but frozen girl in my arms in the upper right-hand angle of the first
and bear her up the steps. page:

The little Frenchman aided me as best GHOULS OP EN GIRL’S GRAVE
he could, lighting my way with his Remove Body From Casket, Steal Lily From
pocket torch, leaping before me to fling Dead Hands and Leave Remains Uncovered
wide the storm- and vestibule-doors. "At
Woman in Black Sought
last,” he murmured softly, "at last, my
Called at Cemetery Earlier in Night and
friend, you do assume the proper attitude
Frightened Sexton
and call upon the Lord. We shall have
Ghouls, working in the silence of St. Rose’s R.
much need of His aid before we finish
C. Cemetery, on the Andover Rd. two miles north
and of the aid of Jules de Grandin, like- of Harrisonville, it became known early today,
wise.” dug up from a freshly made grave the body of
Miss Monica Doyle, 16, daughter of Patrick Doyle,
We hurried restorative treatment as 16J Willow Ave., Harrisonville, who died last
Wednesday and was buried yesterday morning.
much as possible. A sponge bath of From the slender hands crossed on the dead
gill’s breast, clasping a rosary

white lily, the ghouls stole
itaway.
and the stem of a
the flower and carried
The corpse, with its shroud and burial clothing

A
glowing
small egg-shaped
dully red, heated

stove,
with mixed soft coal and coke, and
the
crammed
little
disordered and torn, was thrown back face down
cement-block office of St. Rose’s Cemetery
in the casket, the lid replaced and the grave left
open. to mid-August temperature and made
The crime, with its weird settings and the added mock of the December wind whistling
mystery of the visit to the cemetery earlier in the
night of a strange black-robed woman accompa- about the angles of the house and wrest-
nied by a monstrous white dog, who frightened ling with the bare-limbed trees which
the sexton, Andrew Fischer, was disclosed early
this morning when Ronald Flander, 25, and Jacob
dotted the dismal little burial park. Mr.
Rupert, 31, grave-diggers, going to prepare a grave Fischer, a round-faced, blue-eyed man in
for an early morning funeral, noticed the fresh
earth heaped up by the Doyle girl’s violated grave early middle age who looked as though
and, going nearer, discovered the unearthed casket he would have been more at home stand-
and corpse.
ing in white jacket behind a delicatessen
Desecration of Miss Doyle’s grave forms one of
the most remarkable crimes in the annals of New counter, nodded us casual greeting from
Jersey since the murder of Sarah Humphreys 5 behind the copy of the Morgen Zeitung
years ago, the scene of which was the golf links
of the Sedgemoor Country club which is slightly he was perusing with interest. "From the
more than two miles distant from the cemetery and newspapers?” he inquired. "Can’t tell
also abuts on the Andover Rd.
One theory advanced is that a person possessed
you nothin’ more’n you already know.
of religious fanaticism, swayed by the superstition Can’t you fellers leave me have no peace?
that a lily buried with a body will thrive on the ”
corpse, committed the deed to remove the flower. I’m busy this mornin’, an’
The police are now running down scores of "So much is obvious,” de Grandin cut
clues in an effort to solve the mystery and an ar-
rest is promised within 24 hours. in with a quick smile which took the edge
from his irony, "but we will take but a
I finished the grisly account, then
moment of your time. Meanwhile, as
stared in wide-eyed horror at de Grandin.
your minutes are precious, perhaps you
"This is terrible — devilish
”
— as you say,”
would accept a small compensation for a
I admitted. "Who little information?” There was a flash of
"Ah bah, who asks what overset the green, and a banknote changed hands
cream-jug when the cat emerges from the with the rapidity of a prestidigitator’s
jdie a manger with whitened whiskers?” card disappearing. Mr. Fischer’s slightly
he shot back. "Come, let us go. There is bored manner gave way to one of urbane
no time to lose.” alertness. what can I do for you
"Sure,
"Go? Where?” gents?” he wanted to know.

The little Frenchman produced his cig-
"To the cemetery of St. Rose, of course.
arette case, proffered it to Fischer and
Come, quick; haste, my friend. The
selected a smoke for himself with in-
police, in pursuit of the scores of clues so
finite care. "First of all,” he replied, "we
glibly talked of by our journalistic friend,
desire to know of the mysterious lady in
may have already obliterated all that
black whose appearance has been com-
which would be useful to us. Nous
mented on. You can tell us of her, per-
venons”
haps?”
"D’ye think they’ll really make an "Sure can,” the other volunteered. "It
arrest?”
was about half-past nine or ten o’clock
"God forbid,” he answered piously. she like to scared a lung out o’ me. We
"Come, for heaven’s love; hurry, mon close th’ main gates at eight an’ th’ foot-
vieux, I beseech you!” path gates at half-past nine, an’ I’d just
740 WEIRD TALES
8
locked the small gate and gotten ready to dressed in some sort o black robe with
hit th’ hay when I heard it flappin’ an’ no sleeves, an’ — an’ kind o’ — I don’t
bangin’ in th’ wind. It was pretty bad know just how to say it, sir. Sort o’ devil-
last night, you know. I went out to see wMookin’, you might say.”
what matter was, an’ darned if th’
th’ "Devilish? How?”
lock hadn’t broken. It was kind o’ old an’ "Well, she had a kind o’ smile on her
rusty, anyhow, but it oughtn’t to have face, like she was pleased to meet me
broken in an ordinary wind-storm. I
tinkered with it awhile, but couldn't do
there, but more pleased I was alone if —
you get me. More of a snarl than a smile,
nothin’ with it, so I went to look for a
you’d call it; kind o’ pleased an’ savage-
piece o’ rope or wire or somethin’ to tie
lookin’ at th’ same time.
it shut.
"An’ that dog! Mein Gott! He was
"There’s a tool shed over th’ other end
big as a calf an’ with a long, pointed
o’ th’ lot —other side o’ th’ consecrated
snout an’ great, red mouth hangin’ open,
ground, where suicides an’ unbaptized chil-
an’ long, narrow eyes, like a Chinaman’s,
dren an’ th' like o’ that is buried, right
an’ they was flashin’ in th’ dark, like a
by th’ pauper section — an’ I thought most
cat’s!”
likely I’d find what I was lookin’ for
"Did they move to attack you?”
there. Th’ men dumps everythin’ they
"No, sir, I can’t say they did. Just
don’t happen to be usin’ in it. Well, sir,
stood there,th’ dog with one foot raised,
just as I was cuttin’ across to that shed,
like he was ready to jump on me, an’ th’
who should jump up out o’ nowhere but
woman standin’ beside him with her hair
a great, long, tall woman with th’ biggest
all blowin’ about her an’ one hand on
of a dog you ever seen
an’ ugliest brute
th’ beast’s back, an’ th ’ both of ’em
standing right alongside her. Gott in
Himmel!” —
he dropped his idiomatic
growled
growled
at
first,
me!
an’ th’
So help me,
woman did
th’
th’
beast
same.
American for the language of his father-
land
—
"I was frightened!”
"I didn’t waste no time gettin’ away
from there, I can tell you!”
The Frenchman thoughtfully flicked a "You have no idea from whence they
half-inch of ash on the worn linoleum came?”
rug covering the room’s cement floor. "None whatever.”
"And can you des’cribe her?” he asked "Nor where they went thereafter?”
slowly, shooting me a quick glance, then "Not me. I got back here as fast as I
regarding the curling smoke from his could an’ locked th’ door an’ moved th’
cigarette with careful scrutiny. desk against it!”
Mr. Fischer considered a moment. '1 "U’m. And may one see the grave of
ain’t sure,”he replied. "It was so sud- the so unfortunate Mademoiselle Doyle?”
den, th’ way she bobbed up from no- Racial antipathy flared in Fischer’s eyes
where, an’ I don’t mind admittin’ I was as de Grandin used the French title, but
more anxious to run than stand there an’ memory of recent largess was more potent
look at her. She was pretty tall, half a than inherited hatred. "Sure,” he agreed,
head taller than th’ average woman, I’d with markedly lessened cordiality, and
say at a guess, an’ — well, I suppose you slipped a stained sheepskin reefer over
could call her pretty, too. Kind o’ thin his shoulders. "Come on.”
an’ straight, with great, long hair all Casket and earth had been replaced in
blowin’ round her face an’ shoulders, the violated sepulcher, but the raw red
earth showed like a bleeding wound "Hey, I can’t wait no longer,” the
about the place where Monica Doyle lay superintendent warned. "Got a lot o’
in everlasting slumber. things to do. See me in my office if you
The little Frenchman observed sur- want to ask me anything else,” with
roundings carefully, sank to his knees to which announcement he turned upon his
take a closer view of the trampled mud heel and left us.
about the refilled grave, then rose with a "Sale caboche," de Grandin muttered,
nod. "And now, if you will be so good casting a level stare of cold hatred at the
as to show us where you encountered the sexton’s retreating back. "No matter, you
so strange visitants last night, we shall no have served your turn; your absence is the
longer trouble you,” he told the sexton. best gift you can give us. Quick, Friend
Trowbridge, stand before me, if you
T
wealthy
he cemetery was a small one, and
obviously catered
clientele. Few
to a far
graves
from
were
please.”
From his waistcoat popket

his cigarette lighter and set it
he produced
flaring, and
properly mounded, and more briars than from the pocket of his topcoat he took a
flowers evidently grew there in the sum- length of paraffin candle. "I thought we
mer. Now, in bleak December, it held an might have need of this,” he explained as
air of desolation which depressed me like he proceeded to melt the grease and pour
a strain of melancholy music. Bare and it carefully into the imprint of a tiny,
desolate as the better portions of the park slender shoe which showed in the wet
were, however, the section set aside for clay.*
indigents and those who died without "Whatever are you doing?” I asked,
the pale was infinitely worse. No turf, standing before him to shield him from
save weed crab-grass, hid the bare, red the wind and the glance of any curious
clayfrom view, the graves were fallen in passers-by at once.
and those which sported markers were
"Parbleu, I do construct a brick house
more pathetic than those unmarked, for in which to store your senseless ques-
mere white-painted boards or stones so tions!" he answered with a grin, tamping
crudely carved that any beggar might
the hot paraffin daintily into the depres-
scorn to own them were all the monu-
sion, then waiting anxiously for it to
ments. Midway between the garden- harden.
plots of hopelessness the superintendent
As soon as the impression had been
paused. "Here’s where it was,” he an-
made, he wrapped it carefully in two
nounced curtly, eyeing de Grandin with thick sheets of paper, then, with his find
no friendly glance. "Make it snappy; held tenderly as a day-old infant, pro-
I'm busy — can’t stand here in th’ cold all
ceeded methodically to pace across the
day.”
graveyard, carefully obliterating every
Once more de Grandin surveyed the feminine footprint he could find. "I
terrain.Sinking to his knees he looked doubt the police have taken casts of
minutely at the red and sticky mud where these,” he told me, "but if the good Cos-
Fischer had been frightened, then rose, tello comes into the case he may show
and with a queer, abbreviated stride, more intelligence than most. He has asso-
moved toward the lines of leafless Lom- ciated much with me, you will recall.”
bardy poplars which served as wind-break When all had been accomplished to his
by the rear fence of the graveyard. satisfaction, he steered me toward the
742 WEIRD TALES
entrance. "Merci beaucoup, Monsieur near by the cemetery upon our homeward
1’Allemand-tram plante!” he called ironi- trip. And this” — from another pocket he
cally ashe lifted his green-felt hat and produced the first satin slipper’s mate
passed from the cemetery. "is Madame Hildegarde’s shoe which she
"Dam’ Frog!” returned Superintendent wore last night when we did find her all
Fischer, with which exchange of ameni- unconscious outside her house. I did buy
ties we parted company. itfrom the femme de chambre whom we
interviewed last night but one little hour
"Slowly, Friend Trowbridge, drive
ago. Yes. Now, attend me:
slowly, if you please,” he ordered as we
left the graveyard, and from his vantage- "You will observe the shoes are iden-
point beside me he peered from left to tical, save one is broken, the other whole.
right at the scrub vegetation bordering You will notice both are stained with
the road. Once or twice at his request I identical red mud —the mud of St. Rose’s
stopped while he alighted and made Cemetery. Now, you will notice, each fits
forays into the undergrowth. Finally, the impression I took among the graves.
when we had consumed the better part of Enfin, they are each other’s mates, the
an hour traversing a quarter-mile, he re- shoes of Madame Hildegarde which she
turned from an investigative trip with a wore last night — into the cemetery when
smile of satisfaction. "Triomphe!” he she and that wolf-thing which com-
announced, holding his find up for my panioned her dug up the corpse of Ma-
inspection. It was a dainty, French-heeled demoiselle Doyle! She was the so mys-
black-satin bedroom mule, the strap de- terious 'woman in black,’ my friend, and
signed to hold it to its wearer’s heel torn — par pitie de Dieu! her companion —
loosefrom its stitchings at one end, and was the revenant spirit of Gilles Gamier,
the whole smeared with sticky, red-day the werewolf of St. Bonnot, which slipped
mud. through the door Mademoiselle Noyer let
open at her never-to-be-enough-repro-
"And now, if you will be so good as
bated seance that Sunday night at Twelve-
to putme down, I shall be very grateful,”
trees!
he informed me as we reached the cen-
tral part of town. "Laugh, snicker, grin like a dog! I
tell you it is so! Pliit a Dieu it were
omething like an hour later he otherwise!”
S entered my consulting-room, eyes "I’m not laughing,” I answered sober-
shining with elation, a smile of satisfac- ly. "I was inclined to think you were at
tion hovering beneath the needle ends of your favorite game of phantom-fighting
his diminutive, tightly waxed blond at first; but the developments in this case
mustache. "Doubting Thomases must have been so strange and dreadful I’m
have their proof,” he told me; "Pest willing to let you take full charge. We’ve
pourquoi I bring you yours. Regardez: seen some strange, terrible things to-
"This” —he carefully unwrapped a gether, de Grandin, and I’m not inclined
”
parcel and laid its contents on the desk to scoff now. But tell me
"is the impression of the so dainty foot- "Everything I can!” he cut in impetu-
print which I did take at the cemetery. ously, holding out his hands. "What is
This” —from his overcoat pocket he it you would know?”

fished the satinmule he had salvaged "If Hildegarde’s animal companion
—
from the roadside "is what we found really were a werewolf, why did they un-
THE WOLF OF ST. BONNOT i743
earth thebody of the Doyle girl? I’ve those defied them, and they could do no
always heard werewolves attacked the more than vent their futile, baffled rage
living.” upon the corpse and offer it gross insult
“And also the dead,” he replied. and cast it back into its coffin. No.”
"There are different grades among them; He took a quick half -turn across the
some kill dogs and sheep, but fight man- room, retraced his steps, snatched a cig-
kind only when attacked, some are like arette from his case and set it aglow with
hyenas, and prey upon the dead, others savage energy. "Attend me,” he ordered,
the worst — lust after human flesh, espe- seating himself on the corner of the desk
cially human blood, and quest and kill and fixing me with a level, unwinking
women, children, even men, when weaker stare.
game is not available. In this case, this "You are familiar with the so-called
vile Gamier perchance chose the help-
'new psychology’ of Freud and Jung, at
less dead for victim for their raid
” you have a working knowledge of it.
least
because
Very well, then, consider: You know
" Their raid?” I echoed in horror. there is no such thing as true forgetful-
"Their ”
ness. Every gross desire — every hatred,
"Alas, yes. It is too true. Poor, un- every passion, every lust the conscious,
fortunate Madame Hildegarde has be- waking mind experiences is indexed and
come even as her conqueror and master, pigeon-holed in the recesses of the sub-
Gilles Gamier. She, too, is loup-garou. liminal Those whose conscious
mind.
She, too, is of that multitudinous herd recollection is free from every vestige of
not yet made fast in hell. Recall how she envy, malice, hatred or lust may go to a
cried out, 'No, no, I will not come!’ last seance, and there liberate all the repressed
night, then, turning to her maid, said, —the 'forgotten’ — evil desires they have
'It is no he has me!’ Also how she
use, had since early childhood without being
charged the femme de chambre with a in anywise aware of it. We know from
farewell message of love for her husband our study of psychology that fixed, im-
ere she ran howling from the house to mutable laws govern mental processes.
join her ghostly master? Remember, too, There is, by example, the law of similar-
how her nails were all mud-stained and ity,which evokes the association of ideas;
broken when we found her? Assuredly, there is the law of integration, which
she had been digging in the grave beside splitsmental images into integral frag-
that other one. Yes.” ments, and the law of re-integration,
"Then why didn’t they ” I began, which enables the subconscious mind to
but the question stuck in my throat. rearrange these split images into one com-
"Why didn’t they — eat ” I stopped, pleted picture of a past event or scene as
nauseated. one fits together the pieces of a jig-saw
"Because of what the dead girl’s dead puzzle.
hands clasped,” he answered. "The lily "Very good. Ten or a dozen people
they could ravish away and tear to bits seat themselves in silence around a table,
I found shreds of it embedded in the every condition for light hypnosis is pres-
mud beside the grave, though the police ent — lack of external attractions of the
and others overlooked it but the blessed — attention, darkness, a common focusing
Rosary and the body assoiled with prayer of thought upon a single objective, that
and incense and holy water ha, pardieu, of attracting spirits. In such conditions
744 WEIRD TALES
the sitters may be said to ’pool their con- "Ha, but Jules de Grandin knew him!
sciousness’ —the normal inhibitions of the As you have studied the history of medi-
conscious mind are relieved from duty. cine and anesthesia and of the recurrent
The sentry sleeps and the fortress gates plagues which have scourged the world,
are open! Conditions for invasion are so I have studied the history of those
ideal. other plagues which destroyed the body
"Eh my friend, do not think the
bien, or the soul, sometimes both together. Lis-
enemy slow to take advantage of his
is
ten, I will tell you of Gilles Gamier:
opportunity. By no means. If there be "In 1573, when Charles IX occupied
even one person at the seance whose sub- the throne of France, there dwelt at St.
up any unholy desires
consciousness locks Bonnot, near the town of Dole, a fellow
— and who has been entirely free from named Gilles Gamier. He was an ill-
thought-dominance by one of the Seven favored churl, and those who knew him
Deadly Sins throughout his life? the — best knew little good of him. He dwelt
Powers of Evil have a ready-made ally alone, so that the country folk called him
within the gates. That like attracts like 'the hermit,’ but the title carried with it
is dominant law of nature, and the law
a no attribute of sanctity. Quite otherwise.
of similarity is one of the rules of psy- "Midsummer came that fateful year,
chology. The gateway of the psyche is and with it numerous complaints to the
thrown open to whoever may enter in. Parliament of Dole. Farmers living near
"Now, who would be the city brought in accounts of sheep
the easiest one
attacked? Madame Hildegarde is not
stolen from the fold at dead of night, of
well. Her blood-stream, her whole sys- dogs killed as they watched the flocks, of
little children found dead and horribly
tem, must care for two instead of one,
thereby lessening her powers of resist-
mangled along the roadside and beneath
ance.
the hedges. Three wandering minstrels
"Very good. A sign? Consider what

— all veterans of the wars and stout
occurred. A rapping announces a man-

—
swordsmen were set upon as they rode
through the wood of St. Bonnot at night,
spirit, seeking communication. His name
and one of them was all but killed,
is asked. He answers. Eh bien, I shall
though they resisted fiercely. The coun-
say he answers! He gives his real name,
tryside was terrorized and even men-at-
for there is little fear that any one pres-
arms preferred to stay at home by night,
'Gilles Gamier,
ent will recognize him.
for a loup-garou, or werewolf, the like of
who Bonnot in the reign of
lived at St.
which had never before been known, had
King Charles,’ he brazenly announces
claimed the land for his own from sunset
himself. Do you know him, perhaps?”
until dawn.
He paused a moment, lifting his brows
"On the evening of November 8,
interrogatively.
1573, when the fields were all but nude
"Why, no, I never heard of him,” I of vegetation and the last leaves re-
answered. luctantly parting company with the trees,
"Bien.Neither had any one there three laborers were hurrying to their
present. His name, his nationality, his homes Chastenoy by a woodland short-
at
epoch, all sounded ’romantic’ to a circle cut when they heard the screams of a
of fat-headed fools; is it not so? Yes, little girl issuing from a dense tangle of
decidedly. vines and undergrowth. And with the
child’s cries mingled the baying of a the he had vanished as com-

city gates, yet
wolf. pletely as though the earth had swallowed
"Swinging their billhooks, they cut him. Morbleu, swallowed he had been,
themselves a pathway through the wild- but not by the earth! No.
wood, and hastened toward the sounds. "Circumstantial evidence involved this
In a little clearing they beheld this ter- so unsaintly hermit, Gilles Gamier. A
rifying sight:Backed against a tree, de- sergent de ville and six arquebusiers went
fending herself as best she might with forth to arrest him and took him into
her shepherd’s crook, was a little maid of custody shortly after noon on November
ten, already bleeding from a score of 16. His trial followed quickly.
wounds, while before her crouched a "It is a curious circumstance, often
monstrous creature which never ceased its commented on, that those involved in
devilish baying as it attacked her tooth such crimes seldom needed to be put to
and nail. the question, but readily confessed when
"As the peasants ran forward the thing finally their sin had found them out. It
fled off into the forest on all fours, dis- was usually so was
in witchcraft trials; it
appearing instantly in the darkness. The so in this. Gamier mak-

readily admitted
men would have followed, but the faint- ing a compact with the Devil whereby he
ing, sorely wounded child demanded was given the power of transforming him-
their attention.” self into a wolf at will, providing he
He
paused to light another cigarette, willed it between darkness and cock-crow.
then: "In court,” he asked, "when there "Witnesses in flocks appeared against
is contrariety of testimony, supposing all him. The trouveurs who had been at-
witnesses had equal opportunity of tacked appeared, and so did many a

observation, which version would be farmer whose sheepfold had been raided;
believed?” but the little maid the peasants saved
"Why, that supported by the greatest near Chastenoy was strongest in her testi-
number of witnesses, I suppose,” I mony, for she identified the prisoner by
answered. his eyes. Furthermore, when an impres-

"Very good. That seems logical, does sion of his teeth was taken, it matched
it not? Consider then: Next day, when precisely with the tooth-marks in her
these peasants laid their story before the half-healed scars. The werewolf keeps
authorities, one swore the child’s assail- his human teeth, as well as eyes, while
ant had a man’s body, though it was metamorphosized, it seems.

covered with hair and ran on all fours; "Gamier admitted the attack and
the other two declared as positively it had added tales of many others to it. On the
the body of a gaunt, light-gray wolf, but lastday of Michaelmas, near the wood of
the eyes of a man. La Serre, while in his wolf-form, he had
"You will recall, perhaps, the amiable attacked with teeth and claws a little girl
Monsieur Fischer declared this morning of ten or twelve, dragged her into a
that the brutewhich frightened him last thicketand gnawed the flesh from her
night had 'eyes like a Chinaman’? Very arms and legs. There were those who
well. corroborated his story in part, by telling
"November 14, 1573, a little boy of of the finding of the little mutilated
eight disappeared. The child had last corpse.
been seen within a crossbow’s range of "On the fourteenth day after All
746 WEIRD TALES
Saints, also in the form of a wolf, he had brain — I it with you
shan’t dispute but —
killed and eaten a little boy. On Friday how he able to manifest himself
is
before the feast of St. Bartholomew he physically? It might have been a vision
had seized and killed a lad of twelve or a ghost or specter, or whatever you
near the village of Perrouze, and would wish to call it, that Fischer saw in the
have eaten him but for the appearance of cemetery, or that Norval Fleetwood saw
some peasants. These men were found sporting with his wife on the lawn at
and corroborated the prisoner’s story, Twelvetrees, but it was no unsubstantial
and again conflict of testimony appeared. wraith which dug the little Doyle girl
Some swore he was in human form, from her grave and tossed her poor,
though fur-covered and going on all desecrated body back into its casket. It
fours; the others deposed he had a true won’t do to say Hildegarde did it. Even
wolf’s form. All were agreed he howled granting she had the supernatural
and growled like any natural beast. strength of the insane, the task would
"By the way,’’ he broke off, "can you have been physically impossible for her to
recall the date Mademoiselle Noyer con- perform unaided.”
voked her seance at Twelvetrees?” "Incomparable Trowbridge!” he cried
"Why —— —
er” I made a hasty mental delightedly. "Always, when it looks
calculation "yes, of course. It was the darkest,you do show me a light in the

twenty-sixth of November.” blackness.To you I and Madame Hilde-
garde owe our salvation. No less!”
"Precisement," he nodded gravely.
"And was upon November 26, 1573,
it I stared at him open-mouthed. "What
in the world ” I began, but he cut me
that Gilles Gamier, forever after to be
known as the werewolf of St. Bonnot, short with a delighted gesture.
having duly been found guilty, was "Attend me carefully,” he ordered.

dragged for half a mile over a rough "You have resolved a most damnably
road by ropes attached to his ankles, complex problem into a most simple
bound to a stake and given to the flames.” solution. Yes. You know —or at least I
"Coinci ’’
began doubtfully, but:
I
so inform you — that one of the common
"Coinci — he snapped. "Coin-
devil!” phenomena associated with spiritistic
cidences like that do not occur, my friend. seances is the production of light. Numer-
For almost four and a half centuries this ous mediums have the power of attract-
man’s wicked, earth bound soul had ing or emitting light, and even in small,
hovered in the air, invisible, but very amateur circles where there is in all truth
potent. Upon the anniversary of his exe- little enough 'light’ in the psychic sense,
cution his memory is strongest, for such elemental phenomena are produced.
jealousy of life, and rage, and eagerness Very good. What is this light? Some of
to return and raven once again are great- it may be true spirit-phenomena, but
est then. He beats against the portal of mostly nothing but human mental
it is
our world like the wolf against the doors energy manifested as light waves, and
of les trois petit cochons in the nursery- given off by the concerted thought of the
story, and where he finds a door weak circle of sitters at the seance. But at times
enough he breaks through! Yes. In- this essence given off is something more
dubitably. It is so.” substantial than the mere emission of
"But see here,” I countered, "it’s all vibrations capable of being recognized as
very well to say he’s seized Hildegarde’s ( Continued on page 836)

Burnt Things ,
t»*> rob£rt c s&tmsoe*
“'"'V E NEXT town am Como, sah!” He had looked at me oddly and shook
m said the porter, lugubriously. his head without answering.
*“' He said it in much the same tone And then at the junction where the train
that he might have used in announcing had changed crews, the new conductor had
that my coffin awaited. repeated the performance.
I swore under my breath, impatiently. "Been there since the fire?” he asked,
This confounded mystery was getting on when he was finally assured of my desti-
my nerves. Eirst the ticket agent at Ral-
nation.
ston.
I shook my remembered read-
head. I
"Como?” he had said blankly. "You
ing in the papers that a month or so be-
want a ticket for Como?” The inference
fore, the sugar factory at Como had
plainly was that no human being in his
burned under queer circumstances, and
right mind could ever wish to go to Como.
— —
"Oh uh ticket for Como, yessir.” the death list had been appalling. It had
taken half the town with it, and I thought
And then the conductor. The way he
had stared at my and at me, and
ticket the mystery was explained. When half a
finally asked, as if doubting the evidence town of two hundred population bums,
of his eyes: "You’re going to Como, are the remnant is scarcely visible to the
you? naked eye, and certainly could hold little
"For heaven’s sake,” I answered, "why attraction for the visitor.
shouldn’t I be going there?” "You know there ain’t any — ain’t many
747
748 WEIRD TALES
people there now," the conductor per- "Ever’ body done moved away from
sisted. there, boss, ’scusin’ one old geezer, what’d
I hate making explanations, but he was make good food fo’ the squirrels.”
plainly awaiting one. "What’s wrong with him?”
"I’m visiting friends on a ranch near "Sorta weak in the haid. An’ then
there.” there’s — there’s — say, boss, you been there
"Oh, that’s different.” His voice indi- since the fire?”
cated positive relief. "They’ll be waiting "No.”
to meet you, I suppose.” "Funny things goin’ on there, boss
"Why, no, they won’t. It’s a surprize funny things. Lots o'men died in that
visit. I’ll stop in the village over night, fire, an’ they do say as how it was set.”
and hire someone to drive me out next "An incendiary fire? Yes, I read of it.
morning.” And I suppose die ghosts of the burned
"Stop there over night?” The con- come back for vengeance?”
ductor spoke so sharply that 1 jumped. "All right! All right, boss! Laugh as
"Say, if there’s no one to meet you say, — much as yo’ want to. But she’s a mighty
it’s only ten miles into San Benito. Why queer place spend a night in!”
fo’ to
don’t you ride on down there and catch I turned away impatiently, and as soon
Number One back in the morning. Then as the blankets were spread, turned in. I
you’ll get there in daylight.” was half tempted to ride on into San
"I’m not scared of the dark,” I said, Benito, as the conductor had suggested.
with what I hoped was withering sarcasm. But after all I had said, that might be
"Please have the porter make up my berth. construed into a confession that I was
I’ll knock off a little sleep before we get afraid of the dark! So I remained silent,
there.” and presently dropped asleep.
The conductor opened his mouth two "De next town am Como, sah!” the
or three times, but finally went his way porter had said, and I sat up sleepily and
without speaking. He was back in a few began drawing on my clothes.
minutes with the porter, to whom he spoke "Listen, boss. Be a lot safer if yo’ was
heavily: to ride on to San Benito with us.”
"Take good care of this gentleman, I had been thinking the same thing my-
Sam. He’s going to Como.” self, but this only stiffened my determina-
"Fo’ de Lawd's sake!” The negro’s tion to leave the train there, if I died for
eyes and mouth both popped wide. it. But of late I’ve been valuing my life
"I am!” I said irritably. "And please more highly.
make up my berth!”
The conductor passed on down the had scarcely finished dressing when
aisle, and the porter, after a moment of I the train began to slow down, and I
goggle-eyed amazement, began to prepare hurried out to the vestibule. The porter
the berth. dropped the steps, his eyes rolling uneasily
"You’ll be sure and wake me in time?” over his shoulder. I was scarcely on the
I added. ground when he hurled the steps back into

“Yessuh, yessuh!” The negro spoke ab- the ca,r, and followed them so fast that his
stractedly; then turning to face me: "Boss, white coat fairly blurred, in the darkness.
does yo’ know yo’ll git in there at one "De Lawd take keer o’ yo’, boss,” he
o’clock in the mo’nin’?” said as the train chugged out. It gathered
"What about it?” I asked. speed so rapidly, it almost seemed the en-
BURNT THINGS 749
gineer was anxious to leave Como behind "Good evening,” said a voice, pleas-
— far behind. antly.
"Nice, cheerful cuss,” I murmured, as I had not heard the man approach. I
I picked up my suitcase and stared doubt- must have broken all records for a stand-
fully around me. ing high jump. He stood close behind me,
had been more than a year since I
It dressed in the greasy clothes of a factory
had been in the village, and the fire had laborer, with a cap pulled far down over
changed the face of things vastly. The his face.
gutted factory still dominated the town, "You startled me,” I said with a laugh.
however, as of yore. Its broken, fire- "I was beginning to think I was the only
blackened walls still towered jaggedly, out person in the village.”
there across the tracks. "Old John Barry’s still here,” said the
The depot was a mere heap of ashes, as stranger. "You’ll find him over yonder.
were all the near-by houses, but up where He never comes over here where the fire
>>
Main Street had been some brick buildings was.
had partly withstood the flames. Appar- "I’d like to find him,” I admitted. "I’ll
ently they had also acted as a fire-stop, for have to stay in town over night, until I
other houses beyond there seemed to be can get transportation out to Jim Don-
untouched. wondered why people should
I nelly’s ranch.”
abandon perfectly good homes in that "He sleeps all day and prowls around
fashion.
all night, so you’ll find him all right
I picked up my suitcase and set out. over yonder.”
There were no lights showing, but know- I thanked him and turned away, when
ing that the old man at least still lived in he took two quick steps forward and
the village, it shouldn’t take long to locate rubbed both hands violently along my
him. And after all, Jim’s ranch was only overcoat. Then he vanished among the
six or eight miles away, if walk I must. ruins, so quickly it seemed as if he had
There was something horribly depress- vaporized into air.
ing about the deserted street as if I were — Perhaps he was the lunatic the porter
walking in a village of the dead. I found had described, I thought as I crossed the
myself thinking of the entire families who street. Certainly he had been dabbling
had perished in the fire —
of the two score among the wet ashes, for he smelt abomi-
men trapped in the factory and inciner- nably of burning, and some of the smell
ated. had transferred itself to my coat.
It was no sort of thing to ponder on at
one o’clock in the morning even though — inding old Barry proved no difficult
the fresh, clean smell of western prairies F task. I had gone scarcely a block be-
swept in out of the darkness. For it had yond Main Street when I saw him, com-
been raining that day and heavier and ing toward me.
nearer at hand was the smell of wet ashes He was no inspiring sight. An old,
and dead embers. old man, with scraggly, grizzled hair; a
I gained the main street and stood look- mouth that held only the stumps of teeth;
ing helplessly about. I had no idea in a face netted with a thousand wrinkles.
which house the old man might live, and No dignity of age was here; rather, a
itlooked as if I .might shift for myself in maniacal glitter in the sunken eyes, a luna-
one of the unburned buildings. tic leer in the twisted face. It made me no
750 WEIRD TALES
easier in mind to see that he leaned on a Then here was an easy way to rid myself
shotgun in lieu of a cane. of him.
He stopped as I approached, and stood I my
backward pace a little
increased
eyeing me warily. and he pressed after me and burst into —
cackling laughter.
"Mr. Barry, I suppose?” I began.
"Afraid of me! Yessir, afraid of me!
He made no answer.
An’ for weeks I been afraid of you! Ho!
"The town’s rather deserted since I was
ho! ho! Get back there!”
here last.” And I paused, feeling the re-
mark was scarcely tactful.
We reached Main Street and I started
across, backward. At the curb, the old
"Where’ d you come from?” he asked man hesitated amoment, looking from me
gruffly.
to the blackened ruins beyond. Then,
"Ralston,” I said, taking a step or two half fearfully, he put one foot off the
forward. "I’m here to visit friends on a curb, then the other. Slowly, as a man
”
ranch south of here. And now I’m- wades into deep water, he followed.
I stopped again. Undoubtedly the old Not so good. Being marched through
man was shrinking away from me. I got a village of the dead by a maniac at one-
the idea he was smelling me: certainly he thirty in the morning is no experience to
was sniffing at something — that upleas- be envied. I looked around for the other
ant smell of scorching on my overcoat, I lunatic but he was nowhere in sight.
supposed. We crossed the street and I plodded
And then he screamed. A wild, goblin slowly backward toward the depot. And
wail, it was. the old man followed me. We were al-
"You’re one of them! Don’t tell me!
. ready half the distance, when I saw a
You’re one of them. With the smell of shadowy figure creep from behind a
burnin’ on your clothes. An’ you come broken wall.
from across the street! I knowed it! I The old man was still babbling insanely.
knowed it! Knowed sometime you’d come "I killed you before! And I can kill
across after me!” you again. Kill you so you’ll stay dead!
"Listen,” I said, "I’veno idea what Afraid of me! Ho! ho! ho!”
you’re talking about!” (Though I had an And then the figure leaped. The old
uneasy feeling I .knew all too well!) "All man screamed shrilly as the gun was
I want is a night’s lodging, for which I’ll twisted from his grasp; as he was swung
”
pay aloft in a fireman’s carry to the other’s
He
screamed again, disregarding me. shoulders.
"Put you in my house? So it has to be "Much obliged!” I said with heartfelt
in a house, does it?” His face writhed in relief. "They shouldn’t let a lunatic like
”
stark madness. He threw up the shotgun. that run loose
"Get back where you belong! You don’t The man had made no answer. He was
belong over here! Get back! I’ll shoot!” plodding methodically down the street,
I tried to speak but he refused to listen. with old Barry still swung across his
And the twin muzzles were pointing di- shoulders.
rectly at my belt buckle. I backed away. "Where are you taking him?” I asked
He followed me. curiously.
I remembered that lunatic fellow with "To the factory,” said the man shortly.
the smell of ashes on him had said Barry I recognized the voice as that of the man
never crossed Main Street into the ruins. who smelt of ashes.
BURNT THINGS ,751
And then old Barry recommenced his to blackened bones. And the smell of
screaming. God! such rending screams, scorching meat
like a lost soul in endless anguish.
"Don’t! Don’t them take me! Don’t
let screamed as I leaped back and turned
— oh Jesus, help me!” I to run. And the subdued chuckle rose
"What are you going to do with him?” to a mighty roar of horrible laughter. And
I insisted. I stopped.For something was forming
"Come along and see!” And the man between me and
the doorway something —
gave a little, throaty chuckle. that made the heaps of blackened rubbish
I thought then it was the wind whis- look hazy and misty. It was as if a gauze
tling, for the chuckle seemed to be echoed curtain had been pulled down.
and re-echoed through the ruins, as if each And the curtain was moving, swaying,
separate brick and fallen timber were en- as if in some unfelt breeze. It was knotting
joying some ghoulish joke. and twisting — separating into distinct
I moment, and followed.
hesitated a forms.
Even though old Barry were a lunatic, so, The old man was moaning faintly, yet
unquestionably, was his captor. And he still lay motionless on the floor, where
knowing something of the strength of he had been hurled.
madmen, I thoughtfully retrieved the
I looked again at the curtain. It had
shotgun.
melted into separate units now. They
Straight down the street, past the depot,
seemed to be drifting toward us. And
across the tracks, up the driveway to the
then again, I screamed my loudest.
factory, I followed. Once, I remembered,
that driveway had been lined with cotton- Forms of men, they were — or had been.
woods. Now only their charred and black- But men with arms with — legs —burned
ened trunks towered, lifeless, to the sky. away; with twisted, seared, blackened
And though I looked about a score of faces; with great patches of charred skin
times and could see nothing, I could have clinging to burned, blade flesh. And
sworn a host accompanied us. There was skeletons with only bits of flesh still hang-
the rustle of many feet through the ashes, ing on the incinerated bones. And the
the plod of them in the dusty road, and smell —oh God!
always a subdued, ghoulish chuckling Did you ever smell meat burning and
a chuckling almost drowned in the cease- charring in the oven? Imagine that smell
less screaming of Old Barry. multiplied a thousand times — the reek of
The great driveway door was nearly searing human flesh, of red-hot, crumbling
choked with debris, but we threaded our bones. And there were the contorted
way through it, and inside the door Barry faces of men cooked alive — fire-blackened
was lifted high in the air and dashed faces still twisted and set in the last fierce
violently to the floor. agony of death.
I leaped forward. Lunatic or not, I I screamed as I threw up the shotgun.
wouldn’t see him killed. I caught his cap- Its double report shook the tottering walls.
tor by the shoulder and swung him vio- The shot sprayed through that curtain and
lently about. His cap, loosened by the harmlessly into the rubbish beyond. And
jerk, slipped back on his head. still the things came on, with ghastly arms
And what had once been a face leered outstretched.
up into mine. No nose, no lips, no eyes; My recent rescuer gave a loud shout.
only fragments of charred flesh clinging His clothing fell away, revealing his fire-
752 WEIRD TALES
racked body. He joined the slowly drift- swept up. There was a crackling of flames
ing throng. among that burned-out rubbish. The old
Old Barry was on now, backing
his feet man screamed horribly.
slowly away, his eyes fixed on those burned I pressed my
hands over my ears as I
things with the horrible fascination of a stumbled and staggered onward. Still I
bird charmed by a snake. With all my could hear him scream. God, I can hear
heart I wanted to turn, to run, but to turn him yet!
my back on those horrors — I could not. "Jesus! Oh, Lord Jesus! It burns.
”
Slowly we backed away together among They’re burning me
the heaps of rubbish, of wrecked machin- Thank God the little doorway was open
ery, from the fallen roof and second floor. and partly clear. I pushed, squeezed, tore
Past the beet-slicers, past the big cookers, my way through the rubbish. I was out in
down through the beet-end, we crept back- the areaway east of the boiler-house. Those
ward, with the bodies of the dead drifting things were behind me — and the old man
slowly after us. was still screaming. More faintly, now.
Past the Oliver presses, past the centrif- And a babble.
ugals. We go much farther.
couldn’t "Oh, Jesus! Oh, Jesus! Oh, Jesus! It
The rear wall towered above us. The door- burns — it burns
”
way to the old warehouse was choked with With my hands still over my ears, I
the wreckage of vacuum pans. I threw an raced away from that place of madness.
arm across my face. I couldn’t bear the
sight of those shapeless, fire-racked bodies.
Ifound the darkness even more unbear-

able. In fancy, I could feel those bony
H ow
knew.
ting there.
I reached Jim’s ranch I never
I don’t even remember get-
eight miles from Como.

It is
hands with their scraps of charred, crum- Only, when opened my eyes, Jim was
I
bling flesh fastening on me. I screamed leaning me, alternately pouring
over
again, and pressed tightly against the wall. something raw and fiery down my throat,
There was a chant in the air. Surely it and shaking me, while shouting:
never came from those fleshless, lipless "Bob! Bob! For God’s sake, what’s the
mouths. matter?”
"Come with us! Into the fire! The nice,
warm fire, John! Come with us!”
Hallucinations —nightmare— the doctor
from San Benito said. And I think Jim be-
"No, no!” The old man was on his lieved him, at first. Probably I would
knees. "I never meant I didn’t know — have believed him myself, if it hadn’t been
don’t hurt me! Oh, don’t hurt me!” for my scorched hair and burned face;
And still the chant went on:
relic of that searing wave of awful heat.
"The fire! The nice, warm fire!” And Jim believes now, too. For today
They were very close now. I whirled he handed me a clipping from the San
about desperately. Benito paper:
Almost five years before I had worked
in the factory. I knew there should be
ANOTHER BODY FOUND AT COMO
another door —the door to the boiler- Further mystery is added to the great fire at
Como by the discovery of the remains of John
house. Could I find it in the darkness and Barry, former watchman at the factory of the
litter? In a maniac rush, I sprang over the Como Sugar Company.
Readers will recall that Barry was suspected of
piled wreckage. A wave of devastating starting the fire in revenge for what he considered
heat scorched my face as the dead men ( Continued on page 856)

W. T.—
Crime on
Christmas NicJht
GA§1T<DP4 KBKOTUX
IVE old skippers smelling of the raft of the Medusa, from which the ship-
F
of
sea used to foregather every evening
at
the
one of the round
old
tables in front
Ship-and-Anchor Cafe in
wrecked had escaped with their lives,
even though some were minus an arm,
others a leg, and all more or less crippled.
Toulon to enjoy their aperative and at the This sixth "mariner,” Mr. Damour
same time to tell each other stories of (John-Joseph-Philibert), had gained his
blood and horror. From time to time entire nautical experience seated at his
they were joined by a sixth who seemed desk in the offices of the Oriental Trans-
to be more of an old sea dog even than
portation Company, and he used to refer
Zinzin, he who had spent twenty years
in an offhand way to the far-flung Pacific
coasting up and down the China Seas;
ports of call as we lesser men might
than Dorat, the ex-commander of the
speak, say, of some pleasant little fishing
Dorat expeditions; than Bagatelle, who,
cove along the Seine.
in memory of a blissful sojourn on the
Island of Siam, had taken a Siamese
To tell the truth, he had never stepped
woman unto wife; than that blackguard foot on the deck of a ship, nor had he
Chaulieu, who had carried the benefits of even been outside Paris except on the
civilization to the aborigines of Western day when he retired. But his face was
Africa, settled between the Congo and so weather-beaten, his skin so tough, his
the Niger; than Captain Michel, who beard so rebellious, his day pipe so stub-
still remembered the taste of human by and so "seasoned,” his walk so tpically
flesh after passing several weeks on a the sailor’s sway, that you had only to
Translated by Morris Bentinck. glance at him and you would exclaim,

W. T— 753
754 WEIRD TALES
"There’s one who’s weathered many a being seasick. "He’s my adopted son,
gale.” young Vincent Vincent, a real sailor,”
He whetted the curiosity of the old John- Joseph told his friends, proudly.
salts and they made him welcome when Every time Vincent Vincent’s ship
on one unusually crowded day at the docked at Toulon, John-Joseph was so
cafe he lifted his Basque beret and asked happy about it that it wasn’t unusual to
if he might have a seat at their table. He see him come into the cafe rolling and
came again from time to time and it took pitching more than ever; three sheets in
them some months to grasp the idea that the wind, no less! He had probably
John- Joseph (this was what they called drunk as much liquor as any three dozen
Mr. Damour), who from the beginning hearty sailors could hold.
made himself known to them as captain, "For the love o’ God,” said that devil
had really never been on any voyage any- of a Chaulieu, " where’ ve you been, John-
where. Joseph, to get such a load on?”
The old fellow used to give such pre- "Just come from seeing the boy off
cise details concerning the most distant from Marseilles,” answered John-Joseph
parts of the globe, setting one every in a very sentimental tone, as he began
straight who erred on any point; he was to blubber.
so glib with facts about the history of "Well, if you feel so bad about it and
liners from their christening day to the it’s no fun for the boy,” suggested Cap-
day of their sometimes very dramatic end, tain Michel, "there are plenty of other
that for a long time the skippers kept jobs he could take.”
their doubts to themselves. But on the "No, he couldn’t,” replied John-Joseph
day when the truth did come out there emphatically, as he gulped down another
was the devil to pay! It was their turn glassful.
now, and it goes without saying that they Not one of the company contradicted
gave it to him hammer and tongs for the him; they all agreed with him on that
deception. And yet there was one thing point at least.
they can not figure out at all, and that "And then,” he added, "I don’t want
was how, after thirty years spent behind to have the day come when they’ll take it
a desk in a sunless steamship office, scrib- out on him, poor lad, as they tried to do
bling figures in piles of paper, a man out of his adopted father.”
could still have a* face like "Captain” At this point he began to cry, and -he
John- Joseph. "It must be he makes him- sobbed as can only very drunken men
self up for the part,” declared Captain when great sorrows overwhelm them.
Michel. And Zinzin re-echoed, "Yeah, "Come on, now, tell us the truth,”
he trims up like that over at the 'Black asked Bagatelle, his sexual imagination
Lion’.” always alert; "are you really that boy’s
father?”
uite a time passed and he didn’t "No,” John-Joseph answered
O come around. Finally he showed
up with a young man of about twenty
tears streaming
I’m not his father.
down
. .
his cheeks.
.
bluntly,
"No,
His father was
who really did sail the seas and no mis- murdered!”
taking it. But he didn’t think it was "The poor boy,” said Zinzin, just to
anything to boast about; he was as pale say something.
as a girl, and he admitted quite frankly "Yes, the poor boy . . . because I was
that he’d never yet made a trip without just going to tell you, his mother . .
THE CRIME ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT 755
"What’s that? His mother?” Baga- ried folks who never spoke a cross word
telle pricked up his ears. to each other in their lives, and they
"Well, his mother, she was murdered weren’t going to begin on that day, I’ll
too!” have you know. I’m the only one that
"Oh, for the love o’ God!” exclaimed can give my word of honor to that too.
Bagatelle. No, they were murdered after there’d
"That,” said Zinzin, "that’s a horrible been a robbery.”
story.” "Now then, why did you first say there
"More horrible than any I’ve heard weren’t any murderers when it was the
(
you fellows tell,” stuttered John-Joseph thieves that murdered them?”
between his hiccups.
"Wasn’t any thieves,” John-Joseph cut
"Well, you’ve got to show us,” said
off short.
Captain Dorat; "for, after all, one of the
"Good God,” said Chaulieu.
reasons we come here every day is to lis-
ten to tales of horror.”

"Oh, let him go to hell,” grunted
Dorat.
"It isn’t more terrible than what hap-
pened to Captain Michel,” declared Zin- "Give him a chance to tell his own
zin. story,” ordered Captain Michel.
"I say it is —only you mustn’t tell it "I’ve got no more to say,” declared
to anyone. It’s a secret,” puffed out John-Joseph.
John-Joseph, trying to swallow a second This time all five burst into shouts of
hiccup. laughter. Seeing which, John-Joseph be-
"Stop your sniffling,” commanded came raging angry. Now he really
Michel, "and tell us all about it. You’ll wanted to tell his story and as the others
feel better when
it’s out of your system.” kept on making fun of him he thumped
"Not mention that that happens
to so hard on the table that he scattered the
every day,” said Chaulieu rather scorn- stacked-up saucers right and left and bel-
fully, “to have your father and mother lowed, "I swear that in a few minutes
—
murdered I don’t see anything very you won’t be making fun.”
terrible about that. Who murdered them?” "All right, then, come on now, we’re
John-Joseph wiped his eyes with his all listening.”
big red bandanna handkerchief and hic-

cuped: "Wasn’t any murderers.” ohn-joseph began: "At that time,
"How can that be? They were mur- J my home
”
port was Germain —Pilon
dered but nobody murdered them?” Street
"That’s just what’s so terrible,” sighed "Paris-on-the-sea,” teased Chaulieu.
John-Joseph. "The poor wretches were "Damn it all, I’ll not say another word
found stabbed with a kitchen knife — until that big pig gets to hell out of
real butchery. The old man’s blood was here.”
dripping all over the carpet and the knife "Don’t worry, john-joseph, you
was still sticking in the old woman’s couldn’t hire, me to stay,” answered Chau-
heart.” lieu. "I’m going to take a turn about,”
"
"So they’d been fighting?” and he rose. 'The horrible murder in
"Fighting!” flared up John-Joseph, Germain —Pilon Street’ . . . very little of
looking round at the company. "Those that goes a long way with me. I’d rather
two good people? Easy to see you never spend my time looking at the pretty
knew them. They were the kind of mar- women on the screen over at the Palace.”
756 WEIRD TALES
When he had gone, John- Joseph be- arrival so late in their lives filled them
gan: with an almost supernatural joy. Madame
"I don’t know if any of you fellows Vincent was forty-five when this happi-
know Germain — Pilon Street. It climbs ness came to her, and her husband fifty-
from the avenue up to the top of Mont- five. One sees miracles like that every
martre. It’s a lonely neighborhood —not once in a while.
always many people about. But the "Theirs was a perfect marriage; up to
street is respectable enough. There’s this time they had lived just for eadi
where came to know the Vincent fam-
I other. From now on they lived only for
ily. They were what you call 'comfort- that They baptized him Vin-
little child.
ably off’ and their friends were even cent, as their family name was also
and
rather surprized to see them keep on liv- Vincent, the neighbors used to say when
ing in a section thought rather danger- they saw the baby go by in his mother’s
ous; but they said that in the fifteen arms:
*'
years they had lived there nothing had 'There he is, the darling; there’s lit-
ever happened to them and they’d rather tle Vincent Vincent and his mama go-
”
live in a little house with a back yard ing for a turn on the avenue.’
and a garden all to themselves than in a "And I too,” declared Captain Dorat,
big apartment house where you had to as he rose to leave.
knock against all the other tenants every Bagatelle tried to dissuade him.
time you turned around. "Wait a minute until he gets to the
"I was their neighbor, and although part about the woman,” he said to Dorat.
they weren’t very sociable,
quainted through the little
we
baby.
got ac-
He
"Ah, to hell with his story John-
Joseph’s a bore. He’s not even drunk
—
was a sweetheart of a child and I spoiled any more now.”
him every time I could . . . I’ve always "John-Joseph, give me your word of
adored children. . . . One Christmas honor that the part about the woman is
”
night worth waiting for,” demanded Bagatelle.
"Hell, one of those Christmas stories!” "I swear,” John-Joseph declared,
groaned Zinzin. "Well, see you later, "that it’s impossible to find anything
boys.” more horrible.”
And he went out to join Chaulieu. "And is there any love in your story?”
"Got anything 'about a woman in your "Is there? — love even unto death. But
Christmas story?” Bagatelle asked. if you’re sensitive you’d better go now;
"Yes.” for such a death — well, you don’t see
—
"Good go on then.”
"One Christmas night, Madame Vin-
them often
"I stay,”
in love stories.”
Bagatelle decided. But
cent, in her felt slippers, came down- Dorat had already left to join the other
stairs to the dining-room where her hus- two.
band sat toasting his feet at the fireplace
2
waiting for her.
"
"
'Is the baby
Vincent asked.
sleeping?’
'Like an angel,’ answered the

Monsieur
good
T he memory of
cent’s
sobered John-Joseph.
little Vincent Vin-
happy babyhood completely
He even forgot to
woman. keep his old clay pipe lighted. From
"They adored that child bom after now on he told his story in the style of
they had been married many years. His the former model employee.
"I don’t need to tell you how Papa and to look at those little baby shoes showing
Mama Vincent allowed themselves to where his little toes have been, without a
spoil their baby in a thousand loving lump in my throat. I know it’s silly. For-
ways — cakes, candies, toys, ice-creams, give me,
"
my dear wife.’
little suits of velvet and lace. They 'Do I forgive you?’ and as she said it,
were his adoring slaves — nothing was too she drew him to her bosom and kissed
beautiful, nothing cost too much for little him with all the tenderness of a first kiss.
Vincent. Then when she felt herself also yielding
"The couple had been employed in the to emotion she straightened up, wiped
well-known shop, 'Smart Styles,’ ever away a tear with the back of her hand and
since that house had been established, and said:
"
at the time of their baby’s coming they 'Come now, Papa Vincent, lend a
were earning, with their bonuses and all, hand. We’re going to trim the Christmas
on an average of 20,000 francs a year, tree.’
•
"
which permitted them to lay by a nice 'So we are. Let’s make it gay
and beau-
little nest egg. tiful for pink and shining when
him, all
”
"After Vincent’s birth, although they he opens his eyes on it, the little dear.’
never thought twice about spending right Bagatelle burst forth with, "For the
and left for him, they began to deprive love o’ God, you don’t forget anything, do
themselves of all the little indulgences you? But how do you know they did all
that had up to now made their married that? You weren’t there, were you?”
life so sweet. They counted every "Papa Vincent told me all these little
penny; little by little they became even things, understand?”
miserly. No more anniversary dinners; ’’No,” insisted Bagatelle. "I don’t un-
no more visits to the theater; no more derstand, if it’s the night he was mur-
Sunday excursions into the country; no dered.”
more pleasant evening parties, playing the very night,” and John- Joseph’s
"It’s
games with their friends. All that would voice was getting more and more dismal.
be so much put away for the little angel "Well then?”
who would find it when he needed it. "Well, he told me after he’d been mur-
"After he had prayed the Infant Jesus dered.”
to put a beautiful present in the little "You’re pretty slick, you always put us
shoes he had set purposely in front of the in the wrong. But for God’s sake, get on
dining-room fireplace, little Vincent had to the part about the woman. Afterward,
fallen off to sleep on this Christmas night, we will see.”
knowing his parents were to wake him "All right; listen then,” began John-
up later to see the lighted Christmas tree. Joseph.
"The sight of those little shoes on the
hearth must have been very touching, for “XT' very year since the coming of the
Mama Vincent noticed that when Papa H/ baby, they had set up a Christmas
Vincent saw them there his eyes filled tree after supper in the dining-room and
with tears. She went up to him and trimmed it with all the toys and all the
patted him on the shoulder. little gifts they had bought. When they
"
'Come now. Papa Vincent, you’re not finished trimming, they used togo out for
going to cry on Christmas night, I hope.’ a walk, and drop into church for the mid-
"He got up from his chair. T can’t help night mass. Then they would come back
it,’ he stammered. 'I’ve never been able home, light the pink candles, go upstairs
758 WEIRD TALES
to the baby whom the maid had been going to Holy Trinity for the midnight
watching, lift him up gently and wake mass. You must excuse me, John-Joseph.
him up only when they stood right in front I belong to the reformed church.”
of the tree all dressed with glittering tin- "Oh, you damned old infidel!” pleaded
sels and stars to make the child happy. Bagatelle. "Wait at least till he gets to
They did the very same thing this year as the part where the woman comes in.”
ever. "A damned old infidel,” said the cap-
"That night, there was a traveling fair tain, mock-seriously, "takes no pleasure
set up on the avenue; tents had been put whatever in stories about women . . .
up along the pavement and in the empty not even good women,” he added, and
lots. It was a fine mild evening; winter wished the company good night.
had hardly set in, and the men and women Bagatelle was now the only one left to
drinking their beer in the open air in front listen. John-Joseph went right on. Even
of the cafes lingered to look at the dancers if his stack of saucers had been his only
and listen to the catchy tunes of the merry- audience, he would have gone right along.
go-rounds and hurdy-gurdies.” He couldn’t stop now; his own story fas-
"Did Papa Vincent tell you all this cinated him. It was the first time he had
after he’d been murdered?” ever told and it would probably be the
it
"Yes, everything.” last. He wanted to prove to himself that

"He must have had an awful thirst!” he too could tell a story of horror.
"I gave him something to drink,” said "After the Vincents left them, the Du-
John-Joseph, "and then he drew his last ponts swore they were ill-bred, declaring
”
breath they had never been friendly and sociable
"Before he had proposed another round since the birth of their baby.
of drinks?” "Reaching the church, the Vincents
"No, but after he had entrusted his went in, even though they had a whole
son to me.”
little hour to wait before the services began.
"But what about that woman, for They walked right straight up to the
God’s sake?” cradle and knelt upon the steps before the
"I’m coming to her.” Infant Jesus lying there in the manger be-
Calm now, John-Joseph took up the tween the ox and the ass.
"
thread of his story. 'He looks just like our baby,’ whis-
"Madame and M&nsieur Vincent went pered Papa Vincent. But his wife paid no
up to Place Blanche, where they met some attention to him. She was buried so deeply
very old friends, the Duponts, who wanted and so passionately in prayer that the
to stop for a little chat. But after the lights and the organ and the crowd elbow-
barest how-do-you-do, the Vincents left ing past her couldn’t make her turn her
the Duponts and walked rapidly down to head. When the mass was over, her hus-
the Church of the Holy Trinity, where band had to lay his hand gently on her
they intended to listen to the midnight shoulder to bring her back out of that
mass.” pious stupor. When she turned to look at
It was now Captain Michel’s turn to him, her face was like wax.
"
get up. 'Heavens,’ he said, 'it’s not good for
"Where you going?” Bagatelle asked you to pray like that. Come, I’m sure our
him. boy is already awake and watching for us
"My religious scruples,” the captain ex- to come back.’
"
plained good-naturedly, "keep me from 'Yes, yes,’ she said, 'let’s hurry along.’
"And she led him on though she was

as put some glasses on it, some plates and
really trying to flee something. He had some little cakes, and brought out a bottle
difficulty in keeping up with her. He was of champagne. Then she lit the little rose
all out of breath when they reached the candles on the tree. It was a real illumina-
avenue, and he tried to make her slow up tion. You’ve never seen anything gayer,
a little. prettier than that room all trimmed up in
"
'No, not yet,’ she said. 'We must get red and silver. The only thing lacking to
back as quick as ever we can.’ start the party was baby Vincent himself.
"He thought she was afraid to be out "
'I’ll go upstairs and wake him up,’
in the streets of that district at such a said his mother. 'You wait for us down
late hour. As a matter of fact, that corner here.’
of Paris had never been more disquieting. "
'And the shoes? Are you forgetting
The hurdy-gurdies had ceased groaning the shoes?’ asked the father.
out their tira-liras. A few melancholy "
'No, I’m not forgetting them. It’s a
lights trembled down in the deserted ave-
surprize; you shall see.’
nue, and behind suspicious shadows, *'
'Good ... all right.’
pleasure-seeking gentlemen eyed belated
"She disappeared for a second into the
girlswandering up and down the streets.
kitchen and took from a case an object
"However, the Vincents did get back
which she hid quickly under the cloak she
home safe and sound. As soon as they
hadn’t taken off since they had come back
were in their dining-room with the lamp
from the mass.
lighted, the sight of the bright Christmas "
'Ha, ha, I caught you at it, sly one,’
tree drove out of their heads all the ugly
laughed Monsieur Vincent. 'Come, let me
sight of the streets. From the foot of the
see the surprize too; show it to me.’
staircase, Monsieur Vincent called to the "
'Go along with you; you’re more of a
maid, softly, so not to wake up the child,
child than little Vincent. Go back to the
but she didn’t answer. Just as he started
dining-room. I want you to, my dear.’
to go up, Madame Vincent said:
" "It was always his way to do everything
dropped off to sleep beside
'She’s
she told him to. He went back and sat
Vincent. Don’t disturb her; let’s finish ar-
down again in front of the Christmas tree.
ranging everything here.’
As for her, she hurried to the floor above.
"Then, in great excitement, they put
the last touches to the tree. They tied some
3 .
more toys to the branches already weighted
down with Punch-and-Judy boxes; they “Qhe ran up the stairs so fast that she
hung some dolls and some mechanical toys *3 had to stop a moment on the land-
and some games they had bought from ing. Her heart beat so furiously it almost
time to time during the year and laid away choked her. On her right hand was the
for this very moment. Papa Vincent was half-open door of the room where little
just getting ready to slip a general and his Vincent lay sleeping; on the left a closed
trumpet into the little shoes on the hearth door leading to their own bedroom. Be-
when Mama Vincent stopped him short fore this one she stopped, drew a key from
and said: her pocket, unlocked the door, closed it
"
'No, no, not in the shoes. Don’t put behind her and found herself in pitch
anything in the shoes. I’ll take care of blackness. Feeling her way along, she
them!’ came to the fireplace, kicking to right and
"And she spread a napkin on the table, left the objects she stumbled on. At last
760 WEIRD TALES
her fingers touched a box of matches; she Bagatelle, who was not at all lacking in
struck one; she found a candle and lighted common sense.
up the room. "But I’ve already told you there had
"Suddenly the flickering light of the been no robbery.”
candle revealed a terrible disorder. Sheets "You’ve gone loony and I’m getting
and mattresses snatched from the bed lay bughouse well, never mind; but
. . .
strewn across the floor; night table and what about that woman? What did she
center table were turned upside down; have to do with all this business?”
toilet objects had been smashed, a mir-
"Everything. She was the one who com-
rored wardrobe completely ransacked, the
mitted the robbery.”
clothes thrown here, there and every-
where; several window-panes had been
"Good God! My head’s cracking open
with your damn story. All right ... go
shivered into a thousand pieces. Finally
on. When she saw what had happened
she noticed the sticky, blade traces of old
what did she do, old woman Vincent?”
slippers by whose aid some one had tried
to muffle his footsteps —
for the room had "She went into little Vincent’s room;
certainlybeen the scene of a robbery. she woke up the dozing maid; she sent her
"The and leap-
candlelight, flickering up to her own room to finish out her
ing in the breeze blowing in through the night’s sleep. Then there was little Vin-
window, added weird shadows to the fan- cent who opens his pretty blue eyes in his
tastic horror of that scene of devastation. mother’s arms. He doesn’t cry. He knows
"To leave the warm atmosphere of the it’s Christmas. He’s been dreaming about
Christmas celebration, of the soft enchant- it. He wakes up with the idea of all the
ment of that room below where every- gifts waiting for him downstairs. He claps
thing is prepared for the sweetest and pur- his hands together and gurgles,
little
est of family joys and to wake up suddenly 'Christmas, Christmas,’ and the kisses he
in the midst of that icy fear —wasn’t that bites from his mama’s cheeks taste as sweet
more than enough to congeal forever the to him as though they were chocolate
simple heart of good Madame Vincent? nougats.

In any case, even if that heart did still "The little angel is as happy as he can
beat after such a shock, what inexpressible be. He stretches out his arms toward the
anguish must have seized little Vincent’s sparkling Christmas tree. He wants to
mother when shd’ thought of her baby touch everything, take everything in his
two steps from that tragic spot,
alseep only hands, play with everything at the same
devastated as pitiably as though a tor- time. His papa and mama can hardly keep
nado had raged through it! him satisfied.
"Well, no . . . Madame Vincent, "Then all of a sudden his merry eyes
walking so cautiously in the midst of that fall on his little shoes on the hearth. He
disorder, the candle in one hand and a sees they are empty. He begins to cry.
knife in the other —a huge kitchen knife "Papa Vincent looks reproachfully at
quite new, the mysterious object she was Mama Vincent. Why did you make him
hiding under her cloak a little while ago unhappy?’ he asks. But Mama takes her
Madame Vincent showed neither surprize little one in her arms; she consoles him,
nor fear.” cuddles him, dries his tears.

“
"She knew there had been a robbery 'Little Jesus didn’t want to bring
and she had kept it from her husband so everything to you tonight. Little Jesus will
not to spoil the Christmas party,” broke in come again tomorrow morning. Tomor*
row morning there will be some beautiful husband asks in a low voice from the boy’s
presents in little Vincent’s shoes.’ bedroom.
“ "Bur Mama Vincent doesn’t answer.
'Will there truly, Mama?’
" She is too weak to speak. She turns her
'I promise you there will be, my dar-
ling baby.’ eyes away from her son’s crib. She pushes
open the door of the ransacked room. She
"His mother’s words bring smiles of
plows through the disorder; she lights a
joy back to Vincent’s eyes again.
" candle. Once again her eyes take in the
'But what surprize are you keeping
sickening horror of it all.
back from him?’ asked the father in a low
voice.
"She grasps the knife —the big, new,
shiny kitchen knife, so finely sharpened
"
'You shall see, you shall see,’ Mama and she places herself behind the door.
answers with an air of mystery. "Her husband calls out to her from the
"And Mama Vincent takes her good other room; he gets no answer.
husband’s head, draws it down to the "He appears, his broad chest well
baby’s and covers both of them with big, lighted by the reddish light of the sputter-
passionate kisses and silent tears. This ing candle flame. He asks: 'Why don’t
demonstration, so unexpected and some- you answer, my de
’
what nervous, makes Papa Vincent a little "But he is not able word.to finish the
anxious. "Mama Vincent stretched forth her
"
'You frighten me,’ he whispers to his arm and struck two terrible blows. The
wife. man uttered a shriek and fell down. But
’’
'Let’s eat some supper,’ she answers. she threw herself upon him and covered
"And they sit down quietly to their his mouth with her hand.
supper and she pours out the champagne " ”
'Be quiet . . . don’t speak.’
and the child is allowed to dip his lips in "
'Ah, it’s you,’ he said through his
the foam. Then, his arms still grasping struggling breath. 'It’s you.’
the toys, he dozes off to sleep again on his "
'Yes, it is I. Don’t speak.’
father’s knee. "Between two snatches of breath the
"
'Carry him back up to his little crib,’ man has strength enough to say: 'At least,
says Mama. 'Stay with him a few minutes shut — the door.’
to be sure he drops back to sleep. I’ll go "She drags herself to the door, closes it
and put out the candles on the tree and again and comes back to the big, bleeding
then I’ll come up to bed.” body which she now stares at with eyes
full of tears and terror.
apa Vincent does "
P Mama as she tells him.
Vincent blows out all the can-
'My dear,
wretched man, 'you did
my dear wife,’ sighs the
right. But are you
Now all is dark where a few
dles quickly. sure everything is well thought out? Will
minutes before the Christmas tree was there be any suspicions?’
glittering and pink. By the feeble rays of "No, no, no one will suspect anything.'
the light coming from Vincent’s room, And she stretched herself out beside him
she climbs the stairs. Her legs tremble and pressed her lips upon her victim’s.
under the weight of her body and she "
'Do you forgive me?’
holds onto the banister as though she were "
'Of course I forgive you. You had
afraid she would fall backward. She sighs more courage than I had.’
"
with relief when she reaches the landing. But if I had let you
'Don’t say that.
"
'What’s the matter with you?’ her do it you would have killed yourself and
762 WEIRD TALES
they would have known that you were a the knife in her heart — deliberately
suicide. I made believe a robbery.’ steadily —and as she died she whispered:
*'
'You did right yes it was com- — — 'My little boy, Vincent, one hundred
plete ruin —
worse than I told you night thousand francs in —your little shoes.’
”
before last. The business utterly wiped John-Joseph ceased. Bagatelle looked
out not a penny left
. . . manager . . . at him more stunned than terror-struck.
fled ... all die employees’ savings "How’s that?” he said; "what did she
squandered. You have done just right, my mean, one hundred thousand francs in the
dear wife.’ little shoes?”
"He closed his eyes and said nothing John-Joseph began to blubber again.
more. She thought he was dead. Carefully "Father Vincent didn’t die till the next
she drew the knife out of the horrible day. He had time to explain to me that
wound. Then his eyelids moved once he would not have been able to pay the
more. premium on the life insurance he had
"
'What are you doing?’ he asked with taken out in favor of his little son. They
one breath. were both too old to take up some new
"
’Nothing.’ kind of work. In this way they were sure
"
'Don’t touch it,’ he said again, 'don’t that little Vincent would never want for
touch the knife.’ anything.”
"
'Be quiet, my dear. They would, you Bagatelle didn’t feel like joking any
understand, ask me some questions. I more. "So then, the woman in the story,
—
must not be able to answer. They must she’s Mama Vincent?”
think we’ve been murdered both of us — John-Joseph. "Have
"Exactly,” replied
. .you understand? Vincent if possi-
.
— you couple who loved each
ever seen a
ble, don’t die befote I do wait, wait. — other like that?”
Here, let me have your hand help me — "Oh, pooh,” answered Bagatelle, shak-
do that little thing for me help me — — ing a damn good
his head. "It’s love story
Vincent. There like that strong — ah! — — — won’t no I —but nobody
say to that
ah!’ would ever say there was anything very
"Helped by Vincent’s hand, she buried horrible about it.”
Something From./'
AboVe fc>3> DONACD WANDRfl
"The appearance of those two corpses hang-

ing in the air was as ghastly as it was in-
explicable."
1. The Red Snow nature that no one concerned will ever be

able to forget the day of madness.
N THEMSELVES, the events had all
Everything that might have any bear-
I the horror of a nightmare,
nightmare can be explained so that
but a
it
ing on the explanation is included in the
following narrative in order that the truth
ceases to oppress one’s mind. The inci-
may not be overlooked through omis-
dents at Norton in western Minnesota
sion. It may be that some facts have not
were different, for now they may never be
yet come to light, and perhaps there have
completely explained. It is not so much
been included a few details that do not
the things we know that terrify us as it is really pertain to the affair. The incidents
the things we do not know, the things that themselves may not be in the right order.
break all known laws and rules, the things If further information should be pos-
thatcome upon us unaware and shatter the sessed by any one, the narrative will gladly
pleasantdream of our little world. The oc- be corrected, for anything that may help
currence at Norton was of such a kind, a to explain will be eagerly welcomed by
horror of so appalling and incredible a scientists and public alike. We walk in
763
764 WEIRD TALES
darkness with phantoms and specters we of his telescope, he discovered that where
know not of, and our little world plunges the spot of incandescent brilliance had
blindly through abysses toward a goal of been was now a dot of blackness. As he
which we have no conception. That watched it in curiosity, he saw it grow
thought itself is a blow at our beliefs and lighter and lighter until finally the planet
comprehension. We used to content our- presented its normal appearance. Mr.
selves by thinkingwe knew all about our Nelson might have ignored the matter al-
world, at least; but now it is different, and together if he had not had sufficient scien-
we wonder if we really know anything, or tific training to respect the cardinal prin-
if there can be safety and peace anywhere ciple of never overlooking any fact or
in the wide universe. data. Thus it was that he wrote down his
The phenomena with which we are here observation and duly sent it in.
concerned began with the blotting out of The blotting out of the stars on the
the stars, an astronomical riddle which night of March 28 was an even stranger
was observed by three watchers: Professor phenomenon. In the act of training his
Grill of Harvard; his assistant, Mr. Thorn- telescope on Saturn again to look for a
dyke; and an amateur astronomer in Cal- reappearance of the radiant spot, Mr. Nel-
ifornia, Mr. Nelson. An odd feature of son noticed a star suddenly flicker out and
the observation is that the two Easterners return, another vanish and shine bright
swear the blotting out occurred far down again an instant later. He thought at first
on the western horizon, whereas Mr. Nel- thathe must be the victim of an optical il-
son reported that it took place near Saturn. he kept on observing, and saw
lusion, but
Are we to believe that one observation that the stars which disappeared and
was inaccurate, or that there actually were shone again were in a straight line which
two simultaneous phenomena in different he computed to lie in the general path
parts of the heavens? In the light of for- between Saturn and the Earth. It was a
mer and after events, the latter conclusion curious spectacle to watch, according to
seems more likely. Furthermore, Mr. Nel- Nelson. It was just as if you were strolling
son’s observation, made on the night of down a street at noon, and stopped to look
March 28, is apparently connected with at a diamond on a black plush cushion in
one he had made on the preceding night. a jeweller’s window; and then all at once
According to a note he had sent in to the the diamond wasn’t there, even while you
Mount Wilson Observatory, he had been were looking at it; and then suddenly
idly examining the planet Saturn on the there was the diamond again, sparkling as
night of March 27. The atmosphere was ever. It was not as if a solid body had
exceptionally clear, the observation per- come between you and the diamond, but
fect. The rings were so plain and the rather as if something invisible had
planet so impressive in its peculiar way crossed your field of vision, something you
that he stayed on watching it minute after could not see but which intercepted light-
minute. Thus it was that the unexpected rays. The observation of the two Har-
happened even while he watched. Shortly vard astronomers duplicated Nelson’s, but
after one o’clock, there appeared on its they said that the blotting out took place
surface a spot of such blinding, dazzling down on the western horizon, far away
radiance that he thought his vision must from Saturn. Odder still is their statement
have been strained and he was merely see- that the stars vanished in a straight line
ing things. He looked away for a minute; that progressed in the general direction of
when he resumed his watch at the eyepiece the Earth.
SOMETHING FROM ABOVE 765
No wide attention was paid to these un- There was a queer odor in the air, almost
usual observations, and even the three a stench. It reminded Lars of a two-days-
watchers did not have much more than dead cat he once stumbled on, and of a
idle curiosity. For that reason, because pig he had bled to death recently.
every one was unprepared, the terror at Lars stretched his arm out and caught
Norton stalked out of night like a hideous some of the falling stuff in his hand.
dream, as overwhelming as madness itself. "See!” he said simply to Helga. The
Perhaps the rest of the story should be told stuff melted. It did not run off like water.
through the eyes of Lars Loberg, a stolid It stayed in little oily globules of a color
Norwegian farmer living some three like old blood. Instead of having the
miles from Norton, for it was around his fresh, earthy smell of snow or
rain, it gave
farm that the terror centered, and he him- off an unpleasant odor that offensively
self was a first-hand witness until he went suggested something dead.
insane and committed suicide. Helga was superstitious. She shivered
and drew back from Lars’s outstretched
H e arose early as usual on the morn-

ing of March 30. It was cold in the
farmhouse and he stepped outside to chop
palm. "Red snow!” she said uneasily. "It
— it ain’t
shut the door!”

natural — I don’t like it. Oh Lars,
an armful of kindling wood. It was al- Lars looked out somberly for a minute.
ready light and snow was falling when he "Yeah —red snow. Maybe it means a bad
opened the door. He started to go year for the crops.” Then he shrugged his
through, then stopped just beyond the shoulders and half smiled at Helga. "But
threshold and looked around with a blank, it’s probably only dust in the air that got
puzzled expression on his face. He care- mixed up with the snow. Nothing to get
”
fully retraced his steps to the room he had scared about, and
just left, and stood there, looking across "Listen!” broke in Helga sharply.
the farmyard and open fields. Lars left unfinished what he had started
"Helga!” he called in a curious tone to to say. Up to the house from the pig-sty
his wife. "Come here!” drifted an uproar of grunting and mad
His wife came, and the two stood in the squealing such as he had never heard. In
doorway looking at a sight such as they the barn, the horses were neighing and
had never before seen. The whole air whinnying shrilly, and he heard the wild
seemed to be oozing blood. Not a breath clatter of trampling hooves. Above the
of wind was stirring, not a cloud hung racket of the frightened animals he heard
in the sky, but a fine mist was falling, a the mournful, whimpering howl of Jerry,
substance that was neither snow nor dust the Scotch collie.
nor blood but that had something of the Lars tore out of the house on a run.
nature of all three. The snowdrifts around "You stay here!” he shouted back as
the farmhouse that were not yet fully Helga started to follow him. "I’ll see
melted in the spring thaws were already what’s after ’em and quiet ’em down!”
covered with a mantle of brownish-red, The red snow was still falling. Lars
and minute by minute, as the strange stuff raced to the barn first, but there were no
kept falling from the sky, the layer on the tracks of any intruder around it in the
ground grew thicker. The two of them new-fallen snow, nor could he find any
stood there in the quiet of dawn with awe evidence that man or beast had been
and a little fear, looking at the unusual prowling around the pig-pen. Lars ran
downfall and a world that was bloody-red. slid open the doors, and
back to the barn,
7 66 WEIRD TALES
did his best to quiet the plunging horses. there anything with the peculiar color of
Something had badly scared them, but he the snow.
had little time to speculate on what it was. "I wish you’d stay around here today,”
Eor the first time in his life, the animals Helga kept on slowly. "I don’t feel right
paid hardly any attention to his efforts to somehow. Things ain’t natural like they
calm them, and Lars became more puzzled ought to be.”
and bewildered every moment. Then he "No need to worry,” Lars answered
heard Jerry howling nearer, the patter of briefly. "Everything’s all right.”
racing feet came across the yard, and the As if in mockery of his words, the
dog leaped through the open door, shak- whole house shook, the coffee slopped
ing itself and tumbling around at his feet. across the table, and a terrific crash burst
"There, Jerry, there, Jerry,” Lars on their ears from near by.
crooned, bending over to pat the dog. His Without a word Lars made another run
hand came away wet with the snow, and for the door. Helga, with superstitious
then it struck him that the animals were fear clutching heavy at her heart, stayed
afraid of the weird downfall. behind to straighten out the table. Some
intuition warned her that something was
There was nothing much he could do
the snow stopped, so he walked around
wrong with the world. The red snow, and
till
among them talking to them and patting now this explosive crash —
what could
they mean? She heard Lars and Jerry walk-
them until they became a little more quiet.
ing around the farmhouse as they searched
About seven o’clock, the snow ceased fall-
ing. The horses were still nervous, but
for the cause of the disturbance, but when
Lars re-entered the house ten minutes
gradually ended their crazy bucking and
whinnying. Lars decided it was safe to
later, the frown on his face showed the
futility of his search.
leave them now, and walked back to the
farmhouse, mopping his brow.
"What was it?” Helga asked.
"Nothing that I could find,” he re-
plied, puzzled and irritated. "Sounded
2. The Thing in the Field
like a tree or something fell on the barn,
O ver bacon and eggs and steaming

coffee, Lars and Helga discussed the
phenomenon, but with these homely
but there wasn’t anything the matter.
guess
ain’t.”
maybe we’re hearing things
I
that
breakfast items before them and a warm It was poor comfort. The two finished
feeling inside, the strange snow became their breakfast in silence. At the conclu-
less mysterious and alarming to them. sion of the meal, Lars said briefly, "I’m
"No wonder the pigs and hosses was going up to the forty-acres to see how the
scared!” said Lars, half injest. "I guess ground’s coming along. If you want me,
anybody’d feel funny to see red snow in- shout and I’ll hear you.” Helga made no
stead of white. But it ain’t anything to —
answer in spite of her fears she knew the
worry about. It’s probably just dust in the futility of arguing with Lars.
air like I said.” Her husband called Jerry and the two
"Maybe so,” Helga answered doubt- set off. The sun was up and the sky fairly
fully. "But where’s there any red dust clear. It was rapidly getting warmer. The
around here?” red snow already looked soggy and the

The question stumped Lars. He knew air had a bad smell, malodorous and stale.
Minnesota, the Dakotas, Montana, and A path led from the rear of the farm-
Nebraska, but in none of those states was house down past the chicken coops and
bam, cut across the hog-run, then ran slowly pushed himself upright and stood
across an open field and finally up a small trembling a moment. He put out his
hill, on the other side of which lay the hand again, and his fingers felt the same
forty-acres, a tract used for wheat. Lars stuff, hard as steel, colder than ice, with
walked down the path past the barn and knobs here and there and strange grooves.
across the hog-run. As they started across There was one depression on the solid sur-
the open field, Jerry suddenly bristled. face into which he put his fist, and the
Lars heard him growl savagely. He looked hand vanished from sight.
around, but nothing unusual was in sight. At that, sheer fright gripped him and
"C’mon, Jerry,” he called and walked he turned and ran with all his strength
on. The dog lagged behind him, growling while Jerry whined along at his heels. The
and whining. Then Lars stopped abruptly terrific crash remained a mystery no longer
in surprize. Some ten yards ahead of him — would to God that it had! Something
was a great gash in the wet earth. It that never was of this earth had fallen in
must have been freshly made, for the the midst of an open field, whether by ac-
earth bulged around its edges, and there cident or purpose. All the old folk-lore
was as yet no pool of water in it. and witch legends of his race surged into
As Lars continued striding toward it his thoughts to increase his panic. But he
after his momentary pause, Jerry set up a thought of Helga too as he ran, and de-
furious barking that ended in a long, cided that he would say nothing which
whining howl, and refused to advance. might alarm her more.
"Stop that fool barking and come along.” He stopped for a minute outside the
Lars swore irritably. His nerves were be- farmhouse to get his breath. Then he
coming frayed. But the collie absolutely walked in, trying to be his usual self.
would not come, and Lars went on, think-
"That you, Lars?” Helga called out. A
ing that the dog would follow him if he
moment later she entered the kitchen.
took the lead.
When she saw him, she ran forward.
He was a few feet from the edge of the
"Why, Lars, your face is bleeding!”
when something he had
gash
caught his ankle and he tripped forward.
not seen
"Yes, I —
I tripped and fell.”
Helga looked into his eyes that were yet

In one mad second of horror, the pit of
wild and dilated, and the truth of intui-
hell seemed to open up before him. Some-
tion leaped into her heart.
thing else he could not see hit him a great
"Lars! That crash—you know what it
blow on his forehead, and his outstretched
was! There was something in the field!”
arms were bruised on a hard substance.
"No,” he answered deliberately, "no,
He was leaning forward at a forty- five de-
there was nothing in the field.”
gree angle over the deep gash. He looked
straight down, and saw its bottom a dozen
3- The Falling That Was Upward
feet below him, but he did not fall. He
might have been resting on a steel plat- T WAS a solemn pair that sat down at
form, but there was absolutely nothing in I midday for lunch. The oppressive
sight. weight of mystery and fear hung over the
A great bubbling of sweat broke out on table, and stopped even the small talk
him. The blood from the bruise on his that Lars and Helga ordinarily indulged
forehead dripped down, but hung sus- in. By tacit consent, they said nothing
pended in midair a few inches from his further about the incidents of the morn-
face. His eyes glazed with terror, Lars ing.
768 WEIRD TALES
Toward two o’clock, the sky began to must have seen him coming down the road
cloud up, and it grew cooler outside; but and gone out to meet him.
the red snow had all melted in the warmth The sight of Helga made him curiously
of the late morning, and around the farm- uneasy. He wished she had waited to let
house hung a putrid smell, stale and him go after the mail. As he started to
nauseating, the odor of a charnel-house or
descend the flight of steps, he decided he
the grave.
would ask her to stay inside for the next
day or so. But all thoughts were driven
Lars puttered around the kitchen and
from his head and black terror over-
basement, doing odd jobs to pass time. He
whelmed him in a sickening rush when he
did not leave the house. His nerves were
was half-way down.
on the ragged edge, and he did not know For there came to his ears a sound that
what might happen next. The red snow was yet many sounds. There was a strange,
and the thing in the field lay heavy on his long zing-g-g, the mad whinny of a horse,
heart. Nature had gone all wrong this and the sudden, piercing shriek of a
day, the security and trust of a lifetime woman. And then there came again that
had vanished in a brief hour. What could long, strange zing-g-g, and the noise of a
he do in the presence of a mystery that great wind.
seemed to have no explanation, and things Lars cleared the rest of the steps in one
that went against the laws of life he had leap and stumbled on a twisted ankle
relied on? As the great masses of leaden around the comer and to the front door
clouds piled up overhead, and gusts of and so outside. The blind fear which he
chill wind whined around the yard and had felt as he hung over the pit that morn-
the house, the indefinable fear of the un- ing suspended by a thing which he could
known hung over his thoughts. He had not see was as nothing to the surge of hor-
only one ray of hope: that the paper which ror that swept upon him now.
the rural postman would leave in the For there was no one in sight. The mail-
afternoon would give some explanation of box was deserted. The road stretched
the mysterious snowfall. The thing in the away to the left, bare of any human travel-
field he vainly tried to put out of mind by ler for three-quarters of a mile, and to the
pretending that it must be a new kind of right, just as empty for a half-mile. And
comet. in the field that stretched away on the
It was about four o’clock when Lars, other side of the road, not a living creature
who was upstairs fixing a broken window- was be seen. Helga and the postman
to
sash, heard the postman’s whistle. He put with his horse and buggy had vanished as
down his hammer and nails, then walked though they had never been.
down a short passage to the head of the But there was a curious thing: all
stairs. From there, looking across the around was gray from the clouds that ob-
front bedroom and out its window, he scured the sky, except in a round patch of
could see the mail-box on its post where blue perhaps a hundred yards in diameter
the county road ran by some ninety or a through which sunlight was pouring
hundred yards in front of the house. There above the mail-box. Lars mechanically
the familiar horse and buggy of the post- looked up. High above was the single rift
man were halted. To his surprize, Helga in the cloud-banks, a rift that the surging
with the mail in her hand was standing clouds were rapidly filling again. Even as
there too, talking with him but evidently he looked, some white things fluttered
on the point of returning to the house. She —
toward earth letters and papers. Lars
W. T.—
picked up a handful like one dazed or the night, as he had been sitting for the
mad and stumbled back into the house. He last three hours. His mind had become
was hardly conscious of the sudden roar calmer while he brooded over mysteries he
of wind that came up, or the wall of sleet could not fathom, but there was a light in
that drove in a wild slant from the clouds. his eyes that had never been in them be-
In the same mechanical, irresponsible way, fore. Only the stolidity of his race had
he turned again and went out into the thus far kept him from going mad. In his
half-darkness with the hopeless hope that ears still rang that medley of sounds, and
his eyes and ears had played him a trick. his horrified eyes held before them yet the
He walked down the road in either di- vacant roadway, and the letters fluttering
rection, searched across the field, called down. It was incredible, unthinkable; yet
and shouted till his voice was hoarse, but all his thoughts wound up with the expla-
not a thing did he find, and no one an- nation that was no explanation at all:
swered his vain cries. Then at last when somehow, the postman and Helga had
the sleet turned to a fine drizzle which been whirled up from the surface of earth.
ceased shortly, he went back to the farm- He had thought of a tornado, but nothing
house, still in that numbing daze. else had been disturbed and he had seen
The were lying on the floor

letters no telltale whirling in the sky. What was
where he had dropped them, and he auto- it that could reach down to earth all in a
matically picked out of them the paper brief second or two and instantly vanish
that he had thought might contain a news skyward with its prey? The cold sweat
item of explanation. But he could not con- broke out on his forehead. Once as a child
centrate his thoughts, and they were only he had wondered how he would feel if he
disjointed phrases that his eye picked out saw an apple fall from a tree and, instead
here and there. "Red snow falls volcanic — of dropping to earth, sail toward the
dust in upper atmosphere —
dust clouds heavens. Now he knew that dreadful sen-
—
from western prairies curious unknown sation, the feeling that nature had sud-
organism puzzles scientists —chemist

as- denly gone askew.
serts he found traces of a substance like He stared again into the sky directly
blood ” were the paragraph’s expla- above, where the stars shone bright and
nations and comment that ran in a jumble cold, vainly hoping that he might draw a
through his thoughts; and somewhere else solution out of those fathomless deeps.
on the page, a few other phrases: Minutes ticked by. The Milky Way blazed
"Strange display of Northern Lights out in its mysterious beauty, and the night
beams of red, green, violet, yellow was quiet with no wind.
phenomenon observed over Norton uni- — When it was that he became conscious
versity astronomer offers no explana- of something new, he could not say. But
”
tion in back of his futile thoughts, a forgotten
phrase groped for expression: Northern
4. Something from Above Lights
let
—phenomenon— red, green, vio-
y nightfall of
B that day of madness,
was again partly clear outside. In
the east
it
still hung a low bank of clouds,

Then he knew. High above him,
faintly that at first he could not be sure,
so
beams of many-colored light stabbed

but overhead and to the west, the stars and shot and pulsed across the stars. And it
were coming out. struck Lars with surprize and something
Lars sat by a window looking dully into of a new fear growing upon him that no-
W. T.—
770 WEIRD TALES
where was the display to be seen. In
else stumbled downstairs out into the chill,
the past, he had frequently watched the quiet night.

Aurora Borealis creep down from the There was something oddly familiar
north, flaming brighter till streamers and in that nearest object, and he went up to
cataracts of weird radiance played across it with a far-away buzzing in his ears,
all die northern sky. But he had never and a wild swirl of insane dreams in his
before seen it confined to so small a spot mind. He bent over the still form; a
in the heavens. These flashing beams of scorched odor came to his nostrils, he
green and violet, red and yellow did not recognized the poor, broken body of
seem as remote as the Northern Lights Helga, the hideously white skin, he
usually were, and it was strange that they crooned a word of grief and bent over to
occurred in so small an area, an area stroke the lifeless clay. And then he
which looked no larger than a plate, snatched his hand back again, for it
though he knew it must be immensely burned like the fire of a furnace, but he
larger out there in space. Sometimes knew it was no fire that he touched, nor
only two beams would dance around any heat, but the biting, absolute cold of
eadi other, sometimes all would be gone, outer space. As Helga had vanished, in
then a minute later rays of different mystery and terror, so had she returned,
colors leaped out against die starry vel- but .the horror for her was over. For him
vet of night. And the strangest part of it kept on. The night was all silent, but
the display was the clearnessand straight- that maddening buzz was louder in his
ness of the beams; there was none of the brain. He shook his head to get rid of
vagueness and change and slow merging it, and his eyes fell upon the other
into other patterns and colors that the object.
Aurora had; this resembled more die
snapping on and off of giant flashlights. or a second that was as long as
For several minutes, Lars looked at F eternity, time and space and the world
the queer lights with the dullness of a stood still for Lars. No eyes could look
mind dazed by too many shocks. And unchanged on that slimy blob of liquid
even as he watched them, he became flesh and fungus and ichor, with its
aware of something yet newer: he seemed loathly tentaclesand beaks, its blackness
to see one or twp black specks in the air of corruption, its monstrous mixture of
between him and the lights, like the all that was obscene in the vegetable and
dancing specks before the eyes of some animal kingdoms, and more horrible
one who has been struck on the head; and still, the thing’s metallic core like brown
there came to his ears a rush of wind, quicksilver that still moved feebly with
and two objects hurtled furiously past an appalling parody of life; and in its
him to smash on the ground. A moment center a sickly, rotten bulb of a dead,
later, he thought he heard a thud down blind eye that glared foully at Lars with
by the road and another from somewhere its dying light.
afar, but perhaps they were only echoes The buzzing in his ears swelled to a
that he heard, or his ears may have been grating, shrill din, something snapped,
playing him tricks. He could not be sure, his teeth champed together, and the mad
for he looked at the two in the farmyard ness was upon him. He muttered croon-
and his eyes went wide and glary. Like ing endearments to Helga, shrieked blas-
a run-down automaton he rose and phemies at the slimy thing from above.
burst out into peals of mirthless laughter pyre, or the flames that consumed, as he
and rasping sobs. His crazed mind went turned and sped back to the pile of wood.
off on another tangent, and he stopped He picked up all he could carry of the
his muttering and shrieking as suddenly three-foot lengths and stumbled down
as he had begun; instead, he chuckled the path, staggering under the weight.
with insane cunning as though he had When he reached the gash in earth,
thought of a way to cheat his enemy. He faintly illuminated by the red glare that
backed slyly to the farmhouse, was gone began to come from the burning roof of
for a minute, reappeared with a great the farmhouse, he tossed his whole arm-
armful of kindling wood. He returned ful onto the invisible thing, and shouted
to fetch another and another, till a heap madly again as the wood hung sus-
of it lay on the ground. He made a rude pended in air over the gap. He returned
pyre out of it, except for an armful or again and again until all the wood was
two; he dragged the body of Helga onto strewn around and qver the thing that
it though his hands burned as if in a could not be seen. On his last trip, he
white-hot furnace; he ran back, reap- brought two one-gallon cans of kerosene
peared with a can, poured kerosene on and poured them on as much of the wood
the pyre. He lighted it with tears of mad- as was within reach, then tossed them to
ness and grief running down his face. the top of the pile and lighted the mass.
Then fury entered his heart, and he A tongue of fire leaped out and raced
threw the rest of the kindling on the over the pile, and a volume of thick
obscene thing, and drenched it with the black smoke issued up. The field around
kerosene. As the flames flared up, he him was already made bright by a lurid
danced around with grief and hatred and glare from the farmhouse that was now
insanity alternately writhing across his entirely ablaze. Like a necromancer
features. He ran back to the woodshed uttering his ritual of incantation and dark
for more He was
about to return
fuel. sorcery, Lars leaped danced and
and
with a load of cordwood when he heard howled around the great bonfire he had
the roar of a small explosion, saw a foun- built. A tower of black smoke from the
tain of sparks and burning wood spew kerosene mounted almost straight up in
into the air. He stood agape for a sec- the air from the flames, the wood
ond, then ran madly to the fires. The crackled, the heat became scorching and
obscene monstrosity was no more —some- blistering. And under the metamorpho-
thing in it or something it had
carried sis of fire, Lars saw a last, strange riddle
exploded, and in two or three places shape itself before his eyes. There were
burning chunks smoldered on the farm- outlines forming, the suggestion of a
house roof. But Lars paid no attention vast structure imbedded deeply in earth.
to them or to the flames that were begin- He gibbered to the stars as he saw
ning to lick at the eaves, for some half- planes and angles and cubes that looked
forgotten thing was pounding at the back like spheres and the geometry of another
of his thoughts. dimension. His maniacal laughter rang
The thing in the field! The thing in out again as he looked through the glow-
the field! The phrase sang through his ing, transparent walls and saw objects he
head like a chant, and he burst out into could not name, strangely mounted
another wild peal of maniacal laughter. mechanical devices, fantastic articles that
He scarcely looked at the black smoke no mind on earth could have imagined or
that surged up from Helga’s funeral shaped. And lying around them were
772 WEIRD TALES
dozens of those hellish slimy things that Among his effects were found two sig-
were neither animal nor vegetable nor nificant items: a black object, and the
matter, but partook loathsomely of the following extraordinary communication,
nature of all three. He shouted in mirth- which was apparently written sometime
less glee as he glimpsed briefly still other during the first day of his confinement
things — weird, gaseous substances on the for medical care:
floor that held their shape as rigidly as "To others I leave the task of deciding
dead bodies. whether I have been the victim of in-
There came a hiss like a great sigh, a sanity or hallucinations. Already I my-
rumble of warning, and Lars insanely selfdoubt the testimony of my own eyes
flung his arms wide apart as if to em- and ears. If it were not for the disk
brace the cleansing fire. It was his last which I brought with me, I would believe
gesture, for earth and sky and life the entire adventure to be a delusion or
trembled and were blasted before the a dream, but unless the disk proves to be
titanic explosion that wiped out the thing a figment of a deranged imagination, I
in the field. can not doubt the truth of what I have

to say and the reality of what I saw.
5. A Riddle of the Stars "At two-ten p. m. on March 30 I
took off from the Twin City flying-field
O n the
shortly
afternoon
two p. m., Larry
after
of
Greene took off from the Twin City fly-

March 30,
with a bundle of bank dispatches for
Seattle. I headed due west. Weather con-
ing-field with a special consignment of

ditions were fair for the first hour and I
kept at the relatively low flying level of
bank dispatches for Seattle. His ’plane
was last seen at Elk Forks, twenty miles
two thousand feet. At this point, some-
east of Norton, at approximately four
what less than one hundred miles from
the Twin Cities, I was nearing a region
o'clock. When nothing more was seen
for which sleet or snow storms were fore-
of him for several hours and no report
cast. Cloud-banks were piling up ahead,
was received, the importance of his cargo
so I immediately began to climb for alti-
caused a searching-party to be sent out.
tude. The last town I saw was Elk Forks.
Early in the morning of March 31, his
After that, the clouds below me obscured
airplane was found near the burned Lo-
everything.
berg farmhouse.” It was completely
smashed, but the pilot’s body was no- "I had climbed to six thousand feet,
where around. The searching-party con- then seven thousand five hundred, and
tinued to scour the area. An hour later, was now keeping to an altitude of nine
the missing flyer was picked up, wander- thousand feet. I estimated that I must
ing in a dazed condition through a field now be nearing Norton.
near Norton. His account of what had "Without a word of warning, the ter-
happened was so singular and fantastic ror came.

that his sanity was questioned. When, "My plane was suddenly enveloped in
however, he was discovered to be suffer- a greenish light. The motor and propel-
ing badly from exposure, he was immedi- ler droned, but my progress was at a
ately rushed to the Twin Cities for complete standstill. My altimeter showed
medical attention. All efforts to save his eleven, thirteen, fifteen thousand feet so
life were unavailing. He died of gan- rapidly that I could hardly follow it.
grenous infection several days later. Nothing I could do had any effect on the
'plane or its incredible rise. The sensa- infinitely more titanic and brain-shatter-
tion was sickening. I had the motor wide ing than any I had ever had. The terror
open, but not a foot did we advance. In- and fear of nauseating mystery were upon
stead, the ’plane rose straight up like a me, I hardly knew whether I was dream-
balloon. I scarcely had time even to ad- ing or awake, alive or already beyond the
just my oxygen tank and turn on the cur- borderland of death. And those two
rent for the air-tight electrically heated corpses hanging in the air near me
suit that I always wear in cold weather their appearance was as ghastly as it was
flying. The altimeter soared to forty inexplicable.
thousand feet, then froze. "The whole thing was like a delirious
"Everything had happened so instant- vision. I felt as if I were confined, the

ly that Iwas almost stunned. A few sec- terrific cold had ceased, yet there was not
onds at most could have elapsed between a star in the sky above me nor could I
the moment the greenish light came and see the earth beneath. were not for
If it
the altimeter froze. the airplane and the two bodies, I would
have believed that I had gone blind.

"Through my suit, I began to feel an
intense cold. I had no knowledge of how

"I had hardly understood —or rather,
high now was, but knew that my realized my situation since I did not
I
strange ascent were not quickly halted,

I if
I
understand it at all —when there came to
would perish in the absolute or almost

me again a faint click, from above, and
I automatically looked up.
absolute zero of the upper atmosphere.
The motor now froze and went dead. In-
"I do not know what I expected to see,
except anything or nothing. But it was
stead of falling, the airplane remained
no answer to any of the thousand ques-
in its unnatural suspension, still bathed
tions in my mind that I saw, but mystery
in green light. The sky above me had
darker and deeper. There was cloud
become so dark was must
that I
be near the outer edge of earth’s at-
certain I
vapor a dozen feet above me or was —
there? I have never before seen a gas-
mospheric blanket. The cold was more
eous substance hold form and shape
its
piercing than ever.
rigidly, but I did then, and with a side,
"At this moment, I thought I heard faint feeling, I realized that the cloud-
two faint clicks closely following each like thing was
alive. I had an impression
other. A few seconds later, they were re-
of eyes burning into mine, but there were
peated. The green light disappeared. no eyes visible in it. My brain received
Overhead, the stars went out. The effect a command, but my ears heard no sound.
was precisely as if I were looking through In some way that I could not compre-
an invisible pane of glass but could see hend, the monstrous living substance
nothing. And only a few feet away from above me had put into my thoughts a
my ’plane there had suddenly appeared picture of myself climbing from the
the bodies of a dead man and a woman. cockpit, and ascending.
The intense cold rapidly lessened in "Climb from the cockpit of an air-
severity, but had it been a thousand times plane heaven knows how many miles
as icy as it was, it could not have been as above earth? It was madness, suicide. I
numbing as the strange horror of all that fought with all my strength to retain my
had happened to me in a brief minute. seat. But I was powerless, and slowly I
I was in the midst of a hellish nightmare climbed over the side into empty space.
774 WEIRD TALES
should have fallen, down, down like
I “TJ ow can I describe the strange ter-
a dead weight. But I was standing as JL JL and fascination of the scene,
ror
upright as if solid ground were beneath or what followed? Surely no man was
my feet. Where was the ultimate cold ever before so suddenly jerked from the
that should be freezing me? Why did I habits and thoughts of a lifetime as I was
not fall? What was the meaning of all then. Without my realizing it until after-
the eery events of the past few minutes? ward, I must have been placed again
I was trembling violently, hot and cold under hypnotic or mental control, for the
sweat broke out on me, a deadly fear mechanism and gaseous shapes surround-
gnawed at my heart for the first time in ing me suddenly faded away into blank-
my life. ness, and then, while I had the disem-
"Then I thought I must have entered bodied feeling of one who dreams, a suc-
some queer, hypnotic state, for a sudden cession of fantastic images and pictures
feeling of peace came over me, and in were imposed on my imagination by the
answer to another silent command I thing before me. No word passed
mounted what seemed to be a short lad- between us, for neither could have under-
der, and stepped off a moment later to stood the language of the other. By a
another invisible floor. The gaseous kind of mesmeric thought-transference, I
thing retreated as I advanced, and now was made to understand all that had hap-
hung few yards away from me. But I
a pened to me, and some things I had not
scarcely noticed it, for my eyes were known about, and some of which I shall
bewildered by the sight around me, and probably never have any further knowl-
a dim light of comprehension began to edge to certify their truth.
clear away the fog over my thoughts. "As I had begun to suspect, I was now
in a space-flyer of utterly new type and
"Masses of intricate, gleaming machin-
The being who hung
construction to me.
ery and delicate mechanism were every-
a few yards away was Relelpa, director
where about me, together with elaborate
of an expedition from Saturn on a mis-
dials, controls, and other devices whose
sion that meant existence or death to the
purpose I could not even conjecture.
solar system.
Around each device and control were
"For thousands of years, civilization
grouped scores of the gaseous things. I
had been progressing there until the in-
dreamed for a ihoment that I was in an
habitants were now as far ahead of us as
airship of some new^ kind, but there were
we are ahead of jungle apes. The life
no enclosing walls and I could see no force which is persistent everywhere in an
floor beneath me. Yet the sky was de-
infinite variety of organisms produced on
void of stars.
Saturn opaque, gaseous substances like
“All this I noticed in a brief instant Relelpa. Many years before our meeting,
before my captor mutely commanded me these eery inhabitants of Saturn had dis-
to walk forward a few paces and seat my- covered deep in the bowels of their
self. Too stunned and overwhelmed to planet one of the rarest elements in all
offer any resistance, I did so. The thing the universe. Saturn itself contained only
drifted toward me and hung a few feet a few thousand tons of the ore from
away. I looked at it, and again Ihad an which this element, Seggglyn, was ex-
impression of burning eyes that I could tracted.
not see. But there came over me again "Seggglyn resists cold even to absolute
that odd sensation of peace. zero, but if exposed to sufficient heat it
explodes. Its most curious and most valu- and armed

space-flyer, it with all their
able property is its imperviousness to weapons apd rays of destruction. The

gravitation. For instance, a lump of the flyer could not be seen, nor its location
pure element isolated under an open sky guessed unless it crossed a star and shut
is immediately hurled skyward by the out the light.
centrifugal force of the spinning planet, "On the outside of the flyer at one tip
since gravitation has no effect on it. were placed dozens of thin plates of the
Until it finally breaks up into atomic impurity. These were controlled by radio
particles, it hurtles forever through the from inside the ship. They could be ad-
universe, rebounding anew from any justed to any position on the outside, so
gravitational pull which it may chance to that the ship’s speed could be regulated,
come near. and just enough gravitational pull shut
"In extracting die element and in ex- off or turned on to let the ship rise and
perimenting with it, the Saturnians not land safely.
only discovered how to control it but "With their space-flyer, the Saturnians
obtained by-products of inestimable had explored the solar system hundreds
value. Seggglyn is completely transpar- of years ago, and had even ventured out
ent, but nothing beyond it is visible as — into the galaxy beyond, for there was
if you looked through a pane of glass apparently no limit to die speed which
but could see nothing beyond. Perhaps I it could attain. If its rate of speed were
can make by saying that it is
this clearer constant when it left the gravitational
like a blind spot. you put two black
If influence of Saturn, would keep on
it
dots on a cardboard, hold the cardboard going at that rate. But if its speed were
at arm’s length, focus your eyes on one controlled so that was constantly in-
it
dot, and then draw the cardboard toward creasing at the point where it passed
you, one of the dots will disappear when beyond Saturn’s influence, its acceleration
the cardboard about a foot and a half
is would continue at the same rate, and if
from your eyes. Well, Seggglyn acts like it were worth the risk, a speed of hun-
a blind spot at any distance from the eye dreds or thousands of light-years per
of the beholder. second could be reached.
"In extracting the element, the Sa- "After their early explorations and ex-
turnians found that the last impurity re- periments, the Saturnians kept the flyer
moved had the effect of counteracting the idle, but always in readiness for any dan-
element; that is, until the impurity was ger. They had discovered many dis-
taken out, Seggglyn was held by gravita- quieting matters on their trips, but so
tional Thus, by putting the
attraction. long as nothing happened, they preserved
impurity back in, or coating Seggglyn their policy of waiting in readiness.
with it, the element had only normal "And out of night with no warning
mineral properties. had suddenly come the one cataclysmic
"There was only a limited amount of danger that they had not anticipated.
the stuff on Saturn, and no trace of it From their great central observatory, the
was ever found in the spectrum of any Saturnians kept up a constant survey of
star. What should be done with it? The the heavens for astronomic and protective
Saturnians considered every possible use, reasons. One week the observation had
and finally decided that it would be most shown a normal view of the region of the
valuable as an offense and defense against evening star. And the next week, stars
any danger; and so they built this vast were disappearing momentarily in a
776 WEIRD TALES
straight line that travelled toward the into space, and from one of these who
solar system. was instantly caught and swept to the
"They could not believe the explana- Saturn-flyer by the green magnetic ray,
tion, but there was only one explanation the story of the invaders was found out.
possible. Some star or world beyond the "Where they came from is unknown,
reach of their farthest telescope had pos- for their world lies beyond any galaxy or
sessed the rare ore, and a space-ship made nebula known to astronomers of the
from Seggglyn, whether a scouting party solar system. They too had discovered
or an expedition of invaders, was hourly Seggglyn on their world, and had dis-
leaping colossal stellar distances toward covered it at the last moment, for their
the solar system. Their surprize turned world was dying and had almost reached
almost into panic when they discovered its end. With their super-telescopes, they
that instead of one, there were three had found traces of Seggglyn in the
onward!
space-flyers hurtling spectrum of Saturn long before it was
"So short was the warning that des- isolated on their own world. Time was
perate measures had to be taken. Hasty priceless to these gruesome plant-animal-
calculations showed that the invaders mineral creatures from the spaces beyond.
were heading toward Earth first, perhaps They had built three ships, but these
to reconnoiter or to use Earth as a rico- were not enough to transport all the in-
chet for reaching Saturn. Relelpa was habitants of their world before the end
summoned to lead the party. The need came. If they could obtain the ore from
of reaching Earth before or not later Saturn and build two more ships or even
than the invaders was desperate. It could one great flyer, they would be saved.
not be accomplished even with the nor- "And so the three flyers started out,
mal acceleration of the Saturnian space- each loaded thousand of the
with a
flyer. In the crisis, at the moment when loathly creatures. One ship was to land
the nullifying plates were stripped from on the most habitable of the planets,
the outside of the Saturn’s most
flyer, Earth, and wipe out all life on it with
powerful explosive was used to hurl it the violet ray of terrific heat and the
off in a blinding flash to give it the in- yellow ray that blasted anything it
itial acceleration required. touched. The other two were to dis-

"Over Earth, they met; and before the gorge on Saturn, and while one band
invaders realized* that their coming was destroyed the inhabitants, the other would
known, the red annihilation ray of the extract Seggglyn from the ore and build
Saturn flyer stabbed out and the first ship as many ships as possible. As soon as the
from outside dissolved into brownish dust three flyers had landed, they were to re-
that drifted down. The red ray stabbed turn to their world, empty except for the
out again but missed; the second ship crews to man them, in order to bring
which used some other means than black back other thousands of the loathsome,
plates of using gravitational pull as the obscene things.
first and third also did had dropped sud- "And their hellish plan would have
denly to escape the deadly ray; but the succeeded if they had not neglected one
ship behind it had also divedand crashed possibility: they thought that the Satur-
into the tip of its own comrade, and as nians were unaware of the property of
the bitter cold of space mowed down its Seggglyn, and that the ore was still un-
occupants, the second ship hurtled to mined; or that in any case, their own
Earth. Some of its occupants spilled out three space-flyers would prove to be in-
vincible. And so, all unprepared, in the him wish me good luck as I in turn
very moment of their triumph the wished him success, and .then the door
strength of the invaders was cut down by clicked behind me. I held the disk over
two-thirds. my head, manipulating it as he had ex-
"But now the third ship was warned; plained, so that parts of the black cover-
and all this day the Saturn-flyer had been ing slid off the Seggglyn. I heard another
engaged with it in a struggle on which click, and then all at once I dropped,
the fate of worlds depended. If the Sa- and my airplane twisted past me hurtling
turnians were defeated. Earth and Saturn downward and after it the bodies of the
were doomed, even though the invaders two people who had been on earth in the
were unable to save all the inhabitants of path of the green ray when its magnetic
their own world by transporting them power picked me up sped by me, and
across space. behind them the hideous monster which
"Relelpa showed me a great, metallic the Saturnians had captured.
disk, on which the heavens were mir- "As I fell slowly, still feeling as if I
rored; since those inside the flyer could had dreamed a horrible nightmare, I
see nothing outside, television was neces- looked above me; and my eyes went wide
sarilyemployed for guidance. And there, when I saw red and green ray flashing
close to the center of the disk which against yellow and violet beam. Surely
marked our position, I saw stars blotted it was the strangest and most important
out where the invaders hung. battle ever witnessed by man! Sometimes
"What can I do? Why do you want all four rays darted and flamed out, some-
me? were the two silent questions that I times only one or two; or both rays of
asked Relelpa; and the answer came back, one flyer would vanish only to reappear
there was nothing I could do up here. suddenly in another spot.
Relelpa had sighted my airplane and "I heard the wind whistle past me, I
ordered it picked up by the green ray. He looked at earth far below, and a great
had told me all he wanted to, and I was fear took hold of me; but I was falling
now about to be released to warn the no faster than Iwould be with a para-
people of my
world in the event that the chute, and the mental picture of Relelpa
Saturnians were defeated. came back to reassure me.
"I had no will-power of my own beside "Once more I looked upward. I saw
this mental giant, I merely followed his only the red and the green rays leaping
directions. It would have been fatal to madly across the sky in a paean of victory
try usingmy airplane at this height, and — the battle was won! . . .
my parachute would probably have ripped "The doctor tells me that gangrene has
from my shoulders with the force and set in. I guess I was more seriously
speed of my fall when it finally opened. frozen than I thought in those upper
Relelpa gave me a curious black disk spaces. They think I am crazy and they
when he read my thoughts, and again by won’t believe what I tried to tell them
mental image showed me how to use it. last night. Maybe I am crazy, but I swear
"Suddenly he flashed me the image that I saw all the things I have written
that the final, desperate battle was near. of as plainly as I now my hospital
see
At the same instant, he thrust me toward cot or the skylight above me or the black
the outer chamber through which I had disk under my pillow. Well, that ought
originally entered. I saw his strange, to convince them if nothing else does.
cloud-like form for the last time, I felt "Larry Greene.’’
778 WEIRD TALES
6. The Black Disk inch. On two sides it was indented, and
at each indentation was a row of tiny
U nderneath
small disk was found.

the pillow of the cot on
which Larry Greene had died,
The nurse who
a
knobs.
"H’mm,” mused the doctor, "I’ve
never seen anything quite like it.” He
discovered it looked at it in some curios-
fingered the knobs meditatively.
ity, puzzled as to its purpose and won-
There was a and the black
faint click,
dering what to do with it. Finally she
covering of the disk somehow seemed to
called the doctor who had vainly tried to
And all at once, he
slide off or collapse.
save the pilot’s life.
found himself with nothing in his hands.
"What is it?" he bruskly inquired.
He heard a sudden wind, the crash of
"That’s just it, I don’t know,” she an- shattered glass, a sound like the rush
swered. "I found this on Mr. Greene’s of air.
cot. What shall I do with it?” The dumfounded doctor looked at an
The doctor took the object and scru- amazed nurse, as bits of glass from the
tinized it closely. was a black disk,
It broken skylight dropped around them.
slightly oval in shape, and approximately The black disk which they had been
a foot in diameter. It was perfectly flat, examining a few seconds ago had van-
with an unvarying thickness of a half- ished.
A Dream of Bubastis By HARVEY W. FLINK

I dreamt I stood before a shrine of Bast,
And harkened to the piping of her flutes,
Whilst in the dusk two Ethiopian mutes

Came through the granite gates, and bound me fast.
They laid me on an altar-stone and fled
Like shadows from the hall, and in my dream

I heard above the flutes a wailing scream.
And saw the goddess with the feline head.
I groaned, and in the censer’s golden smoke

I watched her lift her black, enormous paws:
She tore my flesh with gleaming agate claws
Until, with sweat upon my brow, I woke . . *
And knew that in the dawn a creature sat

Sphinx-like upon my chest: it was a cat.
7be PRIMEVAL
PIT n VAiiMs fcj
“ REAT snakes! Joe, did you ever In all the four days of their crossing
® -w- see the like of it?” exclaimed the desolate plateau the scarcity of water
Haines, the shorter and stouter had been their great trouble. Hardship,
built of the two men, hoarsely, as he heat, cold, hunger —nothing to kick about
stared at the two-mile stretch of placid in those. Not a grumble had escaped
water fully five hundred feet below them. them even in the stifling heat of the air-
"It's a slice of luck; and by the look less hollows; or the roasting hell of the
of these walls it’s a miracle if we ever open where a million facets of glassy rock
get down to it,” replied the tall, spare reflected the molten shafts of a flaming
Elkins as he craned his head farther over sun that ceaselessly assailed them; or
the edge of the huge wall to obtain a nights when they had shivered in the bit-
better view of it. ing chill, when the rocks crackled and
"Well, we got to make it,” said Haines, rang in contraction, as the temperature
relapsing into his natural slow, stolid dropped maybe sixty degrees in an hour
manner of speech. after sundown, and the plateau sloughed
"Sure we’ll make it —
this blasted wall the heat it had bathed in. For fire had
can’t go on forever without a break,” been denied them, there being never a
growled his partner as his gaze returned twig or a blade of grass in all that im-
longingly to the silvery shimmering sur- mense desolation. So for four days never
face that lay fully a mile or more distant, a morsel of cooked food or hot cheering
yet by reason of their elevation seemingly mate had passed their lips, and a little
so close to them. sun-dried meat and uncooked beans were
779
780 WEIRD TALES
all they had to sustain them. An occa- fearlessly into the heart of the vast range
sional trickle of seepage in the depths of that towered above this last outpost of
a canyon had just held life in them and almost savage humanity.
sustained their determination to reach a That Odyssey might seem worthy of a
spot from which it would again be pos- modern Homer’s epic; to them it was
sible to resume their search for the treas- the merest commonplace of existence.
ure that had brought them deep into the Through frightful, almost impassable
trackless and totally unknown regions of passes; across soaring cloud-wreathed
the northern Andes. summits; piercing appalling canyons; fol-
It was just a tale they heard in lowing foaming creeks, whose wild wa-
Paita: told, between gasps and the red ters vanished in veils of mist down depths
froth that stained the pallid lips of the lost in obscurity; always on and on, the
dying two hard-eyed ad-
derelict, to the two men, foot by foot, fought their way
venturers who had befriended him and ever northward. Creek after creek was
eased his last hours of the misery of lone- panned without a trace of treasure to re-
and poverty. Just a few faint chok-
liness ward and inspire their labors; neverthe-
ing words that had sent them hurrying less each failure meant no more than that
into the storm-swept savagery of "the another creek could be abandoned, and
Top of the World,” as the Peruvians so but narrowed the ground yet to be cov-
aptly term the immense range that ered before that last flow would direct
frowns down on the Pacific shelf, where them to the source of the waiting fortune.
alone maps are anything but mere waste Then they had come upon this im-
paper to the traveler in that great wilder- mense plateau, and as they dropped down
ness. A tale of wandering in the wilds to it lying several thousand feet below
far to the north; and coming on a tribe the average fifteen thousand they had ar-
of nomadic natives who had offered for rived at, there could just be discerned
sale a dozen or so small rubies, which, another range of high peaks far in the
they stated, now and again they found haze of the distance, and they reckoned
inside the migrating waterfowl that broke fifty miles would barely span the cross-
their passage south by alighting in a ing to them. And to this range the urge
small near-by lake the tribe frequented. of the unknown, the lure of wealth, the
He had purchased them for the price of spirit of high adventure — all drove them
a blanket, and later turned them over for irresistibly forward.
the price of a week’s spree in a filthy That this plateau had been the scene
drinking-tavern of a coastal town. But of enormous convulsions was unmistak-
he knew something of suchthings, and able, for deep rents 'and crevices mean-
affirmed there was no doubt whatever of dered and crisscrossed in every direction;
their identity and value, and held the crags and sheer bluffs of a totally alien
natural conclusion that somewhere north nature dotted it; and millions of great
of that lake, hidden in the huge hills boulders were profusely strewn over its
there lay another stretch of water in every acre.
whose gravel beaches there might lie a Of course such rock-wise men as El-
fortune for the lucky discoverer. kins and Haines could not fail to note
So, though there was only one
as that the glassy vitreous surface of the
course open to them, they had come to canyons, faces of bluffs and many boul-
Pienta Arenas, where he had made the ders evidenced the fiery breath that eons
purchase; and from there they had struck past had scorched the solid rock as though
THE PRIMEVAL PIT 781
itwas brown paper; but as rubies, like and indeed possessed a fair de-
scientist,
most other gems, are born in the anguish gree of geological learning, had at once
of inconceivable heat, in spite of the toil stared shrewdly at the frowning walls
and privation the crossing entailed the where prominent buttresses rendered
two men endured it with fortitude, and them visible; and in his hardly conscious
even regarded the desolation with some mutter probably summed the matter very
favor. closely. "A huge fault in the strata —
Yet in four days by well-nigh incred- bad jolt—and down she drops in a solid
ible labor they had not crossed the half chunk; while the molten stuff below is
of it, though from a high bluff they had squeezed each side and lifts the hills a
come to the conclusion that the plateau trifle.” Then Haines, whose eyes had no
was considerably wider than they had concern with anything save the water,
first estimated. Then just before sun- had broken in on his musings, and he too
down of the fourth day they reached the became absorbed in the problem of reach-
edge of the huge abyss; for no other word ing it; and after a little vain peering de-
could convey a correct impression of the cided that whether they followed the
great depth and sheer walls that enclosed crest east or west the descent was a pure
that enormous depression. gamble, and likely a very hazardous one.
Quite suddenly a canyon they had been
following had fallen away into the void
of empty space, and coming to the edge
of that nothingness, and peering over,
V ery soon, the sun sliding below the
horizon, they were turning to seek
shelter in the canyon from a chill night
they found themselves gazing in speech- air that commenced to flow over the
less wonder at what was apparently bluff’s edge, and Elkins, delaying a sec-
another world altogether. Hundreds of ond to stare thoughtfully into the gather-
feet below, billow after billow of dense ing dusk, suddenly cried sharply: "Look,
forests covered the undulating bottom of Tom! what sort of birds are those?” and
a vast depression, whose opposite wall Haines, whipping around, was just in
was so distant that, even from their eleva- time to catch a glimpse of the last winged
tion, could be discerned only as a nar-
it thing as it vanished into the forest.
row shadowy ribbon whose ends mean- "The Sam Hill! they must be as large
dered into haze and invisibility. Exactly as ostriches! Why, at that distance a con-
below lay the silver blue of a small lake, dor would seem no bigger than a spar-
and other gleaming patches in the distance row!” he exclaimed in some astonish-
seemed to denote that a considerable ment.
stream, widening into basins, flowed di- "And there was at least half a dozen
agonally across; though the extreme of them — I just noted them as they
length could be marked only by the sum- crossed the narrow neck,” explained El-
mits of ranges enclosing them. kins, referring to the western end of the
It was as marvelous as a mirage, im- waters where dwindled to a fourth its
it
mense, a paradise of delight, after the middle width. "But after all, I reckon
setting of desolation and sterility the star- it’s the half light on die water sort of
ing men had fought with for days; and balls things up, for there’s no birds that
for men who had hardly more than wet big in all South America,” he asserted
their parched throats in the last twenty- with careless conviction.
four hours. "That’s so,” agreed Haines, "but likely
Yet Elkins, who by nature was a born they’re big waterfowl anyway; and with
782 WEIRD TALES
luck we’ll have roast bird tomorrow,” he face was broken with many fairly wide
added very contentedly; and so the mat- shelves, and much of the rock was
terwas dismissed as a quite insignificant threaded with seams and crevices that a
happening. desperate man by the grace of fortune
For some time in the cold starlight the might lower himself by. Here and there
two men sat smoking and talking of this undoubtedly would be spots where he
amazing depression; mainly from the must drop and trust to keeping his bal-
angle of its chancing to prove the source ance on a shelf below. But still it was
of the waterfowl’s discovery; for un- barely possible; and already the torment
doubtedly such an expanse of water of the fire of thirst was weakening them,
would tempt the birds to break their pas- and they knew that shortly this last chance
sage across the sterile ranges; and in spite would be closed to nerves and muscles
of the bitter cold of night, the gnawing sapped of their virility.
of hunger — for the last morsel of dried "That’i the way I size it — we’ll take
meat had vanished that morning —and a chance,” said Elkins with quick deci-
the bite of thirst, they were highly elated sion; for by unspoken consent in any cru-
and made light of their discomfort. cial matter the final word seemed ever to
"Shall we chance it?” queried Elkins, rest with the speaker. "But we’ll lash the
staring down gravely at the hundred foot blankets about the pack before we sling
drop that yet separated them from the them over —
though we daren’t chance the
rubble slope that fringed the wall’s bot- guns that way.” And after some peering
tom. over and discussion of the line of their
"Damned if I know, Joe —one slip descent, they lashed both packs, the pans
would end a guy’s thirst for keeps,” re- and cooking-ware in the center, around
plied Haines slowly. "Yet it looks like with blankets and made one bundle of
it’s this drop or nothing,” he added them. With a dull sound it hit the rub-
thoughtfully. ble and bounded to the slope’s foot.
Now it was noon and the molten sun "Hope that billy ain’t busted,” said
had heated the shadeless rocks to a pitch Haines anxiously; and in a moment the
when a meant a seared cu-
careless touch two men, a few feet apart, were careful-
ticle, and the green shade so close to them ly, though coolly, lowering themselves
seemed an unbelievable heaven. over a drop that spelt instant and horrible
Since dawn they had followed the destruction if a hand failed to hold or a
the east, then to the west-
crest, first to fragment of stone came away in its clutch-
ward; and the endless ravines and can- ing fingers.
yons opening out into this vast depres- "Well, that’s that!” said Elkins cheer-
sion had made the going slow and fully as his partnerdropped the last doz-
infinitely laborious. At last they had en feet of sheer rock face to the slope he
returned to the only spot where they stood on.
deemed descent was in the least feasible: "And it’s a sure thing nothing but a
a gully that cut into the wall far deeper fly could make it back again,” said the
than any they had discovered. No more new arrival, breathing heavily, for his
than a hundred feet was the height of its solid build had felt the severe strain
last great step, which ended in a slope of more than his partner’s steel sinews. And
jagged rubble where nothing but clumps his statement was by no means a grim
of tough dwarf scrub could find nutrition. exaggeration; for in a couple of places,
Yet —with luck— it was possible; for its high up, the wall face had lacked a single
niche for a finger and they had been com- forest. Before one unusually large growth
pelled to chance a drop of many feet to Elkins halted for a moment and sur-
a ledge beneath; and on one of these veying it with a puzzled frown exclaimed
occasions but for Haines’ herculean arm hoarsely, "These trees are queer look —
Elkins would have failed to recover his at this joker! Ever seen anything like it,
balance and swayed backward into space Tom?” he asked irritably, as one tired of
— but that was all in the game, and marvels and impatient of yet having to
neither spoke nor thought any more of it. observe diem.
"It ain’t a beauty,” acknowledged
A
ware,
hasty examination
anxiety of damage
which seemed to
relieved
to their hard-
concern
their
them
Haines,
"Looks
severely
like it was
damned heap more wicked,” he added
regarding
as old as Satan,
the tree.
and a
much more than the daring skill of their with increasing disfavor.
descent, and quickly shouldering the And indeed the strange giant had a
packs they commenced to make their way most forbidding exterior; for its immense
along the rubble slope to the lake, which bole, that was lost in the green canopy
lay about a couple of miles distant. The fully a hundred feet above them, was
sun beat full upon the towering wall and covered with large horn-like scales that
the heat in the narrow passage between rose in their centers to sharp dark-hued
it and the tall forest was as stifling as an points that bore a striking resemblance to
airless boiler room with the furnace gates the poisoned talon on the end of the tail
wide open; but a thorny jungle fringed of a scorpion. Sharp, curved, and shad-
and invaded the still depths, and it would ing to a glistening black, they possessed
have been an arduous waste of precious a most repellent and vicious appearance,
time to pierce this barrier; so doggedly and very evidently would be wicked
they went on through the heat and rough things for any flesh that brushed against
going, with their thoughts entirely cen- them; while to add to the suspicion of
tered on the mighty reward awaiting latent hostility the thing aroused in the
them. Yet now and again they thought observer, each horny scale had a straggly
they heard the tinkling of running water fringe of coarse gristly hairlike threads
in the distance, and by its persistence ar- drooping from its edges and thinly veil-
rived at the conclusion that a large creek ing it. Its foliage was invisible, but
must be running lakeward. crooked scaly limbs could be made out in
By careful note of some projecting the dim light overhead. Truly the thing
spurs and massive bosses from the heights was abnormal, an enigma, and entirely
above diey had little difficulty in deciding distasteful to the two who stared at it, as
where they must strike into the forest to though something hoary, unnatural and
hit the lake; and with much labor and incredibly aged had stepped from the
swearing broke through the rim of jun- abortions of the primeval and come to
gle, which here had greatly narrowed, poison a gentler creation with its fierce
and entered the and even in

forest proper; malice and foulness.
their exhausted and water-famished con- “Curious,” muttered Elkins as though
dition they could not avoid noting the thinking aloud, "there was once — -hell!
strangeness ofsome of the great growths that’s a crazy notion. Say, let’s get a
which here and there they met in almost move on; my throat’s burning up for a
isolated clumps and single specimens mouthful of water.”
amid the usual rank growths of a tropic And thereafter they paid no attention
784 WEIRD TALES
to other like growths and still others, fan- "What sort of birds are they?” cried
tasticand unnatural but not so markedly Haines in amazement. "Unless my eyes
unlovely, that they met with. But one are on the blink I’m blessed if they got a
peculiarity of these strange growths had feather on them.”
a profound bearing on the partners’ And as he spoke a duck rose squawk-
fortunes; for oddly there was but little ing from the surface right in front of
underbrush where they flourished, and the strange things and made off at full
almost involuntarily the men’s steps in- speed for a bed of reeds. There came a
clined from their course to avail them- downward drive by one brute a little
selves of the clearings. This accounted ahead of his companions; an enormous

for their striking the lake near its center beak gaped and in a flash had closed on
instead of at the narrow neck they aimed the fleeing bird. That was all; there was
for. Likely this saved their lives, for, no more to be seen of the duck than there
unwitting of the deadly peril they had is of a midge snapped up by a bat!
come into, most probably their bodies "By !” cried Elkins blankly.
would have been slashed to ribbons be- "What’s this? bolt a duck at a mouthful!
fore they realized the savage nature of Say! these brutes are making for us!
the winged brutes that swooped down on Quick, Tom, beat it to the bush! those
them. beaks could slash a limb off.”
Both were stretched full length on a Luckily these were men accustomed to
shelf of flat rock that, almost level with the quick decision and instant action; but at
lake’s surface, reached some yards out that, they reached cover a few yards away
into a shallow; and each man was gulp- not a second too soon. For in spite of
ing great drafts of elixir as though he their deliberate movement of wing, which
would drink on forever. Behind them afforded a false impression, they came up
lay a narrow strip of pinky quartz out- at an immense pace, and the two men
cropping that rimmed the lake for some had no more than burst into the shelter
way each side of them; behind that lay a of a grove of thick - foliaged lesser
dense thicket of stout growths much the growths that for some distance here
size and appearance of northern alders. fringed the giants beyond, when the thud
of the wings of the foremost brutes was
E lkins was the first to hear the dull

beat of heavy wings approaching;
looking up he stared in the direction the
above them and the air resounded with
harsh loud cries of bestial savagery.
Peering out through the stout stems
,
sound came from, which was to westward they saw the brutes withdraw a little,
of the narrow neck they had thought to and, after some fluttering about the edge
hit. of the water, arise to a hundred feet or
"Say, Tom!” he exclaimed, "just look so,and there more slowly pass backward
at this bunch, will you? Fresh meat, sure and forward like pointers quartering a
enough —but
what the devil are they?” covert. But the little time they hovered
And Haines, raising his head from drink- had sufficed to show the amazed watchers
ing, stared also at the flying things that the extraordinary appearance these things
about a quarter of a mile away were com- presented, and the fact that they bore not
ing at a great speed toward them; though the least resemblance to any species of
the odd powerful wings beat so slowly bird they had ever seen or heard of — if
that their passage seemed more the swoop bird they could be called. For save in
of a hawk than an effort of their wings. possessing wings and beaks there lay no
feature that could be identified as falling menced, then broke off short and impa-
certainly into that classification; rather tiently muttered, "But that’s just crazi-
were they the abortions that alcohol- ness!” and continued, "We just got to
crazed victims screaming flee from. take the facts as we find them—we’ve run
Great, featherless, hairless monsters up against some sort of brutes we never
with angular, ungainly bodies not less heard of, but they’re and there ain’t
facts,
than five or six feet long ending in short a doubt in the world but any one of those
thick legs with long clawed feet that queer things could rip a guy up easy as
seemed covered with homy plates. Above, look at him; and seemingly they’re par-
long snaky necks ending in blunt thick tial to living meat. We saw ten of them
heads that without a break ran into enor- — Lord only knows how many more of
mous beaks nearly a third of their body the breed there may be around us. I tell
in length; thick, wide, sharp-pointed, and you, Tom, I don’t fancy the look of
it seemed though the edges were deep-
as things,” he added thoughtfully.
ly serrated; one glance was enough to "No. I ain’t stuck on the uglies my-
realize that these would be terrible weap- self,” saidHaines simply. "Seems to me
ons, quite capable of stabbing and slash- one of us must stand sentry any time we
ing a strong man to ribbons. And their fossick around in the open, and keeping
wings with their full fifteen-foot stretch, close to cover I reckon we won’t get hurt
like a dirty brown parchment hue and
in any,” suggested Haines in the matter-of-
texture; leathery stuff through which fact tone in which one would discuss the
ridges of bone and gristle were plainly most commonplace occurrence. For his
and what looked like a couple of
visible, solid, unimaginative nature was quite con-
long curved talons on the outer edge; tent to accept the evidence of his senses
these things were all in the picture the without troubling overmuch, whether it
astounded men stared at. To the greasy, offended common sense, or the common
sickening of their monstrous
flapping interpretation of such.
wings, the brutes were horrible, crude,
and brutal beyond expression, as was the
strong rank odor as of putrid meat that
saturated the air with its filthiness on
A
widening
little while they quietly listened
to the flapping wings as in
circles the brutes slowly drifted
ever
their first close onslaught. away from them, and shortly the sound
"Don’t shoot, Tom!” said Elkins quick- died away in the distance. Then they
ly as he laid a restraining hand on his came to the wood’s edge, and after care-
partner’s upflung arm and gun. "Better fully scanning the vicinity, commenced
save our shells —
we may need them. No to make their way cautiously eastward
saying how many of these hell-fired about the lake’s edge.But now, though
things roost in this pit; and maybe there’ll refreshed by the water, they suffered
be trouble getting clear of it.” much from hunger; for no more than a
"But what are these damned things? handful or so of raw beans had they
I never heard tell of the like of them. eaten in the last two days. However,
They ain’t birds, that’s certain,” growled luck was now with them, and in a nar-
Haines as he blankly stared at the last row sheltered slough they flushed a large
one flap along the lake’s edge and beyond waterfowl from its nest in the reeds; in-
his range of vision. stantly Elkins had cut its head off with a
"They’ve got me guessing,” confessed .38-bore bullet. After the report had
Elkins. "There was once ” he com- ceased to shatter the breathless silence.
W. T 5 —
786 WEIRD TALES
for a moment they heard a distant harsh that?” said Haines in surprize, but as he
screaming, but it ceased abruptly, and had a great respect for his partner’s more
nothing further happening, very quickly nimble gray matter he added more hope-
a smokeless blaze had the hastily skinned fully, "And can you put a figure to it,
bird scorching over it. That and a billy Joe?”
of steaming mate made new men of "A figure? Well, I dunno exactly, but
them; and as the day was far spent and I do call tomind that some old bones of
the spot snug for camping they decided a beast dead thousands of years ago
to go no farther, but have a long night fetched well into four figures,” replied
in and start with completely restored Elkins thoughtfully as he recalled some
vigor at dawn. They had little fear of odd paragraph he had come on in his
being attacked during the night, as they omnivorous reading; for when opportu-
were satisfied that the brutes, being un- nity offered he had an insatiable thirst
embarrassed by the midday sun, would for devouring every scrap of information
not likely be abroad in the darkness; on the natural sciences he could assim-
nevertheless they agreed to take turn ilate from periodicals and other sources
about in watching and sleeping. adapted to the needs of the layman.

As dusk descended, the hush and peace "Four figures!” echoed Haines. "Oh,
that surrounded them seemed as perfect that’s another matter. Then if luck’s
and innocuous as a New England coun- against us we’ll shoot up the whole ca-
tryside on a summer sundown. It was boodle and start in the hide and bone
hard to believe that but an hour or two business. Say! maybe there’s a bunch
back, seconds only had separated them more of those Hell!
uglies! I hope
from the ghastly death that had descend- there’s a thousand,” he exclaimed enthu-
ed like a whirlwind with strange terrible siastically, the prospect of such good for-
shapes astride it. But though the men tune overriding any doubt of success as
contentedly smoking by the firelight he stared out into the starlit water, as
might have been no more than a couple though trusting to see there an immedi-
of camping fishermen enjoying a well- ate response to his rapacious ambition.
earned vacation, yet each man was im- And even Elkins, who in spite of his
mersed in a train of thought that fisher- imagination was a very shrewd reasoner
men would scarcely indulge in. and saw the many obstacles to be
clearly
Haines’ thoughts ran all on a ledge he overcome, caught a little of his enthu-
had marked as worthy of close examina- siasm. Moreover, though the precious
tion, and Elkins, whose ideas ranged metals and gems were the main motif of
farther and were always seething with their existence, yet the exigency of living
speculative queries and delvings, was full had interested them in oil, orchids, feath-
of a brilliant invention for minting hard ers, rubber, and even the hides of devils
cash out of the weird abortions that had if thereby they came by hard cash to for-
assailed them. ward their search for El Dorado.
"See here, Tom,” he exclaimed as the
thought boiled over, "I wouldn’t wonder
but the hide of one of those brutes might
be worth a tidy few dollars if we toted
H
the night
aines was
standing the
commenced
sleeping,
first
to
and
sentry go,
unbosom
Elkins
when
itself
it back to the coast —

those highbrow of strange loud noises that seemingly
museums just eat up such things.” had their source far to the westward,
"What, the hide of a blasted thing like where the lake greatly narrowed and the
wirtged things had vanished. Wonder- scrappers. Just listen to that, will you?”
ingly he had listened to a hoarse cough- he broke off suddenly, silenced by the
ing bellow that spilled itself suddenly enormity of the huge scream of brute
into the stillness. The sound, allowing agony that seeped the air with its poig-
for the distance, was of preposterous vol- nant passion and swept the very skies
ume, like that of a dozen wrath-inflamed with a titanic wrath and malign protest
bull challenges rolled into one. It ceased, at the torture it suffered. Then, as a light
then in a moment broke out afresh, and blown out, it ceased, and a silence as-
now another great throat was adding its sailed the listeners, a silence that seemed
quota to the hollow reverberations that even more filled with frightful things.
came booming through the darkness. As After waiting awhile, but no further
he nudged Haines the sounds abruptly uproar arising, they returned to the fire,
hurled themselves into each other in a and shortly Elkins was slumbering as
typhoon blast of savagery. peacefully as a babe in its mother’s arms.
"What Sam Hill
in is this?” cried the
awakened man as he
"Hell’s a-popping out there
leapt to his feet.
they must
be bull elephants, or dragons belike mix-
— T
set
he dawn and a hearty though single-
coursed breakfast found them not so
on quitting, or at any rate the matter
ing it! I never heard such a rumpus,” he was by tacit agreement left in abeyance;
declared as beside Elkins he strode from though they resolved to exercise the great-
the fire and at the water's edge stood star- est caution in their movements. But
ing into the shapeless blur of the distance. what sort of monsters they might have to
“Dragons?” growled Elkins harshly, deal with they could not conceive, there-
and in his voice lay a curious recognition fore being not unduly loquacious men
of an appropriate word just discovered. diey wasted no time in idle discussion.
—
“Dragons? maybe that’s a better guess With guns ready at half cock, and
than you reckon,” he muttered half to every sense keyed to highest pitch, they
himself. “Anyhow I ain’t sorry the length resumed their passage along the water’s
of the water lays between us and those edge. Here and there one or the other
scrapping devils; and it strikes me, Tom, would pick at the numerous outcroppings,
this blasted pit is all loco. What say, or wash a pan or two of gravel from the
shall we up stakes and beat it in the banks or shingle beaches. But though
morning?” And as he spoke there be- everywhere they found fine gold, yet
came audible the crash of rending wood there was never a sign of crimson stone,
fibers crackling like far-away gunfire, and nor was the gold heavy enough to work
the most hideous monstrous snarling that with profit.
could be imagined. Nevertheless the ground was sufficient-
"My !” cried Haines. "Whatever ly interesting to raise their hopes to a
they are they must be as large as houses! pitch of anticipation that almost blinded
At this distance what sounds like dry them to the extraordinary nature of the
sticks must surely be real big timber being creatures they had run up against; for
busted — what sort of land is this we’ve these were men of the breed who dare
got to?” everything and would challenge all the
"I dunno,” replied Elkins savagely. might of hell itself if it opposed the in-
"But there ain’t a doubt we’d better get satiable craving that obsessed their reck-
out ofit; I reckon we would be no more less determination.
than humming-birds to beasts like those As they had shrewdly suspected, there
788 WEIRD TALES
could be no doubt but that in some by- tained, they could easily evade an attack
gone age a great river had swept through by them. But the brutes that had fought
this country, and the placid lake was the so savagely, and rent the very night with
last remnant of its greatness. For every- their frightfuluproar, and splintered
where lay the evidence of gravel deposits trees as though they were no more than
and naked outcropping of eroded rock brittle reeds —
these things were another
rising in low ridges above and between matter. For there could be no shadow of
the imprisoned detritus, just as the play doubt but such brutes must be enormous
of flood and drought had filled the and terrible antagonists. True, they were
chasms and scoured the rock crests free inconceivable, incomprehensible, mon-
of the burden the flow had for untold sters without name or history; neverthe-
ages laid on them. Numerous small less that did not make them any the less
creeks had also furrowed the deposits solid and menacing facts, and likely as
with deep gashes. At the lower extrem- not one might as well wear brown paper
ity of the lake they came upon a twenty- as the armor of dauntless courage when
foot-wide overflow gliding and vanish- dealing with such gigantic savagery; and
ing into the gloom and tangle of the for- these men were neither fools nor movie
est depths; so it was very probable that heroes, but merely iron-souled prospec-
a similar stream emptied itself into the tors, accustomed, in the ordinary routine
lake at the upper narrow end. of their business, to take many a long
It was as they neared this upper end chance in the gamble with death.
that Elkins had discovered in his pan But those tiny crimson grains had in-
three tiny crimson fragments —the merest stantly turned distrust into indifference,
grains, almost microscopic, but under a and had recklessly declared, the
as Elkins
pocket glass indisputably revealed as the forest might be a hive of escaped devils
lure that had driven them through the but that wouldn’t hinder him from en-
vast ranges and into this lonely land of tering it; and Haines growling his ap-
nightmare creations. proval of the sentiment, without hesita-
"That settles it,” declared the finder tion they resumed their panning and
triumphantly. "All the devils from hell passed steadily on to whatever might be
may be hidden in there, but I’m going awaiting them.
through with it. After all, two .38s Here the lake was no more than a half-
aren’t a bad line of argument to meet mile wide and rapidly narrowing to the
any sort of damned brute with.” end about a like space distant. The out-
Though
unvoiced, as they drew closer, croppings were now rising into knolls
they had viewed with distrust and query and low bluffs that invaded and vanished
what was apparently the haunt of the in the fringing groves; and the banks of
savage winged creatures and the scene of gravel descended to rubble beaches in
the fierce uproar in the night. Of the sheer drops that topped the heads of the
former they had no particular concern; treasure-seekers, now gravely exultant,
for they could not free themselves of the for pan after pan held in its crescent res-
impression that in spite of their weird idue more of the crimson grains, now
appearance and savagery, the things were coarser and to be identified by the naked
simply extraordinary birds, and as such eye as small rubies. It was plain that
could hardly be reckoned as menacing somewhere beyond lay the storehouse that
assailants; moreover, so long as cover had spilled these minute fragments of
was handy and a sharp lookout main- its treasure abroad.
Suddenly Haines called excitedly, "See breathless with amazement and staring
here, Joe! —
that’s more like it!” and held blankly at each other.
out the pan to Elkins, who had been "What was that? Did you see it, Joe?
standing impatiently inactive; as they had — or am I crazy!” said Haines slowly as
agreed that only one of them should pros- he turned to stare again at the heaving
pect while the other kept guard for assail- water where not a sign of the stricken
ants; and Haines being the more adroit brute was visible and only the speeding
and faster in handling his pan had per- ripples were evidence of what had hap-
formed most of the washing after the pened, and the monstrous nightmare
first little grains had delighted them. thing they had seen rise above the sur-
"Yes,” said Elkins enthusiastically, face and engulf what had lain there.
"that sure is a pretty sight for sore eyes.” "Crazy!” echoed Elkins angrily. "No,
His hand dipped into the shallow pan but it will be a miracle if we both ain’t
and picked out a little fragment the size before we get quit ?f this blasted pit;
of a small white bean; and the blood

for we’ve struck a land where nightmare
shapes are solid things and ordinary
crimson of its fiery depths glowing as a
facts ain’t got a leg to stand on. Crazy?
living spirit through the unpolished vit-
reous surface proclaimed certainly its
No, we ain’t crazy; it’s old Father Time
has got balled up in his bean, and spewed
perfection and value. Even in that little
out things that ain’t got no right to be
stone lay many a day’s provender and
simple luxuries for the finder.
living. Of course it’s all crazy —but
”
by ,
it’s facts!” cried Elkins harshly,
"That’s the start of began
and Haines listened not at all understand-
Haines, but never finished the sentence;
ing what his partner was driving at.
for a yell from Elkins snapped it short.
"What you’re spilling I ain’t got a no-
"Look out, Tom! — here’s another of
tion, Joe. But I do know that all the
those devils!” he shouted in urgent warn-
gems in this hell-fired hole wouldn’t make
ing, and before Haines had time to move me Why,
cross that water. a guy would
a finger he saw his companion’s rifle flick
need a six-inch gun to tackle that unholy
to his shoulder and upward, and as the
crash of the instant explosion shattered
—
dragon I thought such things were kept
special for booze-soaked guys and fairy-
the deathly stillness and echoed from the
tales,” replied Haines as with a dazed
wall of forest, a dark mass not fifty feet
troubled stare he still regarded the heav-
above them with thrashing wings shot ing water.
pastand over the water. "Well, this is how I size it up but I —
"Got him! between the eyes!” cried reckonwe might as well get under cover
Elkins jubilantly. "See, he’s falling! and have a bite while we palaver,” said
Curse the blasted thing!” he added in Elkins, turning to enter the grove of les-
bittertriumph, as a hundred feet away ser growths that ribboned the wall of
the ungainly evil-looking beast suddenly giant forest.
went headlong dive; for
into a spinning
a second it righted itself, then dropped
and with a hollow crash hit the water.
A vast convulsion of flailing leathery
A little way in they seated them-
selveson some mossy boulders, by
design opposite each other so as to com-
wings sent the foam flying in clouds and mand a view in every direction; and eat-
almost hid it from the watching men. ing from a billy of cold boiled beans
Then something happened that left them Elkins gave his view of the conundrum.
,790 WEIRD TALES
"Well, I reckon you’ll think I’m bugs, great water devil — I tell you, Tom, all
or dreaming, but it ain’t no crazier than are wrote about in the books I’ve studied
what we’ve seen,” said Elkins, lighting odd times. ramped around
Beasts that
his pipe after a hasty meal at which no Lord only knows how many hundred
fire was lighted in case it might betray thousand years back, and whose bones are
them to unknown monsters. "Right here sometimes found a hundred foot deep in
I reckon we’re in a tight comer, and we’ll solid stone. I can’t call to mind but few
have to keep our eyes skinned if we want of the names the highbrows tag them
to get clear of it; but we’re on the track with, mostly Latin and Greek I reckon,
of a fortune and I’m damned if I quit but that winged thing was a Peter —
without a try for it — ain’t that right, something or other, and the dragon the
Tom?” he gravely asked his partner. spitof a breed labeled Dinosaurs. I’ve
"Sure, that’s me,” replied Haines turned it over and over but I can’t get
simply. away from it but these damned freaks are
"Now you saw that gray white thing the same as what were in those books
with a head like a Chinese devil and the what they call prehistoric monsters. If
size of a big barrel, and a great gash of that’s the truth of it, then me and you,
a long-toothed jaw, blunt-ended and all Tom, are up against a hard proposition,
whiskery like seaweed, and the yellow for some of those beasts stood twenty
and slime of the inside of it, which was feet high and could bolt us whole with-
like to make a guy vomit, as that gash out any chewing,” he declared thought-
grabbed at the winged devil flogging the fully, as carefully knocking the ashes
water with its fifteen-foot stretch of wing from his pipe on to a bare rock he eyed
— just a snap and it was gone, easy as a them in frowning abstraction.
trout flicks up a fly skimming above it. "Twenty feet!” repeated Haines, and
Now what sort of a beast that we are wise then was silent in contemplation of the
to could get away with a mouthful like hugeness it pictured.
that?” "Sure, in a museum they got a leg-
"None I ever heard tell of,” replied bone as thick as your middle,” assured
Haines with conviction. Elkins with the parental pride of your
"Or those winged uglies or the rack- — true scientist.
etput up by the things that ramped some- "But if those things cashed in all that
where around here last night. Seems like while back, how do you reckon some
it numbs the brain just to think of it; but chance to be still living down here?”
there’s one sort of answer, and it fits like queried Haines with a pertinacity for de-
a glove every one of the crazy shapes tail not uncommonly met with in men of
we’ve set eyes on. They’re all quite na- his practical type.
tural in the notion, so I don’t see no way "Well, I dunno — I ain’t wise to that,”
out of it. First along, those blasted trees admitted Elkins shortly. "Maybe about
started me thinking; then birds without a million years back the land had a jolt
feathers and wicked as Satan gave me a that letdrop this plateau in a solid chunk,
jolt that really set memory working, for and so walled the brutes in as a prison and
it wasn’t possible to make a mistake over whatever was the cause of the breed pass-
things like those. I couldn’t believe it, ing out couldn’t get at them. But that’s
but a kid would have noted how like just a guess; all we’re dead sure of is what
they were to the pictures in books telling we’ve clapped our eyes on- and no logic —
about such queer brutes; and now this or learning can give the lie to that,” he
asserted simply. And as his past studies along any moment; besides, if we go
could afford no further light on the mat- quiet, the rush of the water and height of
ter, and time and fate were hard on their the banks will hide us from sight or hear-
heels, they left discussion to a time of more ing of anything not actually staring down
leisure. For their mode of life had bred on us,” he urged, reasonably enough.
in their blood an impatience of inaction "That's right,” said Haines. "And if
and mere words, and a strong bias in favor ever I saw a likely spot for fossicking it’s
of decision and instant action when dan- right ahead of us,” he added with the fever
ger threatened. Moreover, they had no of the search firing his voice.
W
thought of abandoning the search before
they had satisfied themselves one way or ithout further hesitation they en-
another if fortune was hid there or not. tered the cutting, and making their
Foot by foot they sampled the gravel way along a narrow edge of rubble that
banks, though by reason of frequent halts lay at each side of tl\e water were soon
to listen intently and scan the way ahead absorbed again in panning, though as
their progress was much retarded. But before only Haines did the washing while
far or near nothing stirred, and the quiet Elkins remained on guard.
was as that of a painted picture or the si- At once it became apparent that their
lence of the dead, and over all as a shroud high expectations stood some chance of
lay the stifling heat in which their pigmy being justified, for pan after pan be-
figures, seemingly no more important than queathed more of the crimson pebbles to
maggots bred in festering filth, ceaselessly their pouches, even now and again a spec-
nibbled at Mother Earth as they slowly imen larger than the one first placed there.
pressed onward. "Why, Joe, we must have a tidy stake
So they came to the lake’s extremity, on us right now,” said Haines as he hand-
where a deep creek entered it between the ed his partner another fragment to pouch.
high banks of a conglomerate of clay and "Depends on their quality, but I reckon
pebble of cement-like hardness. The they’re beauties —
maybe five hundred
banks became more lofty a little way in dollars lays on us this moment,” replied
and the gloom of the dense forest roof Elkins, adjudging the weight in his hand;
imparted an intangible air of mystery and for though no expert, yet his knowledge
menace to the narrow passage. Even their of gems was greater than his partner’s.
hardihood disliked its treacherous appear- "Then even if there ain’t nothing larg-
ance and for a moment they hesitated, in er in this dirt, still we could scrape a small
doubt if it would not be better to recon- fortune out of it in a few days’ panning,”
noiter the vicinity somewhat. But im- exclaimed Haines, anxiously waiting for
patience overruled prudence, for the pan a corroboration of the statement.
had proved that the nearer they ap- But Elkins made no answer, instead
proached this somber channel the dirt be- stood keenly eyeing the opposite bank
came richer, and though no stone equaled where a stray spear of sunlight had lit on
the one in Haines’ pouch, yet nearly a a vein of dark pebbles recently exposed
dozen fragments now lay there almost as by a miniature landslide of the dirt and
well worth the saving. trailing vines that had faced them.
"We got to chance it!” said Elkins im- Haines looked up in surprize at his
patientlyafter a few seconds’ survey. partner’s sudden apathy. "Hear any-
"Might take an hour to run over the thing?” he queried in a low voice.
ground, and then a brute could amble "No,” replied Elkins slowly, then
792 WEIRD TALES
sighed deeply as though just awakened. sure chest in front of them these were
"But take a squint over there, will you? neglected. Their pouches early had been
— if that ain’t what we’re after, then it’s filled to bursting, so they had hastily
damned like it!” And Haines after one scooped a hollow in the loose rubble and
sharp look at the extremity of the light set their finds in it. Just a pile of glow-
shaft agreed with the speaker. ing crimson pebbles, but the least among
“Holy prophets!” he exclaimed; “it’s them would equal in value the figure
like as though a crimson fire burned earned by twelve months of hard labor.
there!” And he stared at the glowing Wealth beyond avarice! It was no
spot that the spear point rested on. An dream; stone by stone they had handled
eye of flaming light at least a couple of it. At last Fate had smiled on them; but
inches in diameter, it seemed as truly liv- behind her apparent kindliness lay a
ing as any wild feline’s they had ever taunting jeer of malice, as with one hand
gazed on. she thrust her gift upon them, while the
“I reckon this water ain’t more than other had already the fingers crooked to
waist-high,” was all that Elkins said, as, snatch away her treasures.
slipping off his pack, he raised it shoulder- Likely the noise of the water — for
high, and with rifle gripped in the hand though an unhurried flow and at most
of the circling arm he led the way into points quite fordable, yet close above a
the black waters. ridge of rock made a swirl of clamorous
rapids —
and the sharp bend in the creek
“T reckon we’d better stop and beat it, just below had held them unaware of the
A Joe,” said Haines hoarsely, “or we’ll approach of the enormous thing that
be toting back common pebbles. I can’t came shuffling along the creek bed and
trust my eyes no longer to tell one from suddenly appeared from around the turn-
the other,” he complained in a shaking ing not a hundred yards below the intent
voice. workers, who had recklessly abandoned
For some while they had been working all pretense of caution, and indeed, for
feverishly but silently, the first burst of the moment had forgotten everything save
incredulous wonder having burnt itself their delirious greed in the discovery.
out in the succeeding realization that each The colossal thing ceased to shuffle,
stone they handled was without ques- and craning its long thick neck forward
tion a gem of the* first water, and the stared eagerly at the pigmy figures; then
storehouse they lay in apparently inex- snuffed at the air suspiciously, as though
haustible. A vein a bare six inches wide the odor of the human species was some-
running diagonally across a face of clay thing new and incomprehensible. And
and common rubble, meandered from
it the sound of that vast inhalation was as
the beach several feet upward; and every the sough of a sudden blast of wind amid
other stone they picked from it was a the forest tops.
blood-red precious gem. Many the size In a flash the bent figures had whirled
of a large filbert, a few the bigness of a around, and each had swept up his rifle
walnut, and a couple of magnificent finds, and snapped the safety catch wide open.
lay beside the pile between them, the size But in the same second all thought of
and shape of an ordinary hen’s egg. Even using such insignificant weapons had de-
from the debris that had sloughed from serted them; for obviously it was an inane
the wall could have been garnered a pail- absurdity to dream of tackling such a
ful of lesser stones; but with such a trea- monstrous creature with anything less ef-
fective than a field gun, or preferably a get out of this! I’ll sling the packs up,
trench mortar. Never had they imagined and you give me a hand — if we’re quick
that anything so vast, unnatural and sav- I reckonwe may make it.”
age-looking could exist even in that lair As he spoke he leapt in a flash to the
of horrific things. It was so entirely out top of a near-by heap of rubble that, fallen
of prpportion with its surroundings, as from the bank, had made a step nearly
though had been intended for a much
it waist-high up it. In a second Haines
larger scheme of creation, but by some had mounted the stooped back, and swung
mishap had strayed to our planet where from there to the bank’s crest. Without
the Lilliputian hills and trees and living a fraction of a second’s pause two packs
things could never be anything save a con- landed beside him as he hung over with
temptible substitute for the majestic ob- arm outstretched and gripped Elkins’ up-
jects it was exiled from. flung fingers.
Fully three times the height of a very Normally both men, were as hard as
tallman, it towered nearly a half of its wire nails and as active as mountain goats,
height above the banks as it stood erect on and now speeded up by the appalling
huge hind limbs very simitar to those of sight so close to them the move was com-
a kangaroo; and though hidden by the pleted almost as smoothly and rapidly as
water very probably there lay below an the swoop of an eagle on its quarry. Yet
abnormal length of foot, so marked a fea- none too soon did Elkins’ feet rest on the
ture in the marsupial. But this was no bank’s crest; for as he tore through the
harmless giant of that innocent species; trailing vines the gigantic brute hurtled
for its upper half bore a striking resem- toward them in a flying leap that covered
blance to an enormous crocodile, being nearly a third of the space between. The
covered with a yellowish scaly armor, and splash of its landing sent a great wave
the short forelimbs, though thick as a crashing nearly to each bank’s summit,
man’s thigh, were taloned as a saurian and and a slash of spray that drove like hail
plainly had no part in the brute’s locomo- to the brush above. Just in the flick of
tion, while the frightful head and jaws, an eyelid the two men saw this as they
though a solid mass of horn and hooked slipped arms through the pack
their
at the extremity of what could only be straps; then they were tearing through
termed the upper mandible, had the blunt the thick, fringing brush, keeping close
end and rapacious hugeness of a croco- to each other.
dile’s. One could imagine cattle and "Make for the wall we dropped down,
horses being torn to pieces by that terri- Tom we — got to get quit of this hellish
ble beak as easily as a hawk picks the hole somehow, and I reckon that blasted
bones of a chicken. thing isn’t a climber,” called Elkins as
The whole effect was paralyzing; there they tore free of the brush and came into
was about it such an air of irresistible the tall timber. "By ! It’s up and
might, diabolical savagery, and such a after us!” he exclaimed as there came a
sensed mixing of the species, a welding tremendous crash in the tangle behind
of bird, beast, and reptile, that it deprived them. "Beat it for all you're worth! don’t
the aghast men of the power of rational chance hiding,” he admonished urgently.
thought, and all they could conceive in Possibly they had a couple of hundred
the line of action was an instant flight. yards start of their pursuer; but what was
"Quick, Tom!" whispered Elkins that, when, as they had seen, the creature
hoarsely. “Mount my shoulder; we must could cover a hundred feet at a single leap
794 WEIRD TALES
and a thicket hindered it no more than so that everymoment were growing tighter
much dried grass? Luckily the tangle and more agonizing.
had been but a fringe of jungle luxuriat- Had it not been for the heavy packs
ing in the stronger light seeping through they would have thought little of such a
the scantier foliage above the creek; be- race, and probably could soon have left
yond this lay the tall timber where the
the brute far behind them; but the lack of
underbrush was negligible, for the eleva-
those packs would spell the end of their
tion of the plateau forbade the mad riot
prospecting and entail hardship that even
of vegetation engendered in the steaming
they would flinch from; as for their rifles,
plains a thousand miles to the east of it.
in such a remote spot the loss of them
Of course it was by no means easy going,
would almost certainly be a death war-
and one unaccustomed to such gloomy
rant; to such men things like these are sa-
depths would have been hopelessly lost in
cred and only to be surrendered with life
five minutes, but these men sensed direc-
itself.
tion as instantlyand certainly as any wild
creature, and though they made a hun-
"We got to let up for a spell soon, Joe!”
panted Haines, whose heavy build felt the
dred slight deviations to avoid clumps of
strain more than his partner’s sparer flesh.
lesser growths, yet they held true to the
"Hold on, Tom!” encouraged his part-
goal they aimed at, and laden as they were
ner anxiously. "Just to that clump ahead
with pack and tore ahead at a furious
pace.
rifle
— we’ll slip around it and try out a few
Crash after crash sounded close behind

pills on this blasted brute he’s got to—
slow up coming round it and that will give
them, often so close that they feared the
us a chance to fix his lamps for him!” he
next second would bring the terrible
cried savagely.
thing hurtling on them. But apparently
its amazing mode of locomotion was here Crash! again came the splintering of
a hindrance to its progress, for many of young timber as the brute alighted not
the young growths were too stout for even many hundred feet distant behind them;
its great bulk to splinter, and too close though save for infrequent more open
together for it to penetrate. So very soon spaces the giant growths were so thick
it came to the fleeing men that for all the together that the creature had little chance
brute’s gigantic leapsand huge thews yet to display its prodigious leaping ability,
they were holdirig their own and might and hindered by its vast bulk its progress
continue to do so until their strength had been no more rapid than that of the
failed them. fleeing men.
Whether it hunted by sound or scent, Putting their last ounce of flagging mus-
it was very certain of every step they had cle into it, they dashed to the clump ahead,
taken; for though several times by abrupt tore through the thick barrier and raced
turns and swervings they essayed to evade to its Behind a mas-
nearest extremity.
detection yet the thud and crash followed sive bole and a wide lane between them
always behind them. Shortly instinct in- they awaited the brute’s coming. Each
formed them that they were obliquely knew that failure spelt the end of every-
closing on the point where they had thing for at least one of them, but now
dropped from the heights above, and also their nerves were as calm and steady as
knew that soon the pace must slacken, for the giant growths they pressed tight
their heaving chests and thumping hearts against; for many a time before had each
seemed bound in by red-hot iron bands man’s life lain in the pressing of a trig-
ger, and so far they had no reason to doubt or some moments the men had their
the efficacy of such a line of argument. F work cut out to avoid the terrific
Thud! the thing had hurled itself to hurtlings of these monstrous convulsions;
the barrier, and for a moment by the harsh but shortly the first violence of the out-
rending and straining sounds the listen- burst had exhausted itself and the inter-
ers knew that it was vainly essaying to vals grew longer between the spasms, and
force a passage through the stout stems. after one stupendous crash it lay stretched
There was something strangely bird-like on the ground with its immense muscles
in the imbecility of the action, and one bunching and twitching in waves of fast-
might imagine that a giant stupid fowl diminishing virility; and then Haines risked
was there dashing itself against a barrier a dash across to his partner.
of wire-netting. But in a moment the "Ain’t that the limit!" exclaimed Elkins
beast part of it took the ascendancy and as the two stood staring at the heaving
with sudden decision it ceased to assail brute.
the barrier, and in a leap came to the lower
"I’m darned if we ain’t fixed him!”
end, where the way was open; and now
cried Haines exultantly.
there was more than a hint of the reptile
"Just luck,” replied the other man.
in the writhing shuffle of its turning and
"Those pills, or one of them, threaded its
the manner in which the horrible head
flicked from side to side as though unde-
gray matter — likely no bigger than a hen’s
egg either; but being dumdum they
cided which trail of scent to follow. So
scooped it clean. It’s a stroke of luck
it shuffled forward a few yards and came
that I ain’t stuck on running up against
right between the waiting men; just
again,” he added thoughtfully.
caught a glimpse of one of the strange-
odored things it had chased and then — "What would you reckon it is, Joe?”
queried Haines in a tone of awed wonder.
the light winked out forever in the shat-
tering report of two rifle shots blended "Search me! —though I did see a pic-
together. ture in the book that wasn’t a bad likeness
After that, chaos! indescribable cata- of the brute, but I don’t call to mind what
clysmic unleashed primeval energy spill- they named it,” replied Elkins, knitting
ing its titanic force in convulsions of enor- hisbrows in an unavailing effort of mem-
mous muscles. Here! there! soaring in ory. "But whatever it is, maybe its dad
huge bounds in every direction, crashing and ma ain’t dead, and like as not it had
into young growths and smashing them a mate, and I ain’t dyin’ to meet any of
to splinters; ramming great boles with in- them. So I guess we better go find a
credible thunderous impact that the very way of quitting this nightmare,” he de-
giants shivered under and for a second clared emphatically.
the battering-ram lay a quivering moun- "And pass up a fortune?” remonstrated
tain of fleshbelow them; again to shoot Haines moodily.
upward in another convulsion and repeat "I don’t see no way out of it —we ain’t
the performance in another direction. fixed for tackling such devils. This brute
Now the bird spirit entirely controlled got his by a chance that might not happen
it; for on an infinitely magnified scale of again in another hundred years. No, I
space and time it was duplicating the riot ain’t scared of taking chances, but it’s
of intense reflex action displayed by a de- crazy to tackle these brutes with pea-shoot-
capitated chicken. ers like we got. Next time we’ll have the
796 WEIRD TALES
right dope along with us,” he asserted might be possible — save for that twenty
grimly. foot in the middle,” he added, pointing
; "Next time!” repeated Haines with sur- to a spot about half-way up, where the
prize and great content. "That’s right face of the bluff for a dozen feet seemed
of course there’ll be another day in our as smoothly shining as a pane of glass
calendar. And what we got pouched will and not the slightest indication of a
give some style to that outfit.” crevice or a prominence was visible.
"Sure, we’ll have hardware that can "One could give another a lift from the
throw an ounce ball through armor plate, ledge below it,” replied Haines with no
explosive shells to tickle ’em, and a case great surety of tone. "But the first up
or two of dynamite —oh yes! we’ll have couldn’t stir a finger to help the one be-
the dope all right,” agreed Elkins sav- low until he had climbed another dozen
agely. "But now we’d better get out of feet.”
this as quick as we can beat it —though I The fact was patent, for just above the
reckon the brutes keep most to the water- glassy surface lay a stretch of sheer bluff
ways, and likely there’s other lakes hid where it would mean instant disaster for
away in the forest where grub is handy for one ascending to endeavor to aid another.
them — still keep your eyes skinned; may- Apart from this the ascent was just possi-
be I’m wrong.” ble to men with the iron nerves and mus-
After a moment’s delay while they lis- cles possessed by the two surveying it.
tened intently for any sound that might For a moment his partner was silent,
betray that the great uproar had disturbed apparently lost in deep consideration of
other frightful life in the vicinity, and the problem; then he observed abruptly:
failing to catch the faintest murmur in "It ain’t no use foolin’ about it; there’s a
the absolute stillness that surrounded show for one to make it —but not a chance
them, the two men picked up the packs in theworld for the other. One of us
they had hastily discarded just before the must stop while the other beats it across
monster came between them, and with a the hills for a length of rope to fishhim
last stare of fierce loathing at the mon- out with. I way out of it.
don’t see no
strous carcass still pulsing with immense For we got to —
move quick the grub will
primeval virility, they left a scene that just hold out to make that trip, and to go
looked as though a battery of field guns hunting around any lake down here is no
had recently swdpt it. more than plain suicide,” he added coolly.
"But Joe,” Haines expostulated, "ten
M
first
idway in the afternoon they
back at the spot where they had
descended from the surrounding deso-
were days is the least one could make Arenas in,
and that’s the nearest settlement. That
means twenty days for one of us alone in
lation. For miles they had followed the this damned hole!” And he was silent
great wall westward and come on no spot as he imagined the experience.
that offered the faintest hope of ascent. "Well, what of it? There’s ledges
Always the sheer heights rose in frowning around here where one could lie safe
bluffs that nothing lacking wings could enough night times, and keeping hid day-
surmount; and at last in despair they had time I reckon one could last out that long.
retraced their steps to scan again the Anyway we got to chance it, for there
feasibility of what looked like their only ain’t a single liana to be found this high
hope of escape. up,” said Elkins, summing the situation
"I dunno,” said Elkins slowly, "but it briefly.
"Yes,” said, Haines very quietly, "and At the foot of the wall Haines turned
who do you reckon is stopping?” . with troubled eyes and growled, "Say,
"Why,
1 am!” replied Elkins sharply. Joe,won’t you let me off this? If we kept
"You’re wrong, Joe, I am,” stated on going there must be some break in the
Haines as simply as a god might deliver blasted wall.”
an unalterable fiat. Elkins stared half "Did it seem that way from up there?”
fiercely, half whimsically at his partner. queried Elkins, shaking his head. And
"Of course a stick of dynamite couldn’t Haines could not deny but everywhere the
budge you once you got your mule’s mind towering battlements had appeared as an
set, but here’s the answer!” said he with unbroken line of sheer precipice, not in
a half smile as stooping he picked from frequently more lofty than the crest they
the rubble a couple of small fragments. stood on.
"See, one’s quartz, other’s granite. You "Curse the hellish hole!” broke out
do the picking, and the guy who gets the
Haines harshly. "It’s bewitched! Just
quartz, he stops. Ain’t that square?” he ”
thirty feet ofrope or hide would
queried gravely.
and then he was dumb as a light of im-
"I guess so,” agreed Haines unwilling-
mense wonder swept into his eyes. Then
ly-
suddenly he was laughing, deeply and
At once the stones were swirled around
joyfully though almost noiselessly.
in a hat by Elkins, who then with a quick
"What’s the joke?” queried Elkins in
move turnedover on a flat slab, slid
it
surprize.
his hand underneath and withdrew the
clenched fist with a fragment inside it.
"If we ain’t a couple of kids in white
"Now, which is which?” he asked nighties!” cried Haines contemptuously
quietly. though very contentedly. "Why, there’s

"White,” replied Haines touching the more line than we can use lying not ten
clenched fingers, which thereupon fell minutes from us right now!”

—
open and on to the slab tinkled a little "Line! Where?” snapped Elkins.
granite fragment. "Why, the underside of that great brute
"That’s that,” said Elkins as cheerfully — isn’t there many a thirty-foot length of
as though he had won a lottery. "Now hide on it? —
strong enough I reckon to
we’ll get busy; sooner you beat it the bet- swing an elephant aloft,” declared Haines.
ter. Wouldn’t more than gun, billy,
tote "Well, I’m damned! Come on!” was
and grub; take the fishline up with you all Elkins said at all printable.
and I’ll come down and hook them on,”

said he, referring to the stout line that lies “TWTEXT time we’ll shin up and down
in the pack of every prospector. -1-^1 a rope ladder,” said Haines as he
Andafter a little argument over the laid aside the knotted lengths of greasy
division of the beans, wherein Haines had rawhide with which they had just hauled
his way by simply stating that "if you up their gear from a ledge forty feet be-
send up an ounce over a third of them low them. "I ain’t stuck on this human
I’ll dump the lot over the edge,” and ar- fly business —
with maybe any minute a
ranging that whether he found a way up poke in the spine from some win
or not Elkins would return to this spot devil.”
before the twentieth day, the two men "I own the same notion gave me the
stepped to the point where they had agreed cold shivers as we hung by our eyelashes
ascent was most feasible. on some of those ticklish places. Yes, I
798 WEIRD TALES
guess next time we’ll be fixed for a little seemed the whole universe must be lis-
straight talk with those hellish things,” tening aghast at the immensity of its virile
agreed Elkins very heartily as he stood ferocity and utter devilishness.
watching the approaching night draw its “The world in the making,” muttered
dusky veil across the still forest-covered Elkins the scientist.
depths. "A stick of dynamite will shut your
And then from afar there sped through warbling,” growled Haines savagely; and
the gloom a cry, so great, so bestial, so then the two turned to seek their night’s
seeped in frightful emotion, that it shelter.
fund • From ?UCGOtM
5. THE BELLS
Year after year I heard that faint, far ringing

Of deep-toned bells on the black midnight wind;
.
Peals from no steeple I could ever find,
But strange, as if across some great void winging.
I my dreams and memories for a clue.

searched
And thought of all the chimes my visions carried;
Of quiet Innsmouth, where the white gulls tarried
Around an ancient spire that once I knew.
Always perplexed I heard those far notes falling,
Till one March night the bleak rain splashing cold

Beckoned me back through gateways of recalling
To elder towers where the mad clappers tolled.
They tolled —but from the sunless tides that pour
Through sunken valleys on the sea’s dead floor.

TaJes- of- the-Wereuiolf
Clan-*
BYHWARNG
MUNN
2. The Master Fights
1. The Wreck of the Santa Ysabel Again the small craft of the harrying
English outmaneuvered the unwieldy
"The weather, though
it is June, is as wild as
December. No
one remembers such a season. It Spanish vessels. Again a raking dis-
is the more strange since we are on the business
charge of chain shot and a hail of balls
of the Lord, and some reason there must be for
what has befallen us.” from sakers, falcons, and bastard cul-
(Letter of Duke of Medina Sidonia to Philip
verins spread destruction along the three
II, King of Spain, from Corunna.)
"God caused the winds to blow and they were decks of the towering galleon. The
!”
scattered
scuppers ran red again at the discharge
on English medals, struck
(Inscription to com-
memorate the Armada’s defeat.) as though the fabric of the vessel itself
was bleeding.
A LL day the shot-tom Santa Ysabel It was the year of our Lord, 1588. The
had wallowed down the Channel, day, August 9th, and the scene, the
*“ her deck, ill-manned, a welter of Battle of Gravelines.
corpses. Now as night drew on, the gal- It had been a running fight; Medina
leon, with her sister ships of the once Sidonia had hoped till the last to con-
great Armada, prepared to stand and nect with the Duke of Parma and to be
fight.
reinforced, but fire-ships and gales had
The engagement was brief and deadly. scattered his fleet and the deadly fire of
799
800 WEIRD TALES
the swift English privateers had mowed the fighting,met a pinnace and sank it,
down the on his unwieldy
soldiers but thesenow were very few.
troop-ships from being over-
until There was no flinching on the decks of
manned, the galleons were in danger of the Santa Ysabel. While the air shook
running ashore for lack of able hands. with the roar of the artillery, priests
Far from Parma, the Battle of Grave- went up and down under the hottest fire,
lines was in progress. The eagle forma- crucifix in hand, confessing and absolv-
tion which had been of such value in the ing the dying.
Battle of Lepanto was still maintained. To the patter of drum-beats and a cry
Heavy galleons for the body, lighter of "Saint George for Merrie England!” a
ones, including galleasses, for the wings, privateer drew dose and lodged a volley
and troop-ships making up the tail of the in the galleon’s hull. A hoarse cheer
fighting bird. went up from dry throats when a cough-
Against Hawkins —Achines the Span- ing roar and a burst of white flame
ish called him with —and Drake

revilings
showed that the Spanish magazine had
—El Draque, or the Dragon— clumsy this
exploded.
Had it not been for the fact that the
formation had beaten along intact, save
powder was nearly gone, that would
for the loss of here and there a straggler
have been the end of the Santa Ysabel at
that lagged too far behind. Now the two
once, but although crippled she did not
powers were locked in the final battle of
sink, drifting with fire showing through
the ten days’ flight. All that remained to
her ports and swathed in black clouds of
fight were forty ships after the fire-ships
smoke.
had scattered the fleet; the greater part
"Boarding party, away!” rang out from
were far to leeward and driving toward
below, as the doughty little bark pre-
the banks of Dunkirk.
pared to close with the giant, but before
The English fire went through and this could take place there came an
through the Santa Ysab el, when the can-
interruption.
nons and culverins spoke, with force
From behind the flaming galleon, a
enough to shatter a rock. No ship had
galleass, like a many-legged water-bug,
struck its colors, though the English fleet
came striding out in all its pomp of
had lain yard-arm to yard-arm, and the
swinging oars and engaged the bark.
Spaniards had endured five hours of
Banners flew free and gay as they met,
being torn to pieces by cannon-shot.
but a well-directed chain shot brought
At three hours before sunset the firing low the Spanish standard and a storm of
had blended into a continuous roar of balls felled the mainmast, along with a
sound. Deafened gunners served the fallen sail that billowed over the rowing
small demi-culverins and falconets, which pit and which was straightway set aflame
were all that remained of the Santa with a pot of wildfire.
Ysabel’s armament. From the maintop A second volley crashed into the
nothing could be made out through the galleass between wind and water, and
smoke, but below in the pall, pinnace with a burst of bubbles and frenzied
and barque drew near the galleon, dis- screams the craft heeled over and went
charged their broadsides and gave place down, taking with her soldiers, sailors
to the next. and two hundred chained and helpless
Here and there a Spanish fly-boat, a galley slaves.
gunboat manned with oars, slid through This short and decisive battle had dis-
W. T —
THE MASTER FIGHTS 801
from
tracted the attention of the English to let the elements finish the work they
the Santa Ysabel, a mistake that was had begun.
brought to their attention when their Two days later they passed the mouth
sails flapped uselessly beneath the moun- of the Forth, and the dogging fleet
tainous side of the galleon. turned back. No nearer the tatters of the
Red-hot cannon-balls now fell from Armada, the Santa Ysabel sailed on, her
the heights into the hold of the bark and crew reduced by half.
the galleon limped along after her con- A ghastly proof of the suffering and
sorts, still burning in isolated spots, but
famine ahead in the fleet was given the
leaving the bark behind her; a pillar of followers in the morning. The mutilated
fire which presently subsided into the galleon sailed on through the forenoon,
cloud-darkened sea.
through the carcasses of many hundreds
of mules and horses that had been flung
Before sunset the wind rose, the firing
overboard in the night to save water for
ceased, and the smoky canopy drifted
the men.
away.
The Santa Ysabel kept up the forlorn
Far behind the mass of the Spanish
pursuit, in a rising gale, as far as the
fleet,the Santa Ysabel’ condition was
Orkneys, passed those surf-lashed coasts
desperate. The soldiers, though few, out- in weather that steadily grew more wild,
numbered the seamen and snatched con-
and fell in with two other galleons in as
trol, chose their own course and forced
ill case as herself, learning from them
the pilot to steer where they pleased. The
that the fleet had separated, each vessel
natural result was, that after a miserable
for itself. The three passed down the
night, spent in attending to the wounded,
wild west coasts of the Hebrides, were
throwing overboard the dead and exam-
scattered again in a furious storm, and
ining into the injuries of the vessel, they
with fourteen still living, the Santa
had lagged behind so far that the fleet
Ysabel beat on toward Ireland.
was barely in sight.
The other two were splintered on the
There was no fresh water, and no pow- iron cliffs of Connaught and those of
der save what was in the loaded guns on their crews that escaped the skenes and
deck and a few muskets below. A hun- axes of the wild Irish, tempted by plun-
dred and four men walked the deck, der, were shot or hanged on the spot by
haggard, desperate and hopeless. They the English troops garrisoned there.
were entering the North Sea, but at
present were in water that was shoaling T was night around the Santa Ysabel.
every moment, so that they could see the I Away to port, somewhere in the dark-
yellow foam where the waves broke on ness, a flare of ruddy light lit up the
the banks. The English hung, menacing surging clouds. Seconds after, a rumbling
and grim, a mile on the weather quarter, came sullenly over the dark water. Some-
but drawing more water than the galleon, where, a commander, rather than be taken
they did not advance. or wrecked upon the inhospitable coast,
About noon, after prayers, the wind had thrown a torch into his powder
shifted to the southwest, and with the magazine and gone with all his dreams
remaining rags of sail, the Santa Ysabel of conquest.
wore away from the shallows. The Eng- Leon Gunnar leaned on the four-foot-
lish followed as she plunged forward thick bulwark, famine -weakened and
into the North Sea, but seemed satisfied thirsty, wondering if those unknown dead
W T—
802 WEIRD TALES
were happier in the sea or were more at and ran forward to where the weary men
rest than they had been before the crash slaved at the pumps. Beaten by the howl-
of exploding powder had reft them of ing wind and driving rain, they made all
their earthly problems. The doubt, hang- sail possible, and slid a trifle faster
ing in his mind, had kept him for days toward the deadly coast.
from ending his misery in the sea. When morning came, it found the
Long days and nights of dread, with- Santa Ysabel all but a derelict hulk, an-
out hope, the galleon had driven along, other mast carried away and only a rag
fever delirium speaking in hellish screams of canvas giving steerage way. Terribly
and oaths from below. Leon was grateful near and menacing spun a pursuing pin-
that the ship was free from that horror nace, a cockleshell of a boat, but filled
at last. with dauntless hearts. Its captain, too
Low in the water, a seam having late to join the Gravelines battle, had
opened a few hours before, the survivors sworn to turn back only as master of a
floated toward the Irish coast. Leon de- galleon, and at last spied his long-sought
bated incuriously the probable mode of quarry, but a quarter of a league away.
his death. Would they sink, before they Steadily the little Vindictive bore down
were smashed against the rocks of Sligo upon the wallowing titan and an hour
Bay? He hardly cared; the end was the after sunrise opened fire. Her third shot,
same in either event, it seemed. unanswered from the Santa Ysabel,
The officers had long been, gone, and smashed through the galleon’s rudder
many of the crew had died in the hope- and crippled her, like a hamstrung el-
less struggle for home, died from sheer ephant.
exhaustion and overwork. Four days, a The Spanish vessel swung about and
mate had been captain of the galleon. lay in the trough of the seas, careening
For four days and nights he had not slept. wildly, foam spurting over the stumps of
On the morning of the fifth day, Leon masts.
recalled, the mate had looked red-eyed The English howled and drew close. In
into the rising sun,had smiled myste- the melee, a round shot had hulled the
riously at some one he thought he saw Santa Ysabel, adding a new menace to the
there, and mounting the bulwark, had surviving invaders. Through this rent,
stepped open-armed toward the sunrise water poured into the hold from a myriad
and the Friend whose name was Death. — widening seams, now opened, now closed
Far behind in the waste of tossing by the strain of the twisting seas.
water shone a following light, twinkling, The Vindictive drew alongside, and a
waving, unsteady as though it winked roped high on the single mast, with
sailor
and signaled at the iron-bound lantern a dozen or more muskets beside him in
upon the Santa Ysabel’s carved high the cask that did duty as a fighting-top,
poop. picked off one by one the sweating heart-
Leon ran back, lifted the lantern and sick Spaniards that manned the pumps.
waved it from side to side. The thought From different quarters of the deck, a
of a following Spanish vessel was dis- spatter of shots answered, but none took
pelled, when faint and dulled by distance effect, while the replying fire shortly
came the sound of an English cheer ceased, for their powder at last was ex-
above the slap and spatter of the driving hausted.
spume along the high unwieldy stem. Suspecting a ruse, the pinnace sheered
Leon let the lantern fall into the sea off, sending a chain shot screaming
through a yard, which fell, crushing two breath, and stung by the salt in a number
and hiding Leon Gunnar in a fold of of abrasions, the young man tore himself
canvas. He felt himself wrapped in a free with the help of his dirk.
crushing tangle of cordage that bit and Loose, he could see at once that the
stung like steel whips; a bight of the ship was far gone. It heaved and pitched
cord tightened about his throat and short lower in the water to the tune of rumbling
indeed was the painful pressure, for below, as the wash of the deep currents
shots, cries, shrieking wind and booming in the hold carried empty barrels and
seas melted together into a solemn bass floating to and fro.
cases The tiller
organ note and silence and darkness shot swung and the deck was strewn
idly
with fire. with bodies. Swiftly he examined all, but
Again the English drove close, while found no signs of life and consigned
the sailor at the masthead, in a wreath of them to the seething waves.
smoke, swung a hissing missile about his A toy of the elements, the doomed
head and hurled it upon the galleon’s Santa Ysabel careened in the choppy sea,
deck. The earthen pot of wildfire broke a derelict hulk drifting near an inhos-
and let loose its devouring contents, which pitable coast. The gale and rain had
flamed blue and green but quickly sput- stopped, but clouds hid the moon from
tered out beneath a douche of sand wet sight.
with vinegar that had been prepared in However, Leon had no need of moon-
expectation of such an attack. light to trace the outline of the shore.
Then, to the surprize of all, a quick There, as far as eye could see, beacon fires
shift of wind and a towering sea con- flamed from horizon to horizon, like a
spired together and smashed the Vindic- glittering necklace of diamonds upon
tive, all too near, against the rugged side black velvet.
of the Santa Ysab el, crushing in the There also, men, wild Irish kerns,
weaker vessel. clothed in hide and raw meat eaters,
A few of the English, clinging to the danced about, armed with spiked poles,
scrollwork, the gunports and the chains, waiting for their fellow Christians to
made their way to the bulwarks. Rushing come tossing in, that they might slay and
water dragged three of them away but slay and the arm grew weary.
slay, until
five reached the Spanish deck. A light wind, rising again, was chill
Nine bloody haggard men, last of the and cut through his soggy garments.
Santa Y sab el’s hundreds, battle insanity Leon shivered and looked about for
in their red-rimmed eyes, met them as something to throw across his shoulders.
they came. Dagger met dirk, a musket Near by, a black heap appeared to be a
exploded; a Spaniard choked as the teeth cloak flung haphazard over an overturned
of a dying Englishman met in his jugular. keg, but as he touched it a movement
His heels drummed once or twice on the startled him and he drew back. Beneath
splintered deck, then only the slap of the the cloak crouched a little dark man!
waves was to be heard on the sinking Leon noticed that his eyes sparkled
galleon. strangely as the fellow spoke and his
teeth were long and sharp. His hair was
T WAS night again, when a giant wave gray and stringy upon his head, his eye-
I broke through a hole in the bulwarks, brows joined upon his forehead, forming
sloshed in and out of the scuppers and a continuous bar of hair, lending him a
wet icily Gunnar’s covering. Gasping for wild and sinister appearance.
804 WEIRD TALES
"Ah, friend, well met! We are alone tions with his arms, ending with palms
at last!” * pressing against the growing tempest in
Leon harked back in his memory and an attitude of command. The wind
found nothing there that recalled the dropped, became a breeze and finally
presence of this man aboard the Santa lessened to a mere puff of air.
Y sab el. Above,, the clouds still raced along, but

"No?” said the little man, as though around the sinking galleon lay an area
in answer to Leon’s silent question. "You of utter peace and quiet where the waves
have not seen me before, it is true, but I were low, and no wind blew. _
have been near to you all your life. I "Now do you doubt the Master’s
watched over you when you were born; power?”
during your youth and when you first Gunnar shook his head.
planned to reach Scotland. Tell me, "More I have done to bring you here.
what is that about your neck?” 1 aided your progress to Corunna and im-
Leon felt a peculiar antipathy to this planted in your mind the suggestion that
strange man and made surly answer. "If you take ship there for England. I caused
you know so much, you know that also.” the storms to rise that sent the Armada
He eyed the stranger, coldly. to seek shelter in that port! My will
"Ey! Ey! That I do,” the dwarf alone has broken the sea-power of Spain!
cackled. "Is it not a part of a certain Delays, winds, niggardly equipment, 1
key to a certain tomb in Blois? And are fomented them all! Because you were
you not in search of its mate in Scot- with the fleet, I had the power to smash
land?” the Armada and it is ruined forever.
In spite of himself, Leon was sur- "Poor, timorous Sidonia! Spain will
prized, but even this seemed to be the blame him for the loss of sixty-five ships
culmination of his long journeys. Curious- and twenty thousand men, but the Mas-
ly, he inspected the dark dwarf, but with ter met his fleet and fought on the side
recognition and no fear. of the English, although they too are of
"I think I know you. You are the the accursed race of men! The glory is
persecutor of my people. Arch-demon, the Master’s and Sidonia will never meet
you are the Master! You are here to pre- Parma now!”
vent my success, I know. Have you come "What is it,” Gunnar asked calmly,
to kill me also?” "that such a murderer wants with me?”
The Master nodded, a saturnine smile "Your body after death, to do with as
exposing his white fang-like teeth. it suits my
pleasure, and with your con-
"It is your turn to go, unless you choose sent!” answered die Master without
to live!” hesitation."If you will promise me to be
Leon laughed. my slave, I will save your life now and
"By daylight,” he said, "the ship will you shall have until the time of your
strike upon the rocks and that will be the natural death to live as you ordinarily
end of both of us. I do not believe that would. I reserve this condition only, that
even you can escape such a sea. You can if you call upon my help or visit that
neither save nor harm me now!” tomb in Blois, then you forfeit your days
The Master drew himself up and faced of life beyond thirty years from now!”
into the wind, which had increased to a Gunnar made a rapid mental calcula-
gale while they had been talking. Mum- tion.He had but just passed twenty-one.
bling to himself, he performed odd gyra- Death seemed certain in a few hours,
without some unforeseen aid. A sinking beach, where broke a violent sea. Two
vessel lay beneath his feet, an unknown galleons were pounding themselves to
shore ahead that seemed alive with sav- pieces among surrounding rocks. The
ages. Even then, he could hear their was jammed between
forecastle of a third
eery cries like lonely devils wandered far rocks that held it partially together,
from their home in the pits. Across the although drenched and groaning in the
heaving seas the sounds came faintly to seas that swept over it. Leon could see
him in the ominous unnatural silence men upon the wreckage that waved piti-
around the galleon. The prospect was fully at the Santa Ysab el as she lurched
dismal. He shivered. nearer as though their efforts could thrust
He might live sixty years in the normal her away.
course of life. Gunnar made, to himself, The surf and beach were dotted with
a solemn vow to keep away from France bodies and the Irish were down in hun-
and to avoid ever callingupon the dreds, stripping the dead, knocking some
Master. of the living on the head and leaving
He turned to his enemy, who, smiling others naked to perish of the cold.
slyly,appeared to understand his decision. Then, with a grinding crash, the
"I promise,” he said, "to serve you Santa Y sab el drove into the wreckage
after my death and I acknowledge the and the remaining mast went by the
conditions of the pact.” board.
"So be it!” cried the little man and At the same time, the forecastle of the
whistled through his hands. other galleon was swept from its perch
Instantly the wind whooped through and foundered.
the shreds of rigging and the waves rose Leon had no remembrance of swim-
high again. But above the howling of ming, but found himself on the shore
the elements, Leon Gunnar heard, as he among the howling men. He had a
hurried for shelter, the high ululation of tight grasp of the Master’s hand and the
the Master’s cackling laugh, and shivered black cloak was about them both.
again, but withmore than cold. "Take care!” growled the Master.
Something within him warned that he "They can not see you while you are
had been a fool and queried with an in- with me. The cloak of invisibility pro-
ward jeering as to the meaning behind teas us both.”
the promise he had made. Boats, an upturned tender, hatches,
spars and cordage mingled with the dead
T he which precedes morn-

half-light
ing finally came, and Leon, after a
night of terrors in the demolished cabin,
upon the shingle.
As they passed along the edge of the
water, a man came in upon a drifting
issued forth to see the Master, swathed in scuttle-board, his leg badly bleeding from
his long black cloak, leaning on the a blow by a spar in the surf. Leon
bulwark. recognized in him a Don Cuellar, com-
The Master smiled and beckoned him mander of the San Pedro; a man for
to approach. whose valor the younger man felt a deep
"We are to be friends now, Gunnar,” admiration.
he said, with an underlying fierce humor. "Let us go along with him,” he said
"What do you think of this?” to the Master and they followed.
Leon caught his breath at the sight A miserable figure, the Irish, who were
before him. Thev were verv near a sandy plundering the well-dressed, took little
806 WEIRD TALES
notice of him. He crawled along until he the Master’s scraggy wrist with his left,
came to some rushes, where he lay and they leapt toward the fire. As they
hid himself. neared the light of the flames, the Master
"He is safe there,” said the Master; stopped, seemingly in pain. Leon stared
"we will see him again.” in wonder, then left his protection, raced
They passed on through the wreckage and sprang like a cat upon the
to the fire
and entered a lane that led up toward the back of the murderer.
hills. Held close within the Master's It was a second’s work to yank the
cloak, Leon passed unseen within a few shaggy head back and draw his keen
feet of the nearest fire and those who blade across that bronzed bull-throat!
squabbled around it. The sound of their The throng shouted at this tattered,
alien came faint to his ear as
voices
sea-soaked apparition that had material-
though they were far away.
ized before them, out of nothing. Blood
A naked, wild-faced, hairy man ran
spurted hissing on the flames and the sub-
toward him he strode on beside the
as
chief fell without a cry into the fire across
Master. The youth caught his breath,
the body of his victim.
sure that he was seen, but the savage
The pot overturned and sent a flood of
veered as he came near and rushed by,
scalding broth over the old hag, and in
waving a bit of pointed stick, red and
the excitement and confusion Leon ran
dripping; his hand bloody to the elbow.
back several steps into the shadows, and
They threaded their way through the
by the Master’s side, invisible to all but
cordon of fires. Near one, where the
him, they were both again unseen.
natives had dragged him, lay a naked
The Master laughed for the third time.
graybeard, whom Leon recognized as the
This was a protege much to his liking.
chief gunner of the Rata Coronada. As
Hand in hand. Master and pupil marched
they approached, he seemed to sense the
inland from the coast.
coming of a compatriot and raised him-
Because of the Gunnars, the Master
selfon an elbow, feebly croaking "Agua!
had crossed the Channel. A new hunt-
Agua!” from salt-cracked lips.
ing-ground was before him, and the first
A virago, tending a pot, struck him
kill was satisfying to the enemy of all
down with a heavy iron ladle, so that he
things human.
fell across the feet of one who appeared
He was still laughing softly to him-
to be some sort of a sub-chief, as he wore
self when the sun rose beyond the hills.
a pair of tight-fitting knee-breeches and
Leon was suddenly aware that he was
a goatskin jacket open in front. This
again alone. With the first ray of sun-
man snarled and kicked the gunner’s body
light, the Master had vanished as mys-
away.
teriously as he had appeared aboard the
The Spaniard cried out, as his hair
wrecked galleon.
began to burn, for he lay now upon
glowing embers.
2. The Bug-Wolves of Castle Manglana
The sub-chief seized a large rock and
coolly, as though it was a matter of
familiar practise, beat out the brains of
the tortured gunner.
O N the battlements of Castle
glana, Leon Gunnar stood, leaning
on a musket and gazing pensively across
Man-
Leon’s soul seemed to turn steel within the deep placid waters of Lough Erne.
him at the horrible sight. Freeing his It was late in October, in the year of
dirk with his right hand and clutching our Lord, 1588.
Manglana stood on a promontory pro- muskets to an army with. Senora

fight
jecting far out into the broad lake, whose Cuellar will be finding another man, I’m
ripples lapped against the base of the afraid.”
castle wall. "Don’t feel low,” Leon urged. "Keep
No Lough Erne; all had
boats plied up your spirits, sir. Time is fighting for
been sunk a week before, when us too, you know. The English don’t
O’Rourke, the owner of the castle, had know our strength, and a couple of heavy
retreated with his family and retainers rains will drown them out.”
into the mountains, leaving Gunnar and He pointed toward the landward side
eight other Spaniards to defend them- of the promontory. Far enough from the
selves as best they might against a force castle so that musket fire could not reach
of eighteen hundred English soldiers. the defenders, lay the camp of the Eng-
These had been collected in Dublin and lish, on such high ground as existed in the
were led by Ireland’s Lord Deputy, whose low swampland. Now and then some
orders were to scour the West country foolhardy soldier would leave the camp
and kill all fugitives from the thirteen and try to find a way through the
galleons which were wrecked upon that swamps and effect an entrance into the
part of the coast. castle, but after the first few attacks in
A swallow skimmed by and left a force had ended in disorder and bloody
trail of widening circles on the still defeat, the English had sat down in
water. Leon sighed and followed it with their camps and commenced a policy of
his eyes, wishing that he too had wings waiting until starvation drove the Span-
with which to leave this wild land far iards into their hands.
behind. How soon would he flee to With food for two months this did not
Scotland and his kindred there! disturb the besieged greatly, but the fail-
A crack of a musket and a jubilant ing supply of powder was an event of

yell broke into his revery and he turned the first importance. Once the English
to see a bearded man, dressed in the learned that a man might penetrate to
saffron mantle of an Irish gallowglass, the castle walls without being fired upon,
dancing about the battlements. others would follow.
"By’r Lady,” he shouted, "I got the “Ah, Gunnar,” answered Cuellar,
dirty spy that time! See him kicking in "you don’t understand the feelings of a
the marsh?” father. All of us here have got families
"Well done, Cuellar!” Leon ap- waiting for us, but you. When you watch
plauded, "we can’t waste ammunition. your own children growing up and see
Every shot must find an English heart!” the look in their mother’s eyes, you won’t
Cuellar became serious and looked feel like waiting for some other man to
around to see if any one was listening. step into your boots! Almost a year,
"Boy!” he whispered, "you don’t know we’ve been away, and no one home knows
how true that is. I was prowling about that we still live, or where!
in the powder room today and I found "You came ashore on that galleon that
that three of those powder kegs O’Rourke smashed into mine on the rocks of Sligo
left us were some that had been picked Bay, you said. Do you remember that
up on the beaches after the wrecks!” burned monastery and the twelve Span-
"Well?” queried Gunnar. iards hanging dead from the rafters in
"No! 111! Water soaked in somehow. the nave? But for God’s grace we might
We’ve got a half-keg left and a dozen have dangled there.”
808 WEIRD TALES
Leon nodded vigorously. "And the rose to a screamwhich steadily mounted,
blessed saints all tumbled on the passed overhead, and a heavy missile
ground beneath their feet! Almighty! I plunged sullenly into the lake.
can see them yet!” The echoes were still in flight between
"It was horrible!” agreed Cuellar; the cliffs of Lough Erne, when a thud
"and only a miracle could have saved us shook the castle and both Gunnar and
from those madmen that plundered the Cuellar felt a slight sensation of giddi-
wrecks. I shall remember in my prayers ness as though the firm structure rocked
for ever the chief that saved my life.” beneath them. A dismal wail came from
Leon spoke up bitterly. below and the two watchers gazed into
"You don’t think he did it because he each other’s eyes with dawning compre-
loves Spaniards, do you? He hates Eng- hension and fear.
land as he does hellfire and only gave us
A man staggered up the stairs and
shelter because we are enemies of the came out on the roof. His hair was
English. he had cared anything about
If
crisped and smoking, the beard gone
us, he would have helped us get back
from one side of his face, and sparks ran
home instead of leaving us here.”
to and fro on his charred clothing. He
"True,” agreed Cuellar, "but we are
saw Cuellar and came straight toward
alive and it was a blessed miracle that
him, saluting the tacitly recognized
allowed us to reach his protection!”
leader of the garrison.
He crossed himself fervently, and Gun-
"Madre de Dios, Gomez, speak!” Cuel-
nar, in disgust, returned to his post of
lar cried. "What has happened?”
duty on the eastern wall.
Only too well, Leon knew that the "Ramon,” man, with difficulty,
said the
saints had had nothing to do with the his eyes rolling as he choked, "went
bringing of himself, Cuellar and a young into — the magazine with— —
a lighted
torch !” and he fell, still at the posi-
naval officer to the dubious protection of
Castle Manglana. An
unseen companion tion of salute, across Cuellar’s feet.
had journeyed with the three; one power- “That finishes us.” Cuellar looked at
ful to protect those whom he wished Leon. "The English have dragged a can-
against any foe! And he, a dread enemy non up at last, and now our powder is
of mankind, was self-called — the Master! gone!”
Leon thrust a hand inside the fallen
uellar shouted down man’s goatskin
C tosome one below.
“Gomez, tell Ramon to bring up an-
the stairway
"Sir, Gomez
“I expected that,”
jacket.
is dead,” he announced.
came the hopeless
other flask of powder and three more reply. "Come, let us see how many yet
muskets. Send up Diego, Enrique and live.”
Rodriguez. I think those English frogs As the two left the roof, another dis-
are going to come paddling out here tant report sounded from the camp and
again!” Gunnar turned back.
Gunnar ran back across the flat roof “Go. Iwatch here, and call if
will
again. was true that an odd commo-
It there an attack.”
is
tion was taking place in the camp, hardly "Very well,” replied Cuellar. "Adios
perceptible in the growing dusk. friend. This is the end!” And he dis-
Then, far across the flat marshes, arose appeared in the billows of smoke pouring
a puff of white smoke; an eery whistle up the stairway.
"It is not the end!” murmured an unc- lieved in all countries and all ages. /,
tuous voice in Gunnar’s ear. the Master, am the one who began that
He recognized the voice at once. The knowledge upon this earth! Strip off your
Master was making his usual nightly visit, clothes and we will see what can be done
whenever Gunnar was alone. on Hallowe’en night!”
"Are you utterly merciless?” Gunnar Gunnar hesitated and the Master urged
burst out, passionately. "Is there no pity, him sternly. "Strip!” he again com-
no humanity in you? Beast! Fiend! manded, and the Spaniard, without mov-
Devil! You disgrace the name of man! ing his eyes from that twisted face, began
You are a monster! In the name of every to do as he was told.
holy saint, I plead with you to leave me The red eyes of the Master fixed the
and let me die in peace!” young man like stone, as he moved
A cold ferocity gleamed for a second nearer.
in the Master's eyes. "I am giving you a, choice,” he said
"Do not be misled by the body I hap- slowly. "I promised you, upon the Santa
pen to wear just now! I have other Ysabel, your full term of life if you
semblances that might surprize you! I am bound yourself to me after death and but
not a man and neither am I a beast. You thirty years if you found it necessary to
will soon learn that I am not human! As call upon my help. Choose now, if you
for mercy and pity, I had them long ago, are willing to become a thing that will
but they were stolen from me. However, scatter the English from their camp like
I did not come to tell you this, but to leaves before the blast! If you will it so,
show you a way out and perhaps to help I shall cause such storms to arise tomor-
thosewho are with you.” row that they will flood the marshes and
Gunnar’s face lighted and he took a save the lives of your friends. If not —
step closer to the odd creature who held you can see them die tomorrow when the
him in his power, by a pact of servitude, soldiers take the castle, and be saved by
pledged aboard a sinking galleon earlier me, knowing all your life that you could
in the year. have rescued your friends and would
"What is it?” he urged. "Tell me not!”
quickly!” Leon Gunnar considered. He had no
"Did you know that tonight is Hal- one to care for, or to care if he lived or
lowe’en? The one night in all the year, died. Thirty years of life, at least, lay
next to Walpurgis night, when it is before him according to the pact, in
easiest for a man to become a wolf from which something might arise that would
sunset to sunrise?” defeat the Master’s plans. Then, too,
Gunnar chuckled. "You may have here was a promise that the lives of Cuel-
wonderful powers and I admit that you lar and the rest would be spared. Senora
can make yourself invisible and can lull Cuellar —the children —
Spain and love
storms, but no man can become a wolf! and sunshine in weary hearts!
That is only an Irish and French super- "I wish to fight and I ask your help,”
stition.” he replied.
"As I have already told you, I am not "Thirty years then, my lad,” clucked
a man. You are too ignorant to under- the black dwarf and stooped his head
stand what you had traveled
I am. If over Gunnar’s arm.
more you would know that what you term The young man felt a sharp pain in
a superstition has been known and be- the hollow of his elbow. The Master
810 WEIRD TALES
backed away and threw an evil-smelling mand halted him and he stood still,
liquid upon him, muttering a low in- trembling violently.

cantation as he did so. There was nothing left of his former
Then —agony unspeakable, as though life. Now he was but a machine meant
for one purpose only, and that purpose

every bone in the Spaniard’s body had
been violently wrenched from its socket was to kill as long as he was able to fight.
and as violently reset! In his mind surged the red tide of mur-
der.
He fell to the roof, crying out in pain.
The black wolf was regarding him
Was it fancy or truth that the cries
with grim humor. "You will do,” he an-
sounded like yelps and howls instead of
nounced, and the words made themselves
words? His nose seemed strangely long;
felt without sound in the gray wolf’s
in fact, it was no longer a nose, but a
brain. "More men are over here. Follow
snout, and rolling there, his hands came
me!”
within his vision and he howled again.
They were not hands — they were (could
it be possible?) the hairy paws of a wolf!
He felt a kick in the ribs. The dwarf
T he black beast loped across the roof
and sprang over a low opening
the battlements. Into the lake the gray
in
seemed very wroth.

wolf plunged after the leader and struck
"Be quiet, you fool! You will have out for shore.
the others here! Watch now.” By the time they reached it, the sky was
The Master drew his black cloak tight covered with clouds, mysteriously having
about himself and leaned far forward. appeared where ten moments earlier not
Gunnar meant to gasp, but it sounded one was to be seen.
like a low whine of surprize, when he The beasts sank belly-deep in the ooze
saw that suddenly the black cloak was no and struggled to a firmer footing. There
longer cloth, but black hair! was a musty smell from green-scummed
Then the Master fell forward, his pools filled with rotting leaves and small
scrawny limbs shrinking, his face chang- dead things. A drizzling rain spat and
ing frightfully, and two tailless wolves hissed in the slimy water.
stood side by side upon the roof of "This will keep our prey under shel-
Castle Manglana. ter,” thought the gray wolf and the black
Gunnar felt a strange wild thrill in his bent his head as though words had been
veins. He seemed to have imbibed some- uttered. They loped into the shallows,
thing of the Master’s proud, alien spirit. swam a bit and waded into sucking mud.
He was no longer human, but a beast Beyond, lay the camp.
and felt as a wild predatory animal Cautiously they skirted the edges. A
should. sentry approached, and leaving the gray
Man was enemy: should he not
his behind, the black wolf sneaked forward,
kill? Below, in the castle, were men! gathered his legs beneath him and his
He stalked, stiff-legged, over to the wiry muscles tensed.
open entrance. His hackles lifted and A leap, a stifled sob, then a splash in
foam drooled from his avid jaws. Man the puddles and theman was down, with
smell here was strong! He took one step his throatopened wide and bubbling.
forward and howled long and dismally. Another sentry approached, peering
He would have hurled himself down about for the source of the faint noises,
at his former friends, had not a chill com- and the gray wolf sprang. Then both,
muzzles dabbled red, slunk into the not what they were to fight
realizing
sleeping and defenseless camp. until they saw the two beasts, oddly high
As the gray had supposed, no one was in the hind quarters, leaping in and out
visible. In their quarters, some slept and of the lines of shelters.
others dozed, but over all lay quiet and a An Irish renegade guide, with the
patter of rain that hushed any possible troop, on his knees at the sight.
fell
sound of velvet footfalls. Demons!” he howled. "The bugs! The
Near the cannon, the black wolf bugs! The bug-wolves are after us!” And
stopped, sent out a silent command, and went crawling away toward the cannon,
the gray prowled, watchful, alert to pro- on hands and knees through the mud.
while the Master assumed the human
tect, The cry of "Bug- wolves” went racing
form once more. An instant he busied through the camp, adding to the general
himself there; then again two misshapen terror of the troops to whom the coun-
tailless wolf-things trotted on into the try tales of men-beasts* were speedily
camp. being brought home.
A brush and canvas shelter lay a little And all the while, the two wolves,
apart from the others, and from it came making the most of the confusion, were
stertorous snores. An instant of hesita- leaping swiftly about, pulling down one
tion and both wolves entered the low here and another there and worrying him
doorway. When they came out again, to death, snarling like mad things. Heads
the snoring had stopped. down and dodging blows, they finally
The eyes of both gleamed with a dashed through the center of camp,
strange exhilaration as they separated. toward the castle again. On a little rise
The black took one line of shelters and of ground, they stopped, plain against
the gray wolf commenced dipping in and the lighter sky and directly in line of fire
out of anotherline, leaving a trail of red of the cannon.
drops on the wet ground to mark where The Irish guide, breathing a hurried
he had passed. Behind them lay a quiet prayer that the cannon was loaded, de-
that would never again be broken by the pressed the muzzle and surrounded by a
occupants of the shelters they had visited. frantic crowd of soldiers, ignited the
This dreadful business went on for a charge.
long time, without interruption. The The mighty concussion that followed
black wolf had finished two lines of shel- shook the camp. A lurid flash of light lit
ters and was half-way along with a third, up the billowing clouds overhead, frag-
while the gray was slaughtering, joyous- ments of iron and mangled bodies flew
ly drunk with killing, on his second line, everywhere, and in Castle Manglana six
when a man awoke from frightful dreams men looked at one another with surprize
to look into slavering jaws and find a in their eyes, not daring to hope that the
more horrid reality there. missing man had found a way to help
He had just time to cry out, "Ware- them.
woolfes!” before his spine cracked in The flimsy shelters were down in many
those iron jaws. The other occupant of places and when the deafened survivors
the shelter roused and yelled something of the explosion thought of the two
incoherent, and also died. wolves again, the rise of ground was bare.
At once there was commotion, men A rising wind now brought a down-
running about without aim or purpose, pour of rain, a steady fall that brought
looking for an enemy band of raiders; the surface of Lough Erne lapping over
812 WEIRD TALES
the marshlands at the base of theprom- and placed therein a man who they sup-
ontory and continued. Before morn-
still posed was finished with walking and the
ing, CastleManglana would be upon an other trivial matters that interest the
island and the rain which would follow living.
for days would prove sufficient to ren- After the proper ceremonies had been
der the position of the English untenable observed they shut and locked the mas-
before another cannon could be secured. sive iron door, and leaving the poor dead
Cuellar and five other Spaniards were thing there, they went their several ways
to see their homes at last. and thought but little of the remains of
one who had but lately been held in high
Miles away, the Master stood wrapped
respect.
in his black cloak. A gray wolf crouched
For a while on anniversaries, those
at his feet.
"That way,” said the somber dwarf,
who had loved the bishop came and
placed flowers there and wept a little for
“lies Antrim. From there you can easily
all the hopes and fears that they were
reach Scotland. I have told you where to
burdened with, and being comforted
find your surviving relative, and I am
within themselves they went away again.
very sure you will like her. Run now and
get as far as you can before morning.
And all the while the great iron key
hung in a secret place in the ancestral
Take the clothes of the first man you
castle of the Gunnars, and it was the
meet an hour before dawn.
only one that would fit the intricate lock
"What caused the cannon to blow up?
I put in an extra charge of powder, and
that fastened the tomb of the bishop.
filled the muzzle with mud! Good-bye,

And all the while, the Worm, who is
lord of us all,went to and fro within

Leon Gunnar, you are a worthy slave.”
the tomb and fed in his own manner
A second later the gray wolf was
and was filled and well content.
alone. He did not hesitate, but turned in
And the soul of the bishop basked in
the direction the Master had indicated.
the mellow light of Paradise, caring no
Senora Cuellar would some day see
her man and never know that an
again,
more for his body or its future than we
for a shoe that has been outworn and
unknown wanderer had given
friendless
cast aside.
years of his life that sixmen with fam-
One by one, those that had known the
ilies might be together again. Nor, had
bishop ceased to visit the tomb, and
she known, would she have believed.
passing from the places that had known
But he, who had sacrificed to save
them well, also joined him again and
others, was loping on through the night
were content.
toward Antrim and Scotland in desperate
And the Worm, who is lord of us all,
haste.
finding nothing to keep him longer
In the morning he would be a naked
there, left the bones of the bishop in si-
man, never again to know the unholy
lence and darkness and peace.
power and desires of this one red night.
Lichens and mosses and vines grew
over the gray stones and rust flaked
3. In the Tomb of the Bishop
W
thickly red in the hinges of the iron door.
hen the tomb was new and the And in the secret place where hung
smell of freshly cut stone still the key, a great fat spider lived out her
hung about the rock that formed it, men life and was not disturbed.
came with sad faces and walking slowly, In the tomb of the bishop, time was of
little account, but outside a hundred stones that formed the tomb of the
yearswent by and brought changes that bishop.
were inevitable and to be expected. But the key had been cut into two
One night, men came to that tomb in pieces and one of the men had taken
desperate haste, casting glances behind one half and his younger brother had
them as though they were sorely afraid, taken the other, and the movements of
and when they placed a key in the lock that last half have been told elsewhere
and it would not turn, they panted as at some length.
though they had been running far and Over the tomb of the bishop crawled
had yet far to go by morning. another hundred years, but if you had
And they tried yet another key and chanced to enter, you would have noticed
another and the lock would not turn, perhaps that there was now a feeling
and despair came upon them, for within that some one else was present.
it was
very important that the tomb should be Perhaps if you had laid your ear very
opened. close to the casket where the book lay,
you would have heard a faint rustling
At last, the youngest of .the men came
inside that sounded like a very small
across the garden and in his hand was
mouse that could not or would not be
the old key and behind him inside the
quiet. And then you would have left, I
ancient castle of the Gunnars, which was
am sure.
burning with a great crackling and a
vast amount of light, an old fat she-
spider cursed that man
power of a spider’s curse, for he had
with all the
T wo men walked in the old Gunnar
park and came to the garden, long
grown over with weeds.
taken away a home that to her line had
One was an old man apparently, but
been far more ancient and hallowed than
his wrinkles and white hair came from an
any place can be to men.
inward trouble and not from the piti-
It took four men to open that rusty
less claws of Time.
door, and they did not remain long in-
The other, o"bviously the son of the
side, but placed a parcel well wrapped
first mentioned, was but just come at his
and protected against the damp, upon the
maturity. There was a look in his young
casket where lay the bishop’s dry and
eyes that spoke of evil things that no
aged bones.
man should know and live, lest the rest
In the parcel was a book, whose pages of the world should find cause to regret
were made of human skin, and which after was too late to prevent knowledge
it
told a story which was grim and horrible from becoming unspeakable action.
and a little sad. Leon Gunnar had married in Scotland,
And they left it there,where they apprenticed his only son to a warlock
thought it to be safe, and separated and sorcerer in the hope that the resultant
went to far countries and saw one an- learning would provide a way to fight the
other no more till the day after their black Master to whom he had bound him-
deaths, when some of them were re- self, and now with but a day remaining
united. of the thirty years that he had been
And behind them, rust gathered again allowed by the pact to which he had
in the hinges of the door, and the lichens agreed, had come with his son after the
and mosses and all the green vines book which had something in it that the
gathered more thickly still upon the younger man must know.
814 WEIRD TALES
In a thicket, a monstrosity gloated and casket crumble into dust. It was at.the
hugged itself and chattered in a voice sight of the horror that sat upright in
more shrill than any bat as it watched that heap of punk, its jaws clicking and
the culmination of a long-planned re- its bony arms reaching out for him, that
venge. he had screamed!

It was closewhen they unlocked the It was then he knew that his thirty
door with a shining new key made from
the pattern of the split and rusty one. Its
voice was so high that the older man
*******
years of life had come to. an end.
could not hear

the aged door with
it at all as they pried
all their strength and
back A fter a long while the iron door
opened and a third individual ap-
i-
peared in the opening. About four feet

The senses of the young
short iron bars. in height, the Master was wrapped from
warlock were made keen by his training head to foot in a cloak of blade that hid
and he stopped his work to listen, but all of his form except his glittering eyes.
the Master was more cunning than he and In them lurked a suspicion of moisture,
made no more noises. as he looked upon the interior of the
It was and waiting for its chance
alert tomb where bits of dry hard bones min-
when they entered the tomb of the bishop gled with scraps of tattered flesh.
and saw there upon the rotten old casket Could it be possible that the Master
what they had long desired. '
felt regret for the end he had plotted?
It was watching when the younger Had the young warlock not been un-
man came out of the tomb with the conscious outside that place of sudden
precious book in his arms, and it tittered and frightful death, and had he heard
nervously when Leon Gunnar thought the Master’s low soliloquy, any impres-
he heard a noise inside the old casket sion of this nature would have been con-
and turned back to listen. firmed.
The young Scottish warlock was on his "I have been a fool,” said the Master
knees in the weeds tearing off the cover- to himself, “and I have made one of my
ings from the old book when he heard a few mistakes. I gave only a will to tear
tiny noise behind him. He looked back. and mangle, to that heap of dry bones! I
The door that Jiad almost defied the should have instructed it to save enough
combined strength of two strong men of the body intact, so that I could use it.
was closing by itself, without a creak or There is nothing here of value to me!”
rasp from the rust-eaten hinges. He directed his piercing gaze into a
corner of the dark chamber.
From inside the tomb came a scream
that held all the terror imaginable to the "You have won, Gunnar, through no
mind of man! wisdom of yours. Our past is ended and
The young man cried out, "Father!” you are free. Your boy I shall allow to
in agony of spirit, and reached for the return to Scotland when he awakes to
edge of the door. learn more magic. I will meet him again
A mist swirled before him there, out when he is worth fighting! Leon Gunnar,
of which stared two red, burning eyes. take your freedom!”
Without a sound, he dropped in his Something shot by the Master and out
tracks and the door closed. of the door, with the zip of an arrow,
Inside, Leon Gunnar had seen, before audible only to the black dwarf’s senses.
the tomb went dark, the old wooden Slowly, he closed the iron door and
MEN OF STEEL 815
turned the key. The vines fell into place came in the night and found that there-
again and there was silence and darkness in which made him merry, but the young
and peace in the hidden tomb of the for- warlock was far away, with the book of
gotten bishop. ill omen, and no one knows where the
And the Worm, who is lord of us all, Master went, in deep regret.
MEN OF STEEL By AINSLEE JENKINS
STILL remember, above all else, low-lidded eyes. A fat, sensual underlip,
Ared Haggard’s smile. its color the livid purple of a fresh
That, you might think, is not un- bruise, contrasting oddly with the lean,
usual. But when you have heard this twisted upper one. A straight chin, with
fantastic tale to its end —
and set me the black bristles of a harsh beard.
down, perhaps, for a weak-witted crea- The lips, though, were the things that
ture whose mind the brooding desert has wrought Ared Haggard’s smile, and it is
turned
smile
—you will wonder that it is the that twitching smile, planted undyingly
in my memory, which bids me down
I recall so distinctly. set
You, however, never saw Ared Hag- this story.
gard smile. On the lonely reaches of die great Mo-
Picture a long, blankly white face, jave Desert you can not pick and choose
etched over with a hundred intercrossing amongst your neighbors; to the contrary,
lines. A thin prow of a nose, and on you must be thankful if you even have
either side of it two deeply imbedded, one. Ared Haggard was mine. And
816 WEIRD TALES
though from die very first some wary night. I want somebody to talk to; I was
sixth sense warned me that here was a even thinking of going over to fetch you.
man dangerously different from all. But come inside, and let old Tom give
others, I welcomed his presence and did you a glass of my very particular port
my best, through fairly frequent visits, to wine. The occasion needs some celebrat-
cultivate and strengthen our friendship. ing!”
He was, I gathered, comparatively "Occasion?” I said, puzzled. "What
wealthy and thus able to humor his occasion?”
slightestwhim. An eccentric, certainly. But he only shook his head and led
Otherwise why had he purchased the me into the high-raftered main room of
rambling, grotesque castle he lived in? his castle.
"Miner’s Folly,” they called the place, As far as I was concerned,
it might
and a folly it definitely was. Years ago have been the only room of the place, for
some pick-and-panner had struck it rich, I’d never been through any of the others.
and, as many of them do in similar cases, There were others, of course, but the tall,
built for himself this huge castle, set just bolt-studded doors which led to them
below the cadaverous ribs of one of the were forever closed, and Haggard simply
Mojave’s barren mountain ranges. The didn’t hear me whenever I’d suggested
structure had been lonely and deserted inspeaing them. I’ll admit that this silent
for years when Ared Haggard chanced refusal had put an edge to my curiosity;
upon Evidently it had appealed to
it. often I’d laughingly accused him of being
him, for he’d purchased it and converted a second Bluebeard, with his dread secrets
it to his own obscure purposes, as I’ve locked up in those mysterious rooms.
said. "Some night,” he once said, "I’ll show
This particular evening I had felt the you them. . .
need of some type of conversation, no Was this, I wondered, to be the night?

how —
morbid
W
matter as Haggard’s
usually was —and had accordingly paced hen we were seated in the squat
the three mileswhich separated my little leather chairs which Haggard fa-
shack and "Miner’s Folly.” Hundreds of vored, old Tom, true to his master’s word,
yards off I’d heard the baying of his brought us glasses of a rich port wine,
gaunt wolf-hound which always heralded and we both lit cigarettes. Old Tom was
my approach, and Haggard was standing Haggard’s lone servant, a tall, dark Na-
under the raised portcullis of the doorway vajo Indian. Some affliaion had rendered
when I trudged up. Portcullis? Yes. him dumb, though he could hear very
That miner had followed the plan of a and this fortunate combination made
well,
mediaeval castle to the smallest detail! him, in my opinion, the perfea menial.
Even in the fast-thickening gloom I , Haggard’s white face seemed to be
could detea a change in the man’s man- hanging suspended before me in the half-
ner. And when I came closer I saw that his light; he had drained the drink with a
eyes were burningly alive, restless, even gulp and was I could see, itching to
eager. He stretched out his bony hands speak.
and grasped my shoulders and then actu- "Well,” I began, to start him off, "why
ally slapped me on the back. Never be- so anxious to have me over tonight, Hag-
fore had been granted such a greeting.
I gard?”
"I’m glad, Wells,” his harsh, impatient He leaned forward and his eyes, with
voice told me, "that you’ve come over to- their pin-points of flame, ran over my
W. T —
MEN OF STEEL 817
whole body. I felt curiously naked under the night wind moaning through the sage
that concentrated stare. I laughed some- and sand outside!
what uneasily and repeated the question. "Then,” I said, essaying a nervous
"You’ve wondered, I suppose. Wells,” little laugh, your hobby that you keep
"it’s
he rasped finally, "why I live up here as concealed behind those mysterious
I do. A hellish life, eh? No reason for doors!”
it. You, of course, write, and stick your-
He nodded his lank head. There cer-
self away in the desert because of its sol-
tainly seemed to be a fascination for him
itude. But I —
ah, why have I secluded
in running his prying eyes over my body;
myself in this crazy castle? mystery, A he did it constantly. "Yes,” he muttered,
isn’t it?” He chuckled delightedly.
"behind those doors. I intended, at first,
I said hurriedly: "Of course I have
to take you through them tonight, but now
conjectured sometimes about your pur-
I think I’ll reserve that pleasure for you
pose in coming up here. supposed that
I
till the final, triumphant instant. Then
you were sick, as I was, of the noise and
it’llbe twice the thrill it would be now.
brawl of the city. Or perhaps it’s your Oh, you’re fortunate, Wells, you’re for-
health?”
tunate! You’ve got the experience of a
"Not,” he murmured, "my health. Oh lifetime coming to you!”
no, no! But I’ll tell you this, Wells: the
"The experience,” I repeated, "of a
desert’s a marvelous place for more things
lifetime?”
than writing. ...”
"You’ve got a hobby, then?” I asked. "Yes!” He wagged
head gleefully.
his
The question had a peculiar effecton "A thing to remember to your dying
him. His lips positively writhed, and the day!”
uneven rows of “his yellowish teeth He suddenly fell silent, as if brooding.
showed through in a ghastly smile. Then he peered up at me. "I just recalled
Smile! It shouldn’t be called a smile. A it,”he said. "Didn’t you say something
smile is warm and human and friendly. about your fiancee coming to see you?”
Haggard’s might have been friendly, but I smiled. I always smiled when I
human — it wasn’t human. thought of Jean Erskine. We’d been en-

At that moment I was downright gaged for I don’t know how long, wait-
afraid of him. ing till I could afford our marriage. Jean
"A hobby,” he said slowly. "You can told me repeatedly I was a stilted fool not
call it that, Wells, if you like. Yes, I to accept, for a while, her comfortable
have a hobby. So did Edison have a income; but I couldn’t abide the thought
hobby, and Steinmetz, and thousands be- of it. You know the feeling.
fore them. Thousands of whom the av- "Yes,” I confirmed. "She’s going to
erage man’s never heard, thousands who spend a couple of days here. No scandal,
followed their calling in the ignorant, Haggard! You needn’t be afraid of any-
superstition-ridden Middle Ages, when thing — —improper.
er I assure we don’t
the slightest rumor about them meant a need a chaperone.”
horrible, torturous death. Those men He laughed. "I’ll accept your word.
the astrologers, alchemists, scientists of When does she arrive?”
mediaeval times — are my heroes, Wells. "Let’s see,” I figured. "Today’s Mon-
And them I’ve dedicated my hobby.”
to — day. Two days from now, on Thursday.”
Strange, uncanny talk in the wavering "M-m-m. Bring her over Thursday
gloom of that fantastic desert castle, with night, Wells. I think she’d get a thrill
W. T.—
818 WEIRD TALES
too out of what’s behind those locked
doors you're so curious about.”
I overlooked the commanding tone of
M
lock;
own house is a rude hut of three
y
flimsy rooms. The door has no
you do not need one on the desert.
Haggard was like that. I strode zestfully up to it, shoved it open,
his invitation;
"Can’t you give me an inkling of its

stepped in —
and was immediately con-
scious that there was some one in the
nature?” I asked. "Nothing that’ll upset
house.
her, is it?”
No electric light, of course. I fumbled
Again that contortion of his lips. "Oh,
with a match, struck it. And in the quick,
no! I wouldn’t ask her otherwise. You
wavering flare I saw him.
may rest assured of that, Wells . . .
Who?
but more I won’t tell you. I want the
Old Tom, Haggard’s Navajo servant!
glory, the magnificence, the triumph of it
He was standing there impassively,
to take you by surprize. I want but — awaiting me. I muffled an ejaculation of
enough. I’ll say no more. Thursday night
surprize and lit a lamp. Then I turned
you will be admitted to the secret of se- my
to him, the obvious question on lips.
crets, the most splendid achievement ever
"What’s wrong?”
consummated by man, the ultimate con- He gestured for pencil and paper, his
quest of mind over matter!”
only way of communication. I found
His tone had risen to that of a fanatic. them, and watched him scrawl three shaky
His sunken eyes streamed fire; his gaunt words on the white typewriter sheet.
face was alight; his hurtling words "I —am— afraid.”
boomed challengingly through the vasty Hisdumb, peculiarly dog-like eyes
hall; for the moment I was forgotten; rested on me as I read his message. I
Haggard’s mind, I am convinced, had glanced up and jerked:
soared to an immortal realm. Once more "Of what?”
I felt a tingling shiver scamper up my He shook his head; his brown, gnarled
spine, myself that Jean and I
and I told old face wore an expression of puzzlement
would keep away from "Miner’s Folly” tinged with fear.
on Thursday night. . . .
"Write it down,” I commanded.
But curiosity is, with love and hunger, "What are you afraid of?”
the great impelling force of life, and it Hetook some time over his next sen-
was my damnable curiosity that con- tence; writing was a great labor to him.
quered my dread and brought me back to But finally it lay before me, and I scanned
that cursed house on Thursday night. it with a feeling of unreality.
Soon after, I left. Ared Haggard had “I — —
am afraid of Mister — — — Hag-
slumped down in his chair; he did not gard.”
even rise to see me to the door. I stole I laughed. What else could I do?
out, and the romping gust of the icy, Then the memory of Haggard’s wild,
sage-spicedwind drove from my head the flaming eyes and wisted smile came upon
queer words and half hinted at thoughts me, and I fell silent and asked him, more
I had heard. I walked slowly, revelling soberly:
in the deep, clear purple of the desert "Why?”
night, listening to the crooned symphony I did not like to read the words he put
of breeze and sage and sand, shot through down in reply; but they were there, more
occasionally with the far-away whining ominous and chilling than if they’d been
yap of a slinking coyote. spoken.
MEN OF STEEL 819
"He —mad.”is thought has fanged and accused me ever

There was a sudden surge of wind, and since.
the door rattled on its hinges. Almost I For when the Navajo returned to
expected to see it swing open and re- "Miner’s Folly” — however, let me tell the
veal Haggard, piercing us with his devil- tale as it happened.
ish eyes. I dragged it back and stared out-
side; but there was nothing except the slept soundly that night. One does,
ghostly stretch of the desert and the crin- 1 on the desert, no matter what the
kled, outflung shadow of a joshua tree. events of the day. And in the morning I
"What makes you think he’s mad, followed my regular routine: a stiff, brac-
Tom?” ing walk, breakfast of the customary eggs
His painful writing answered: and bacon, and then work.
— —
"He works on a great machine. He I was writing, at that time, a series of
— looks —
at me —
with eyes of mad- — — rather boring articles on the great West-
ness.” ern deserts for some geographical maga-
I, too, had seen those eyes! But I put zine; and I devoted a portion to the In-
the old Indian’s alarm down to Haggard’s dians that inhabited them. This necessi-
excitement and the deep superstition of tated a bit of research on my part, and
the Navajo race. I tried to cheer him up. most of the day I spent in delving into a
"Nonsense, Tom! He looks at me in few musty volumes I fortunately had on
the same way—looks at everybody like the subject. Quite accidentally I hap-
that. He’s just excited about his machine, pened to strike a chapter explaining in
or invention, or whatever it is. You detail the sign language of the Indian
needn’t worry. He’ll get back to normal tribes: the art of speaking through ges-
after Thursday night, when he’s ex- tures of the hands. It interested me, and
plained the thing to me.” I read it thoroughly.
But Tom was writing again. And the But my mind was
really occupied with
words were: thoughts of Jean Erskine’s approaching
" Y ou — — —
must not come Thursday. — visit.If you ever saw her, you’d under-
—
You must keep away.” stand how it was.
I laughed again. "No, I’ll be there,” I So passed Tuesday. Wednesday I real-
said. "I’m too curious. Now go home ly proved just how crazy I was over the
and get a good sleep. You’re tired and girl: I cleaned up the house.
worn out; you’re seeing things that aren’t I did not have occasion to go near
so. Don’t worry, Tom. Mr. Haggard’s "Miner’s Folly,” and the strange appear-
far from mad.” ance of old Tom and his fears passed
Yes, he was indeed far from mad! gradually from my mind.
Old Tom looked at me once more with And, early Thursday morning, Jean
his plaintive, dumb eyes. Then he turned, rode out of the desert, a guide bringing
and slowly, silently trudged out of the her safely through the sandy wastes to my
house and faded into the mystic night. home.
Fool that I was to let him go Witless, ! She was radiantly beautiful in the
unseeing, selfish fool! Had I but known fresh, streaming sunlight; I could see that
—had I but been able to see a few hours her guide, a raw-boned, bronzed, typical
in advance! desert Westerner, had fallen for her al-
But it’s useless to waste vain regrets. I ready, and I didn’t blame him. Jean’s like
was to blame for old Tom’s fate, and the that. This chap put off leaving as long
820 WEIRD TALES
as he could, and when I offered him a a lot o’ queer-lookin’ machinery. Dog-
l
cup of coffee he almost split his long face gone f I know whut he wants it foh!”
with a grateful grin. Jean immediately informed Jean that Haggard evi-
I
began to fuss around the house, crying dently had some kind of an invention he
out now and again at the perfect atrocity wished to demonstrate to us. "He’s an
of my arrangements, and disturbing all unusual type of person,” I finished, "but
my loving work. She didn’t want any perfectly harmless. You’d like to go,
coffee, so the guide and I sat down by then?”
ourselves in the kitchen which didn’t— "I would!” she said. And that sealed
please him any too much.
the matter.
"Say, Mistuh Wells,” he drawled
slowly, pouring a full five spoons of
The guide had sunk into the very
gloomiest of moods, and he soon took his
sugar into his drink, “yuh got a queer
leave, muttering unintelligible things
neighbor oveh here.”
about Ared Haggard. Jean sped him on
"Ared Haggard?”
"Yes, suh," he said
his way with a smile, however, and that
emphatically.
"That’s th' one. reckon he’s kinda
cheered him up some. Then she came
I
and sat with me, and we talked. We
cracked, ain’t he?”
"Strikes me as being sane enough,” I
went all over the old ground she trying —
said, smiling. “Has he got the reputa-
to urge me to leave "this awful place,”
and be sensible about the financial diffi-
tion of being a bit cracked?”
culty which was postponing our wedding.
"Well, suh,” my guest announced, "I
ain’t got no def’nite dope on him, but I
And I just as firmly refused.
sure do know he’s hauled an awful lot o’ After a dreamy afternoon the shades
funny-lookin’ junk into that theh crazy of night stole over and cooled the desert,
castle o’ his.” and transformed its rawness into a thing
"Who’s this?” asked Jean, coming out of soft beauty. "Well,” said Jean,
from the other room. "Some one near "you’re just a pig-headed, stubborn old
here?” fool, and I don’t like you a bit. Now
The guide grinned bashfully at her. let me get some dinner,and we’ll go and
"Mistuh Ared Haggard,” he informed see this mysterious Mr. Haggard.”
her. "He lives just a mite away from So we set out.
here in a doggone crazy castle we call

'Miner’s Folly’.”
"Castle?” repeated Jean.
you must take me over to see it!”
"Oh, Jim, W hen
I wonder
foresee the horror into
placidly walking.
I look back on
that at the time
And
it all, I
which we were
marvel.
did not
"He’s asked us there tonight,” I told yet, I suppose, I
her. "I didn’t know whether you’d was not so terribly to blame. It is hard
want to go or not.” to realize how very thin the veneer of
I could see that her curiosity was civilization, of normalcy, is —how easily
aroused, for she said emphatically that an individual, deluded by opium-like

she certainly did want to go. At which dreams, can smash it, and recreate for
statement the guide perked up his ears. awhile the barbarous savagery of the dim
dunno,” he muttered, "as how I’d ages.
"I
—
go oveh theh ’specially at night. Yuh We walked slowly, my arm around
see, miss, this fellah comes down t’ th’ her,and I knew perfect contentment.
village ever’ oncet in a while an’ hauls up The evening was at its most beautiful
MEN OF STEEL 821
state, romantic, ideal. I was indeed membered my manners and introduced

happy. them.
Thefirst glimpse of the castle, how- "Delighted, Miss Erskine,” said Ared
ever, changed that mood. It seemed to Haggard, "that you braved my idiosyn-
sound a muttered, hushed prelude of crasies and came here tonight. Please
—
what was to come of the hidden beast excuse me for alarming you with that
soon to spring upon us. . . . contraption.”
I had never seen "Miner’s Folly” look His eyes positively gloated over her
so ominous. body.
The hulking hills behind it threw a "It did rather astonish me,” she ad-
mantle of deep shadows over its gro- mitted. "But what a curious place you
tesque walls; in the rear of the place I have here, Mr. Haggard!”
seemed to glimpse lurking figures, "Curious?” he said. "Curious? Well,
shadow-cloaked; the very air was still and perhaps. It suits me, however, exactly.
charged with a peculiar tautness. Sit down, won’t you, and’have a drink?”
I know that Jean felt it as well as I I noticed that he brought the wine
did, for she looked up at me and ex- himself this time.

claimed: "What an uncanny spot this is!” "Where’s old Tom?” I asked.
"It impresses me more that way this "Busy,” said Ared Haggard. "Busy
evening than ever before,” I said. in the rear. You’ll see him presently.”
"D’you think we’d better turn back?” And we did see him presently. . . .
She laughed at my suggestion. "But,” I still shiver when I think of it.

she admitted, "I have a curious sensation At any rate, we all seated ourselves in
of —
of being watched. Does your friend the somehow pregnant silence of the
Haggard always watch the approaching lofty hall, and I did my best to encourage
guest?” a cheerful conversation. So did Jean.
"No,” I told her. "But I can’t blame But, after a few minutes, words died on
him for watching you.” At which she my lips, and I became conscious of a
laughed again. strange new noise — a strange new sensa-
We walked into the brooding shadow tion, rather.
of the doorway. The great door swung It was a low, vibrant humming, a
silently open —
and there, peering at us humming that did not assault the ear
from the dark hall, were Haggard’s eyes. only;it seemed rather to enter the whole
For a moment I was wordless. And body and to set the fibers and muscles
while we stood there, like dumb fools, and nerves quivering in sympathy with it.
therewas a rattle and a slithering noise The nerves, I believe, particularly, for its
and, behind us, the raised portcullis deep, almost inaudible buzzing soon had
dropped down, effectively barring us in. me and jumpy and at the same
irritable
"Good Lord!” I exclaimed involun-
”
—
time afraid of what I do not know. I
tarily. "What was conscious of the steel-barred port-

Then Haggard came forward, with cullis, of the heavy, tightly closed doors,
that smileon his lips. of the fact that I was absolutely unarmed.
must apologize,” he murmured. "I
"I I tried to convince myself that I was a
did not mean to frighten you merely — suspicious fool, and strove to ignore that
wished to show the young lady what a persistent humming. But I could not.
really complete mediaeval castle this is.” It pierced through all my weak defenses,
Overcoming my astonishment, I re- and I glanced uneasily at Ared Haggard.
822 WEIRD TALES
He was watching me with the eyes of I was no better than a limp corpse. I
a hawk. did not know whom this grinning face
He was waiting for something, wait- belonged to, for there was, of course, no
ing, waiting. remembrance in my doped brain of pre-
Waiting for what? vious events. I recall being slung like a
And then I remembered the rich port bag of flour over a bony shoulder. A
wine he had given us. My God! That bolt-studded door opened; I was carried,
was it! Even as I thought of it, the dim I think, into a large white room bathed
walls above seemed to crumple, to sway, in the most awful radiance I have ever
to jig and dance and pound to the beheld. I could not, then, define it; I
rhythm of the hypnotic humming. And was merely conscious of it.
soon the narrowed, gleaming eyes of Next, in this macabre, distorted epi-
Ared Haggard had joined that mad caper- sode, there came the vision of a hideous
ing; they too were leaping up and down, monster with a huge, jerkily moving
up and down, up and down. . . . body of dull metal.
Frantically I stared at Jean Erskine. I remember feeling the press of straps
Her head had fallen over on her shoul- being fastened around me, binding me to
der; she was asleep! Drugged! some kind of chair. Before me moved
Idragged at my limbs; I forced my two figures, one lean and long-legged,
leaden lips open; an abortive shriek came the other the monster of steel.
from them in the guise of a miserable Then I sank into a black gulf, and ap-
groan. I tried to get up, and, trembling, parently slept. Of this time I recall ab-
half arose. Then my legs turned to solutely nothing.
and fell.
clay; I staggered Outside, the night thickened. The
Ared Haggard’s thin eyes surveyed moon was on the other side of the world.
our helpless bodies mockingly. Mock- Only a slow wind moaned around the
ingly —and triumphantly. desert castle called "Miner’s Folly.”
This was the nightwe were to see his At about twelve, I think, I awoke.
invention. Only now can I understand I did not know, the moment, for
the grim, sardonic humor of the man, the where I was. The
thing I saw when
first
way he toyed with me, deliberately baited my had partially returned was the
senses
and enticed me through my curiosity. bound, gagged figure of Jean Erskine,
Yes, we were to see his invention. We harnessed to a peculiar chair, over which
were to feel it! hung a round headpiece of sheeny metal,
sprouting a myriad of spidery wires.
H ave you ever been under ether?

You have
sensations, utterly
an inkling, then, of the
mad and fantastic,
My
I
It
tried to call to her.
mouth,
was then
too,
that
was gagged!
I turned
I
my
could not!
attention
which surged through my brain during to the rest of the room; and it was then
that helpless period when I lay a victim that my
blood choked icily in my veins.
of the drugs of the master of "Miner’s It was then that the full realization of the
Folly.” situation we were in smote me with a
I seem to recall a malevolent, lank sickening thud. And it was then that
face,with the smile of the devil himself I cursed myself, and felt the pricking
scourging its lips, coming close to mine; sweat spurt through my pores.
and shudderingly I remember the foul For we were behind those mysterious
beat of its breath. I could not avoid it; locked doors; we were face to face with
MEN OF STEEL 823
the deviltry I had unknowingly called fore my drug-crazed eyes when I was first
Ared Haggard’s "hobby.” carried into this room.
Jean and were alone, for the moment,

I Was that man a reality? I hardly
in the room. And I was staring with dared think.
bulging eyes at a contraption which I do I noticed Jean’s eyelids begin to flicker;
not even pretend to understand, a con- presently they opened full, and she gazed
traption which still leads me to believe at me.She did not, as yet, realize where
that Ared Haggard was a genius not a — she was. I prayed that, by some mercy,
madman. No madman could have de- the drug would have a lingering effect on
vised and perfected that machine. It her brain, and that she would not be
came from a cool and logical brain, not a fully conscious of whatever we were
disordered one. Although, to be sure, a doomed to suffer.
genius is not a normal person. He lives But the horror that dawned and grew
in a world apart from ours. in her large eyes forced me to abandon
that hope.
To begin with, set in the white floor
I could not speak, could not comfort
perhaps five feet in front of me was a
deep vat, in which simmered a liquid that
and reassure her — that was the hell of it.
I could merely stare and try vainly to

astounded my eyes with its constantly
changing colors. And, more amazing
speak to her through my eyes.
still, this liquid seemed oddly transpar-

A mad idea of struggling free entered
could plainly see the bottom of

my head. I inspected, as best I could,
ent, for I
the vat through it.
my bonds. I found that tight leather
straps circled my body just above the el-
Next I discovered that the chair in
bows, clamping the upper parts of my
which Jean was bound had small wheels
arms to me, allowing me to move the
on its legs, and these wheels were set on
lower part freely. My legs were also
a pair of miniature rails, resembling
thought of tearing
— good Lord! —the
tied to the chair. I
street-car lines. And the gag from my moudi with my free
rails led to the brink of the liquid-filled
hands; but this proved hopeless. The
vat!
head was held firmly upward, and my
My chair was similarly outfitted. fingers could not reach it by at least three
In the rear of the room bulked
huge a inches.
black device shaped like a dynamo, and No use! No use! There was no es-
from this droned the low humming I had cape!
heard earlier in the evening. A confusion At that moment one of the doors
of cables led from it, some extending to swung open. And Ared Haggard
the vat in the floor, wrapping around it, stepped into the room.
I judged, underground; others went to a He did not appear to notice us, but
sort of switchboard arrangement, from walked to the switchboard, fiddled with
which fresh relays of cables wound to a a few levers and then put what looked
flat platform that reminded me of an like a pair of radio earphones on his
operating-table. And on this table lay head. For some time he listened, again
two grotesque, hideous figures, molded adjusted the levers, and next pulled full
in the external form of human bodies. over a large control switch.
But they were made of steel! The low humming soared upward,
Then, with a shudder, I recalled the grew to a quick, vibrant drone. Hag-
man of metal that had moved jerkily be- gard appeared to be satisfied. He took
824 WEIRD TALES
off the headphones and walked toward over there. This involves a profound
us, his captives. formula never yet stumbled upon by
imagine the look in my eyes must
I science; it plants in the robots but wait. —
have been murderous, for he glanced at I’ll demonstrate the thing to you.” He
me and then laughed —a harsh, delib- held up a lean forefinger.
erate cackle. "Remember,” he pronounced, slowly
"My dear Wells,” he chuckled, "I'm and gravely, "this is not an experiment!
afraid you’re taking this altogether in the My method has been proved! It is a
wrong spirit. Please try to see it in its reality!”
true light. You and the young lady are
— —lending your valuable
er
glorious enterprise, not a
of bodies.
mad
selves to a
butchering
I’m sorry that I was, of neces-
H
were
e
in.
turned
led into a
to the
room behind
open door, which
the one we
sity, such a poor host tonight, but you’ll "Come!” he said sharply.
realize, I feel positive, that the course I There was a dull, heavy tread. A
took was the only possible one. Really, monster seemed to be moving. And
I swear to you, if you were capable of then there strode in a thing that eclipses
conducting this operation, I’d willingly the figments of the craziest nightmare.
change places with you. You look at it It was the man of metal.
in such a material way! Man’s progress It stood about six feet five; its trunk
must always be made through sacrifice; was merely a barrel-like casing of steel;
the scientist, the prophet of a new day, is squat on top of it was the creature’s head,
forced to stern measures in order to bring resembling the casque of mediaeval
about his improvements. You can rest knights. Mechanical? Yes. But from
assured that in after years your name, and the head glowed two eyes that were
be hallowed and
that of your fiancee, will alive!
honored; will be always coupled with They were now fixed dumbly on Hag-
that of Ared Haggard. Though you do gard, who stood surveying it smilingly.
not realize it now, that alone is ample The thing’s arms swung from ball-like
reward for what you must submit to to- swivelsimbedded in the huge shoulders;
night.” one of them ended in short, stumpy fin-
He glanced down at the vat of radiant gers; the other a pointed, sharp shear. It
liquid. stood on wide pads of feet, stood firmly,

"This,” he continued, "is a mixture of solidly.
various chemicals which neutralizes cer- I saw that Jean had closed her eyes,
tain acidic forces in the body and aggra- and I was grateful.
vates others. You will find, I believe, "Bend over!” ordered Haggard. And
that the vat treatment is the only down- the creature instantly bent, jerkily, but as
right uncomfortable one of the whole if sure of what it was doing.
process. I envy you your expe-
really "Straighten up!”
rience of it, your nervous reactions! After Each command it followed, exactly,
a few moments of rather painful penetra- precisely.
tion, you will have the feeling of leaving "The power of individual thought,”
your body, of floating in an ecstatical said Ared Haggard, "has been excluded.
medium; the head-clamp you’ll observe In short, the robot has no soul, though
just over your chairs will transfer certain possessing the other human qualities of
qualities of your brain to the steel figures hearing, seeing, and obeying orders.
MEN OF STEEL 825
This one can not speak. Why? Because him, his ghastly eyes pointed, by some
the man it was formed from was dumb.” chance, toward me. But there was, of
My God! It struck me like a thunder- course, no recognition, no thought, no
bolt. This was old Tom, the Navajo life in them.
servant! Jean’s chairwas slowly tilting on the
I strained at my gag, my bonds. Use- brink. In a second Haggard would cut
less, useless! her bonds and so force her into the liquid.
"Yes,” said Ared Haggard, as if read- Then, with desperate concentration, I
ing my thoughts, "this is the Navajo In- raised my hands. Waved them, to at-
dian you knew as old Tom. Unfortu- traa the robot’s attention.Pounded one
nately, he was the only material I had to fist into the palm of the other.
experiment with. You can see why I Why?
wanted two perfect bodies to transform The Indian sign language!
into robot shape. Would he respond? Would he under-
_
"Can you appreciate what this inven- stand? Again I repeated the signal,
tionmeans? Armies of robots, the con- meaning "You ” And this time I
summation of the mechanical age!” thought I could detea a gleam of com-
Thus he talked. I watched his thin prehension in the metal monster’s star-
eyes, his triumphant face, his leering ing eyes.

smile, and I knew we could expea no Frantically my
hands moved. And he
mercy from him. was watching me! "You,” I signaled,
"It will make me,” he said, "master of "release —
me.” And repeated it again
the world! But enough. I have par- and again.
tially explained the beauties of the It was then that I blessed my casual
method to you; you can thus appreciate study of the hand language a study —
it. ... I think I will take the girl first.” which I had paid much attention to years
He returned to the switchboard, put on before, and which I had refreshed just
the earphones, touched a lever. Imme- two days ago.
diately the helmet-like thing above Jean’s For the robot moved ponderously
chair swung down, fitting neatly over her toward me.
head. The noise of the motor leaped to I could have shouted in my exultation.
an infernal roar. In the vat, the liquid Haggard was still stooped at the switch-
bubbled anew, a veritable rainbow of board; the roar of the machine was
dazzling colors rioting through it. Hag- deafening. And Jean had seen what I
gard pressed a button; the chair in which was attempting to do; there was hope in
the girl was bound rolled with terrible the eyes that had previously held hope-
deliberation toward the edge of the vat. lessness.
This was agony! I strained, tried The robot’s right hand raised jerkily;
vainly to release myself.. the shear sped down —and sliced through
And then a mad hope flashed through a portion of my bonds!
my brain. My
arms were free!
Haggard’s back was toward me. He Haggard must have sensed something,
was hunched over, listening intently, for of a sudden he whirled around. A
waiting, I fancy, for the exatt moment to roar came from his twisted lips; he sprang
plunge the viaim into the simmering toward us. He shouted an order at the
fluid. Old Tom — the robot, rather robot; but the tumult of the machinery
was standing where his master had left drowned it.
826 WEIRD TALES
My legs were free! one of the metal figures on the operating-
I bounded up, still partially gagged, table stir slightly. It was coming to
but otherwise gloriously capable. A life!
viciousswing of my right hand caught I jammed over the main switch. There
Ared Haggard flush on his pointed jaw. was a crash and an insane bellow, and
He staggered, flailed at me. But I was clouds of dense white smoke billowed
sure of myself. I stepped back and into the room. I saw tongues of fire
belted him cleanly again. lick out. With what strength I had left
The blow drove him back. He I picked up the girl and staggered from
tripped, and fell, shrieking, into the vat the place.
of chemicals.
The portcullis barred the main en-
Horror-struck, I rushed up, and peered
trance, but Ibroke one of the long win-
down into the liquid. The sight sent a
dows, shoved Jean through, and finally
shiver over me.
felt the breath of the sane night once
The man’s clothes seemed to have van-
more on my brow.
ished. His whole, naked body had gone
a weird greenish-white. As I watched,
A second later, it seemed, there was a
rending explosion, and “Miner’s Folly”
it changed to a purpiy tint. His face
crumpled to the ground.
was that of a dead man. Yet there must
still have been consciousness in him, for,
before my bulging eyes, his lips writhed have never set foot on that desert
—and he smiled! I since. Men might have discovered
I couldn’t stand it. That smile! Fev- and wondered at the ruins of the castle
erishly I undid Jean Erskine, hauled her I do not know. I am content with my
from the chair. She slipped down onto wife, and my life with her has partially
the floor in a faint. Then I rushed to erased the scars of the night Ared Hag-
the switchboard, with some crazy notion gard showed us his "hobby.”
of stopping the roaring machine. As I Partially, I said. Yes. Nothing can
pulled frantically at the switches I beheld erase the memory of his last smile. . . .
^Portal to Pouier
GreV^ Lt spma.
The Story Thus Far Gemma was still sobbing "Pan!” under
her breath in a terrified manner, as she
D r. PEABODY, taking to California a mysterious talis-
man entrusted him by a reputed witch on her
clung to Larry Weaver’s arm, leaving his
death-bed, accepts the apropos invitation of Job Scud-
der, airship magnate, to fly west. He finds that Quint,
his recently discharged employe, has been taken on pistol hand, with remarkable perspicacity,
the "Queen” as mechanic, and foresees trouble, since
Quint is a secret emissary of certain Initiates who free. Quint’s eyes regarded her disdain-
wish to gain possession of the talisman. Lcda, Scud-
der’s pretty niece, appears deeply disturbed at the fully.
presence of Henry Winch, secretary to a guest on the
"Queen.” Quint gets control of the "Queen” and kid- The escort of quaintly garbed soldiers
naps the entire party. His associates have already
brought the god Pan into materialization, and pro- left the party when Quint had motioned
pose to make Leda high priestess.
them into the great, high-ceiled room
where they were to wait. Couches were
CHAPTER 12
arranged in the ancient Roman fashion
EANTIME, in another room of about a central table, upon which glowed
the temple the enticing colors of mellowed fruits
"Wait here,” commanded in red, yellow, purple, pale green. Three
Quint to the following party. "I shall serving women .in gayly colored robes
bring Miss Scudder to you presently.” In were setting steaming platters of food
answer to the unspoken question on old upon the table.
Job’s face, he added, "And Mr. Winch, Quint departed unobtrusively, but
of course. They are perfectly safe, I as- Larry Weaver noted that two sentinels
sure you. We only brought them here were left outside the door. He shook off
ahead of you because they were on this the hand of the sobbing Gemma not un-
side of the closed portal last night. While kindly and put the pistol back into its
you are waiting, breakfast will be served.” holster. His eyes sought the doctor’s.
This story began in WEIRD TALES for October. 827
828 WEIRD TALES
"I suppose we might as well eat?” said grave import depend upon the safe de-
Larry. "If what that chap said is O. K., livery of that talisman into the right
Miss Scudder’ll be here in safety pres- hands. Well, we shall see what we shall
ently.” see. Meantime, as Quint suggested, sup-
"That statement does give one appe- pose we have breakfast? Whatever is to
tite,” returned the old doctor. "Come, happen, we will be the better for nour-
Gemma, don't be so terrified. They don’t ishment. I must admit that I am hungry,”
intend to harm us as far as I can see. he confessed, with a half-smile.
Calm yourself, my girl.” "I don’t know that I can eat,” began
The Italian girl stood before him, her Job, but the hand under his
doctor’s
head hanging. Then she raised her oval elbow urged him toward the table. The
face, and the liquid dark eyes met his party followed the example of the two
with such terror in their depths that he older men, and were soon distributed
felt a cold shudder run over him. about upon the divans.
"You tell me to be calm and un- The serving women brought a con-
afraid, sir. Why, how can I, when they vincingly modern breakfast of orange-
have brought Pan back to earth? Is it juice, bacon, eggs, rolls, coffee and mar-
possible you don’t know what that malade. Gemma alone could not eat. Her
means?” terrified eyes rolled toward the door
every few minutes as if she expected
Job Scudder cut her short bruskly.
something fearful and portentous to ap-
“Don’t make a fool of yourself, Gem-
pear at the threshold and wished to be
ma. Pan is nothing but a myth.”
Doctor Peabody turned a troubled face

ready to hide herself when it came.
upon his friend.

"I’m not so sure of that, Job,” he said.
"Don’t tell me that you ?” T he party had hardly started to eat
when a sound at the door caught
their attention. Henry Winch, holding
"My friend, what is happening to us is
makes me feel that
the Airedale on the leash, came briskly
so incredible that it
into the room, scanning all the faces
nothing is impossible to people who have
there with anxiety.
set their wills upon it,” returned the doc-
tor seriously. "I am sure that this kid- "Where’s Leda?” he asked abruptly of
napping has
—
at its foot” —he lowered his Job.
voice cautiously "the theft of the stone Larry’s head turned and he stared sus-
I am carrying to the Circle of Light.” piciously at the speaker who took such a
"Let them have it, by all means, if liberty.
they’ll let us all go,” Job urged with "Quint says she’ll be here presently,”
eagerness. "A geological specimen sur- replied Job Scudder quickly. "Better eat,
rounded by an old woman’s fanciful no- Winch, while you’ve the chance. None
tions . would you let that stand in the
. . of us knows what we’re confronting.”
way of our freedom from this intolerable Henry Winch shook his head.
situation?” "I can’t eat,” said he. "But Whiskers
The doctor shook his white head slow- could, and Suki, I presume.”
ly, lips compressed. On the dog’s now patient and accus-
"That I can not do. I mean, Job, I tomed back Suki was riding in triumph.
must keep my word to old Hannah. Gemma called the marmoset to her, and
Moreover, I am convinced that matters of began peeling a banana for the tiny ani-
THE PORTAL TO POWER 829
rtial. When the Airedale sniffed the air came from his throat. "Leda!” he whis-
up a
wistfully, the Italian girl snatched pered, low and tenderly. "Come back,
platterfrom the table and regaled the dear.”
dog with bacon and eggs. As if his voice had crossed the thresh-
Henry Winch replied to the queries of old of her drifting consciousness, the girl
the doctor that he had been drugged in opened her eyes widely, crying out as she
some way or chloroformed, and had did so: "Hubert! Help! Help!”
wakened to find himself on a divan in a Sir Hubert uttered a choking sound, his
great room, and that immediately he had eyes seeking those of the Italian girl, who
regained consciousness Quint must have rewarded him with a look of utter hate
been sent for. Quint had told him that and scorn, then knelt at her mistress’s
the rest of the party were waiting for him. side.
As he talked, his anxious eyes were "Padrona! It is Gemma.”

always on the door, and at last his watch- Leda raised herself to a sitting posture
fulness was rewarded. At the sound of and looked about her in a half-dazed
advancing feet, the sentinels stood to one manner. Her gaze drifted over Gemma,
side to permit the entrance of a gilded Sir Hubert, Larry Weaver. It rested for
litter carried by four men as black as a moment upon Henry Winch’s solicitous
ebony, their muscular bodies draped with face. It passed the doctor by, and
leopardskins. The litter was set upon wavered to old Job. Her arms lifted to
the ground, and the black bearers stood him, her one secure refuge.
back, folding great arms upon their
"Uncle Job! Save me, Uncle Job! Save
chests, faces impassive.
me from the Goat-man!”
"Leda!” cried out Henry Winch, She was safe in his arms, against his
springing to the litter and drawing heart, then. Over her head that lay on his
heavily embroidered curtains to one side breast, old Job’s eyes sought his friend’s.
with a clatter of sliding rings. "Leda! Stark amazement and dire dismay was in
Leda! Speak to me!" his own.
He leaned down frantically. It was Gemma who voiced their
"Doctor Peabody, is she- ?” Agon- thoughts.
ized entreaty rang in the secretary’s voice. "She has seen Pan! Pan is unleashed
Old Job had somehow reached the lit- upon the world! Dio!"
ter before the physician could rise from She beat her breast with clenched fists,
his divan. The tired gray face bent down. wailing.

With one hand he motioned back the "Take that woman to the other end of
crowding Larry, Gemma, and Sir Hubert. the room and make her shut up,” or-
"Give her air,” ordered the doctor, dered the doctor sharply to Larry Weaver,
pushing his way among them. "She’s who raised the shrieking girl and half
perfectly all right,” he added, after a led, half dragged her, to the other side of
moment’s brief examination. "Coming the table.
out of a faint, that’s all.” "Will you save me? Can you?” sobbed
Henry Winch’s keen young eyes did Leda hysterically, all her young bravado
not move from the pale face of the girl gone. "Look!”
who lay back among the silken cushions. She tore at that coronet above her
When her lips trembled slightly and her smooth brow, but the old doctor stayed
eyelids lifted drowsily, a kind of sobbing her hand gently.
830 WEIRD TALES
"Wait, my dear. Until we know what declared Leda.
— "If it —her
isn’t” voice
this means, it may be wiser to leave that faltered "if it isn’t —the more reason I
insignia of high authority where it is should have a weapon.”

now.” Larry Weaver did not speak. He took
"These clothes!” gasped Leda. the gun from the holster and gave it to
"Most becoming,” the doctor reassured her. She thrust it inside the bodice of
her, in a matter-of-fact voice, his eyes far her golden robe.

away nevertheless. "Just calm yourself, "At least, I’ve the way out,” said she.
my dear, and tell us exactly what has up- "Oh, Uncle Job, I’m afraid!”
set you.” Henry Winch came softly to her side.
The
tone, the direct query, calmed "Leda —they—they haven’t dared hurt
Leda. She withdrew from her uncle’s you, have they?” asked his deep, melo-
embrace shamefacedly, dashing away the dious voice.
tears of sheer terror and panic that had Leda looked up from her uncle’s
sprung to her brown eyes. shoulder, where she had again sought
"Doctor, they have a monstrosity down refuge, met those grave eyes and shook
here that they worship. A thing like a her head. In that fleeting moment none
goat, but with a man’s body above the of the previous ugly hate shone in her
waist,” she explained, trying her best to own eyes. With a sigh of relief, the sec-
keep the high note of hysteria from her retary stepped back unobtrusively.
voice. "He even had little black horns "But what, if I may ask, is this all
. . . and Quint called it Pan.” about?” inquired Larry Weaver briskly.
A loud wail greeted the last word. "I don’t want to push myself forward,
Gemma, rocking her body to and fro sir,” said Larry to old Job, "but it appears
despairingly, sobbed louder than ever. as if we ought to try to figure things out
The old physician’s face was grave. a bit and find out what’s going to be
"Then these clothes and your coronet asked of us.”
signify something?” "That is very simple,” said a voice
"I’m supposed to become the high from the doorway.
priestess of that goat-thing.” Everybody turned. Quint stood there.
Suddenly Leda’s sense of humor got
the better of her, now that she was back *‘>T1his whole proceeding is an out-
in her own party. She saw the look of A rage,” cried Sir Hubert in a high,
solicitude plainly portrayed on the face of angry voice.
the secretary. Her pride braced her into Quint shot a scornful look at the
a burst of laughter. speaker. Then he turned to the doctor.
"This is too absurd,” cried out Leda. "Doctor Peabody, I must have the
"Quint said that if I didn’t comply with talisman Hannah Wake gave you. You
their wishes, you folks would be thrown know well how l have been cheated out
to the Pan-worshippers to be torn to bits. of it. It will be well for you if you de-
This masquerade is too silly for words. liver it to me without further ado.”
I mean, now isn’t it idiotic? "And if I refuse?” The doctor’s voice
"Larry lend me your pistol, will you? was low; his faded blue eyes sharply upon
If I get near that disgusting goat-thing Quint’s determined face.
again, I’m going to see what it’s made of. "I shall be obliged to have resort to
If it’s flesh and blood, it ought to die,” force, which I would very much regret.”
"I understand,” said the doctor, but Job. "At least, that may delay things a
made no move to deliver the talisman. little.”
"And if I give it to you, may I ask what Unnoted, Leda had listened to the two
use is to be made of it?” men’s low voices. "Is there danger to
Into the younger man’s eyes shot a you, Doctor, in that stone?”
flame of proud and fiery emotion. "Why, yes, my dear,” said he simply.
"You know what that stone
”
is — the "Then drop it inside my bodice,” she
portal to superhuman power whispered. "Who could believe that /
"Just what power in particular is it had it?”
destined to aid in entering this mortal The doctor looked at her earnest face
plane?” pursued the old doctor doggedly. for a moment, then leaned over her. "I
Almost fiercely Quint replied. leave with you,” said he softly, “the hope
"Does it matter by what route, through of the world, or its greatest menace
what agency, light-hearted happiness who knows whidi? If I do not return,
comes to a world drowning in sorrow child, do what your heart prompts you,
and pain?” with this stone.”
“Quint, you are evading a direct reply. He followed Quint’s marching feet, his
There is something behind what appears gallant old form straight, his leonine
simple and high-minded on your part. head high.
Your methods of attaining innocent hap-
"Uncle Job! What is this talisman?"
piness are entirely wrong; they fill me
whispered Leda.
with suspicion. So,” said the old doctor
with staunch determination, "I refuse to
Job shook his head. “My dear, I don’t
know, but John says it is something mys-
give you the talisman.”
terious and supernatural that could do all
Quint's teeth ground together. "Then
manner of evil in the wrong hands.
I must seize it!”
Also, as you may have gathered from that
"I know I am an old man, and not as
interchange of conversation between the
strong as once I was,” said the doctor
doctor and Quint, the stone must be
gently, “but by taking this talisman from
given, if it is to yield the highest results.”
me . . . Consider, Quint. You lose the
power of entry from higher planes. Evil Leda’s hands went to her breast, press-
” ing into her warm flesh the small cold
will be the talisman’s powers
“You are right. Well, perhaps it would thing that the doctor’s hand had dropped
be best for you to come with me to the there when he bent over her in farewell.
high priest. He may be able to explain "Oh, what a terrible responsibility I
things better than I.” have undertaken! Hubert!”
He turned, motioning imperiously for She withdrew herself from old Job’s
the doctor to follow him. arms and threw back her young shoul-
"Farewell, old friend,” murmured the ders under their golden webbing. At
doctor to Job Scudder. sight of her resolved and pale face Henry
"Farewell?” repeated the airplane mag- Winch took a step toward her, then
nate, troubled. on hers.
waited, his eyes
"I do not know,” said the doctor, his "For
all that was your fault, I forgive
smile very sweet, "whether I shall be per- you,Henry Winch,” said she firmly.
mitted to return, or not.” "And for all that was my fault, I ask
"Give me the stone, then,” whispered your pardon.”
832 WEIRD TALES
He stood rooted to the spot, regarding clenched, lean face working with emo-
her with agonized eyes. tion.
do not know what terrible thing we

"I "No, Larry, there must be no disturb-
may yet have to face, and I do not wish ance,” Leda cried hastily, quieting him
to go into it with bitterness in my heart, with a touch of one hand on his arm.
for we may not come out of it alive.” "No harm be done Miss Scudder
will
"Leda, my darling!” or any of you if she proves amenable to

her high destiny,” Quint declared.
Larry Weaver’s look at Henry Winch
was grave. To Leda he said: ”If there is Head high, as the old doctor had gone
anything I can do, tell me. You ought to before her, the girl went outside and
know that I am completely at your mounted the litter.
service.” "Holy Virgin! We are all lost! We

The girl hesitated, then drew herself are in the hands of the Pan-people!”
up proudly. screamed the Italian girl hysterically, and

"Thank you, there is nothing that any fell back on the divan writhing in an
one can do for me now, I fear. I must agony of apprehension. "We shall never
walk alone.” see my mistress again!”
Even as she spoke, there was the clash In the silence that followed, the eyes
of metal at the doorway and Quint ap- of the secretary met those of Job Scudder
peared, his face dark with anger. incredulously. When the younger man
"The litter awaits you, Miss Scudder. started toward the door, drawing the gal-
Everything depends upon you now. If lant Airedale with him, the old magnate
you can take a sensible view of things, all put out a restraining hand.
will go well with this entire party. If you "They are too many for us,” said he in
can not, other steps must and will be sad resignation. "We must await the
taken,” said he, menace in words, voice event.”
and flashing eyes.
CHAPTER 13
The Airedale was straining at the
leash, muttering low growls, curling his
lips back against his white teeth.
“Leda,” murmured the agonized voice
A
side.
small room, draped with em-
broidered velvet hangings on every
Light fell goldenly from the glass
of Henry Winch, "if this cur is annoying dome in the ceiling upon a great bench
you, say so, and I’ll quiet him, at least.” on which was seated that old and rever-
Quint cast a threatening look at the end priest whom Leda had seen before.
secretary. His benignant gaze was upon her, and
“Don’t be a fool,” said he curtly. "Dis- he moved to one side to make place for
pose of me, and find a hundred men her when she alighted from the litter. In
sprung up where I stood.” silence, watchfully, the girl awaited his
Leda intervened quickly. words, while the litter-bearers departed
"No, Henry Winch, you can do noth- lightfooted from the room.
ing for me. It is my cue for action. I "We are quite alone, maiden,” said
must go. I see it now. It is up to me. the priest in a normal tone. "We can be
I— I have — protection,” she said, her eyes quite frank with each other.”
on his, and he knew that she spoke of "Your frankness might begin with
Larry’s automatic. tellingme where Doctor Peabody is,”
Larry himself was at her side, fists Leda answered quickly.
W. T.—
"He is already returning to your little With difficulty the girl controlled her-
party, in just as good shape as he went self, but she knew that her efforts at self-
from it,” replied the priest, smiling. control had not passed unobserved.
”
"But he was threatened "If you are to be frank with me, tell
"He should not have been,” said the me why you must have that stone?”
priest, his face clouding over. "I fear my For a long moment the high priest
grandson Quint exceeds his instructions in scrutinized the girl’s fair face thought-
his anxiety to bring about that which we fully. Then a sudden smile broke across
are all aiming at.” his countenance, and he nodded his head
"Undoubtedly,” Leda observed dryly, several times.
with a shrug of her shoulders. "I fancy "Your destiny is high. If you accept
he was to blame for injuring our mechan- it,even my authority must bow to yours,
ic, so that he could go in the poor fel- for you will be the spokeswoman for the
low’s place in the 'Queen’.” most high gods. So, my child, I will be
"I wonder, sometimes, if the end does frank.
truly justify the means,” cogitated the "The stone I seek must be placed
priest aloud. "Well, you mention that the here,” and his fingers touched that hol-
doctor was threatened. He has refused to low opening in the jeweled breastplate he
deliver to us the talisman that is the con- wore. "It is the Portal to Power. By its
necting link between us and the Powers judiciousand consecrated use the initiated
Beyond.” wearer may open the door to other planes
"Well, what are you going to do about of existence, and may invite other and
it?” asked the girl. higher beings to this plane, that the
The priest regarded her oddly. world may benefit greatly.”
"We will have our hands sooner
it in "Suppose you had this stone, what
or later, for to gain that stone any of our would be my part to play?”
little company would wade through "A dedicated virgin is always a neces-
blood, because of what that stone may sity when supernal powers are invoked,
mean to the world. Moreover, maiden, the my child, for a lad old enough to realize
physician—when he realized that we were the potency of chastity and yet young
determined to have the stone confessed — enough to be chaste is a difficult human
that he had hidden it in the bosom of being to find.”
the Great Mother.” . "What do you mean by 'dedicated’?”
The girl could not restrain from a "Do not be afraid. We do not want
slight start, but caught herself quickly blood. We are all dedicated to the same
and regarded the priest’s impassive face grand object, happiness for the entire
narrowly. world, we who have begun by worship-
"That can mean one of two things,” ping Pan, the god of simple nature.
he went on serenely. "He hoped to mis- You, my child, would have the felicity to
lead us, without giving us the direct lie. embody within yourself the power, the
It may be that his trip West is a feint to wonders, that are now waiting disem-
draw us off the trail, and that he has bodied, on another plane.”
left the talisman at home, buried in the "In spite of your aim, such a dedica-
garden. Perhaps, on the other hand, he tion sounds terrifying to me,” faltered
has slipped it into the bosom of the Great the girl.
Mother of Humanity a woman.” — "You need not fear. Your own entity
W. T.—
834 WEIRD TALES
would be maintained, except at such times hint of where it is, and he gave the
as the use of the talisman would enable stone, did he not?”
those great and beneficent forces to use "I shall not give it up,” Leda said.
your body for their tremendous purposes. The priest’s clean-shaven lips stirred in
Yours would be the part of a most a sigh.
exalted priestess, spokeswoman for the
"Child, you are very obstinate. In that
high gods.
case, we must try other methods of per-
"Oh, believe me, maiden, you would suasion. You see, maiden, you must give
be bringing the world periodical aban- that stone to me;must go into its
it
donment to the ancient wild joy in life, destined place,” and he touched again
such as it has not seen since the sad-faced the hollow in his breastplate of fiery
Christian era. Can you not understand jewels.
what it would mean to tired humanity to
Leda confronted him, her expression
be able to escape its heavy burdens with-
determined.
out the use of intoxicating liquors or
"I shall not give it up,” she pro-
habit-forming drugs?”
nounced definitely. "If you wish to do
"It sounds wonderful,” Leda mur- —
good with it which I must say I doubt
mured
why won’t
reluctantly.
the
"But
doctor
if it is all right,
give you the

— you will have to stop right here, for
you dare not take it from me.”
talisman?” "So be it, my child. Then I must turn
"First, because he has promised to de- you over to one who can perhaps per-
liver it elsewhere, and he is a man of his suade you better than I.”
word. So it can not be given by him, but He rose, and beckoned.
must be taken away, and that would never "Follow me.”
do for us, because of the mysterious qual- "To whom are you taking me?”
ities of the stone that carries good only "Pan must see you, and must decide if
when it is given. Now do you under- his power is sufficient to break the spell
stand his attitude?” of evil that will rest upon the talisman if
She nodded, face thoughtful. it is taken from you by force,” explained
know, by the way, where the doctor the priest sadly.

"I
has hidden the talisman.” At that hidden threat, Leda grew
paler. Then with compressed lips, her
Keen black eyes narrowed upon the
hand tightlyagainst her bosom where
paling face of the girl.
the talisman and Larry’s lethal weapon
"You know?” stammered she, and one lay together, she followed the high priest.
hand went to her bosom instinctively.
The high slow smile told her
priest’s T was the same room to which Quint
that she had betrayed herself and her I had conducted her before. The curtain
charge. Angry tears of chagrin clouded concealed the dais but it could not deaden
her eyes. certain sounds that caused thehigh priest
"Even if you know where it is, I can to check his forward stride with a quick
under no circumstances give it to any one, breath, his brow frowning.
without the doctor’s permission.” Like a warning rang his hail: "Evohe,
"I think his permission has been Pan!”
tacitly given,” suggested the priest, smil- Behind the heavy curtain sounded
ing insinuatingly. "He has given me a tripping feet, and as the Goat-man
whipped aside the silken drapery, Leda’s "Captain!”

quick eye caught the fluttering garments The chef paused, looked at her in a
of a woman; her ear knew a woman’s kind of dazed surprize. Then his suetty
soft, mocking laughter. The Creature, voice murmured plaintively: “Ah lost m’
thick lips twitching with sulky resent- rabbit-foot. M’ Venus gave m’ rabbit-
ment, addressed his priest angrily. foot to me. All m’ luck went away wid
"Why this intrusion?” dat rabbit-foot. Got to git anudder
"Great Pan, is it well that you should charm.”
so soon forget your high intent?” re- "Captain, sit down
Leda or-here,”
proached the high priest. "I know — dered, and pointed to one comer of the
understand
”
— it is your prerogative dais where stood the Goat-man, his
but mouth wide in a silent laugh that dis-
The Goat-man’s small eyes glowered played glittering white teeth.
for a moment, then moved ever so slowly The chef obeyed, sinking fatly upon
to the golden figure of the girl who faced the edge of the dais, and letting his
him, braced for she knew not what. The triple chins telescope against his breast
thick lips quirked in an impish smile. despondently. Leda looked at him in a
"Has the maiden consented?” asked he. kind of despair. Of what use would Cap-
The high priest bowed low. tain be in any emergency? Perhaps it was
"She is stubborn, great Pan. In her for this reason that Pan had suggested
bosom she hides the Portal to Power, and him. Her eyes rose at the ugly apprehen-
refuses to place it where it belongs, that sions that assailed her, and met the
the world may laugh again. I have watchful, puckish eyes of the travesty
brought her to you for persuasion.” grinning upon her. She shuddered; the
The smile widened. high priest was gone and she was prac-
"It is well. Retire, oh bringer of good tically alone with Pan, for Captain cer-
tidings. The maiden will consent,” smiled tainly counted for less than nothing.
Pan, thick lips a-leer, "so you may lay "Will you sit beside Pan, maiden?”
upon this dais your breastplate in readi- asked the Goat-man in a high, strainedly
ness.” agreeable voice that rang falsely on the
At the movement of the old man to go, girl’s ears.
Leda caught at his robe in momentary "Thank you. I prefer to stand where
panic. I am,” she returned coldly. "Now, what
"Oh, don’t leave me alone —with is it you want me here for?”
that!”
Her warm brown eyes flashed cour-
Mirth convulsed the sly features of the
ageously. She was telling herself fran-
Goat-man.
tically that it had to be a dream after all,
"Give her an attendant, by all means,”
because it could not be true. Even what
he tittered. "Send her the blade slave
her eyes appeared to see could not be real.
whom she knows.”
In a moment a stumbling of feet came The Goat-man moved slowly toward
down the passage, and into the doorway her, puckish eyes on her face mis-
waddled a great obesity in white drill chievously.
uniform, with white chef’s cap on the "You will give me the talisman,
tight black wool. maiden,” he said imperiously. "It is in-
Leda stared, then cried out. tended to do great and wonderful things,
836 WEIRD TALES
and you give it to me as you should,
if your veiled accusations are ridiculous.
your reward shall be in proportion.” —
Moreover is not the free companionship
She shook her head, lips a tight crim- of man and maid a beautiful and joyful
son line across her white face, as the thing? If it is so little, you should be
Goat-man came nearer. the more willing to give it up forever,
to be the high priestess of joy to the
"What, you have the talisman that
will make the world happy, and will not
world. Do not forget, maiden, that your
part will be a high one.”
give it up?” cried Pan, his voice sudden-
ly harsh and strident. "Maiden, you are Leda shook an impatient head.
acting with rash and unadvised boldness. "You are not saying anything to the
Know, if you do not give to me the Portal point. Whatever you are, my heart tells
of Power without further trouble, I must me that you do not mean well to the
order all your party delivered over to my world. I — I shall keep the talisman.”
people. And if my people know of your
stubbornness in setting
will against the immortal gods, they will
tear your friends to pieces, for
your ignorant
my people
H IS white teeth bared in an animal-
like snarl, the Goat-man was upon
her with a lithe bound, thrusting one
have set their wills to bring joy to man- hairy hand into her bodice.
kind, and nothing can stand in their Struggling, she shrank from that raid
way.” upon her dignity; fear and disgust
"Oh!” sickened her at the touch of that travesty
"Your golden self,” whispered Pan upon human shape.
then sibilantly, "I shall keep for my very "You dare not take it from me!” she
own self,” and laughed shrilly. cried.
"Oh, what a beast you are!” His hand withdrew, holding Larry’s
"Yes, and no. Shall you selfishly keep automatic, at which he looked in puz-
the talisman with its potentialities for zled fashion. Leda, pulling away from
blessing to mankind, and send those you the grasp of his free hand that had
love to a ghastly death at the hands of my gripped her shoulder in its hairy grip,
outraged people? Or will you lay the gave a little gasp, and snatched at the
stone willingly upon my hand and save weapon frantically. Pan gave an in-
your friends and bring blessings upon all effectual snatch, and the girl set her
who live today? Maiden, if I am harsh, teeth and pulled the trigger.
it is because I can not let a few blind and Her amazed eyes saw the course of the
stubborn men and women block the way bullet through the hairy chest of the
of happiness for all the world.” Goat-man, and in horror and incredulity
Leda, her hand clutching at her blouse, were obliged to witness the closing of
hesitated. the wound behind the bullet’s flight as if
"Dare you tell me that your inten- no injury had been made.
tions are noble?” she demanded. "Only "Another new thing,” observed Pan,
a few minutes ago ” and her voice with childish interest. "Ah, you had
trailed into silence, but her eyes met meant it to hurt me, foolish maiden.
Pan’s accusingly. You see, I am not real with the realness
"I tell you that this body is merely the of yourself, or it would have hurt me.
materialization of an idea, maiden. It is Now, do not be silly any longer; give me
real, yes. Again, it is not real. Hence the talisman.”
"You shall not have it!” hold, in the new regime coming
that is
"Maiden, if evil follow, it will be your upon the world. Why do you weep?
own stubbornness that has caused it.” He Laugh, maiden, laugh! You have wisely
lunged at her again, once more trying to saved your friends, and you will soon be
get the stone from its hiding-place. "I the happiest of the happy.”
am saving all your friends from horrid Leda did not reply; she was sobbing
deaths that you are too callous to save hysterically.
them from by your own simple act of "Come hither, priest! Take the maiden
acquiescence.” away until tonight. Maiden, replace the
"Oh, take it! Take it! But get away talisman in your bosom. The gift you
from me, for heaven’s sake,” cried out have given may remain in your custody
the girl hysterically. The nausea of her until tonight. Tonight will be the night
disgust at hisunwelcome touch had com- of All Saints ” tittered the travesty.
pletely unnerved her, combined with the "Evohe, Pan!” cried the old priest
amazing inefficacy of the bullet to rid her resonantly.
of him.
CHAPTER 14
The Goat-man retired almost pre-
cipitately at her capitulation.
childish
brow.
concern puckered
A
his
look of
narrow T he Goat-man went nimbly up on
the dais
heavily embroidered
and jerked
damask
together
curtains.
the
"But I don’t want to take it from "You are dismissed,” said his high
you,” he objected. "I want you to lay voice, and the clatter of his little hoofs
it down there beside the breast-plate. I went rattling about behind the curtain.
will not even touch it, since you think I "Maiden, follow me,” murmured the
wish to bring evil to my beautiful world.” high priest, but his request was couched
Half sobbing, wholly soul-sick, Leda in a voice so gentle, almost propitiatory,
drew the talisman from her bosom and that Leda Scudder’s drooping head went
laid it on the platform near the breast- up proudly, for she remembered that he
plate. had said that even his will must bow to
Captain eyed her stupidly. He had hers if she became the spokeswoman for
lifted up his face with interest during her the unknown powers that in some mys-
struggle with the Goat-man, and now his terious manner were to be embodied in
small, deep-set eyes followed her trem- herself.
bling hand as she laid the stone upon With a poise and tranquillity that she
the dais. did not feel, she said to him: "I have not
"Is that a powerful spell, Miss Leda?” eaten since noon yesterday. Is part of this
he finally asked. When
he realized that new regime starvation for me?”
the girl was too agitated to reply, he con- "Gods! This is indeed an oversight,”
tinued in a low mutter: "Mus’ git me cried the priest. "You shall be returned
”
anudder spell. Mus’ git me anudder to your party immediately, and a meal
The Goat-man waved exultant hands served.”
at Leda. His high, tittering laugh "Yet another thing,” went on Leda,
sounded disagreeably triumphant, almost satisfied that her wishes actually meant
maliciously so. something to the high priest. "Some

"Now, maiden, as a reward you shall kind of explanation must be made at
receive the highest post any maiden can once of this whole affair, this wholesale
858 WEIRD TALES
kidnapping that has evidently been done Job's tender hand stroked Leda’s hair
under your orders.” monotonously, soothingly. His lips were
"Maiden chosen by Pan, you shall be a thin, tight line.
obeyed. My grandson or myself shall be "Leda — tell me — if anybody has dared

with you as soon as you have eaten, to lay a finger on you, throttle him,”
I’ll
answer any questions you may desire to snarled the entirely altered voice of the
ask. Your mind must be set completely at secretary, poised and sophisticated no
rest, so that you will know your own high longer. "Tell me, Leda!”
destiny and what this means to the Job Scudder saw the flame in those
world." eyes,and jerked his head at the secretary'
Leda seated herself in the gilded litter in quick caution, while the doctor laid a
and was borne back to the rest of the hand restrainingly on the young man’s
party. Henry Winch was first to reach her. twitching arm. Behind them Larry
"Thank God, Leda! You are safely Weaver’s lean face peered, lips drawn
back. They have not dared any insolent back into an ugly, menacing threat.
tricks?”he demanded fiercely. "There’s nothing to tell,” murmured
The girl gave him a side glance from Leda’s subdued voice at "He he last. —
under lowered lids, but her expression frightened me so —
gave up the
that I
was far kinder than the secretary had had stone. But please don’t give a thought to
bestowed upon him since the ill-omened that now. In a few minutes either Quint
flight of the "Queen.” or that old priest will be here to tell us

"Perfectly safe, Henry Winch,” said all about this place, and everything.”
she, accepting his proffered aid to alight "She’s had nothing to eat since lunch
from the litter. yesterday,” suddenly snapped the secre-
Open arms and Job’s broken cry, “My tary. “For heaven’s sake, Leda, get some-
little girl!” thing into your stomach. You’re hungry.
Into that shelterLeda crept, suddenly That’s what’s the matter with your
weak and shaky from her strange ex- nerves.”
perience. Her hysterical sobs filled them The old magnate nodded confirma-
all with consternation. What had hap- torily, and drew the girl to the tables.
pened to break that proud, high spirit? "Here, my dear, is hot coffee. A cup-
Over her bowed head her uncle’s ques- ful of that will do wonders for you.”
tioning gaze met the old doctor’s grave Leda complied, and gulped down the
face. bracing coffee.
"Nerve shock,” diagnosed John Pea- "I’d like to have that gun back, if it’s
body softly. “I suppose they took you all the same to you, Miss Leda,” Larry
before Pan, my child?” exclaimed.
“That — creature!” spat out the girl The girl smiled wanly.
with a long shudder. "Oh, I’ve been a "By all means, Larry. I’ve found,”
cowardly fool. I’ve given that horrible said she with a hard little hopeless laugh,
monstrosity the stone you put in my "that it’s no weapon to use against Pan.”
charge.” And with that, she went to A quick interchange of glances between
sobbing again, uncontrollable, hysterical the men, and a lifting of Larry’s eye-
weeping. brows incredulously.
"It was written,” murmured the old "If you have no use for it,” said the
physician, shaking his leonine head. pilot, tentatively, and held out his hand
to take the automatic which the girl gave "Tonight? Tonight!” screamed the
him. "I have an idea,” he continued hysterical voice of Gemma, and she flung
sotto voce to Henry Winch, "that one’s from her with a frantic gesture of im-
aim must be pretty good to make any impatience the chattering marmoset. "This
pression on that creature she speaks of.” is the night when all that is evil is
"Leda,” spoke up the doctor, drawing abroad! Dio mio!” and she flung herself
his pocket medicine case out thoughtfully, face downward on her divan, moaning
pitifully.
"I am going to give you a few pellets in
an envelope. Keep them where they Sir Hubert, his face tense with some
won’t be taken from you, child, and in secret emotion, regarded her in a kind of
case such a contingency arises as might desperation. Finally, he crossed the room
make it necessary,” here his piercing eyes and stood, without speaking, beside her.
told much to Leda’s inquiring ones, "take Once he put out his hand to her shoul-
them. Nothing on earth can harm you der, then as quickly withdrew it, flinging
once you have taken these. Oh,” he a swift glance at the rest of the party to
added quickly, in reply to Job’s horrified see if his action had been observed. But
look, "their action is swift and painless. they were all far too busy to watch Sir
I for one believe it would be better to Hubert.
go out at will into God’s hands than to "Gemma is right. Tonight is All Hal-
remain helpless in the hands of those low Eve,” murmured the old doctor, half
who might have power to injure my to himself. "Like Walpurgis Night or
soul.” May Eve, it is the time for powers from
"Thank you, Doctor John,” whispered other planes to function here. Lord,
the girl,and hid the small white envelope Lord, what a hideous mess we’ve been
in her bosom. drawn into! Iblame myself for coming
along with you folks, carrying that
he withdrew herself a little from the stone!”
S encircling arms of her uncle, as he sat still with the stone on her ex-
Leda,
beside her on the divan, and lifted red- tended palm, regarded the old physician
dened eyes to look at the anxious little with intentness.
group about her. She drew out the stone,
"Child, what do you want me to do?
and held it, glistening, pulsating almost
If I take it, they will only rob me of it
with milky opalescence now, as if with
in the end. And if they force it from me,
some strange life of its own. the result may be tragic, for tonight this
"That’s an odd-looking thing,” com- stone can be utilized to force an entry
mented Henry Winch, bending over to onto the earth-plane of God only knows
get a closer look at it. "Seems as if it what untrained and undisciplined forces
were alive.” of evil. . It is better that you keep it,
. .
"It is. That is, through it pulsate the my dear, and give it when you must.
living, throbbing streams of power from Perhaps, then, the higher powers will see
other planes of life. But how is it that fit to take a hand in this drama.”
you still possess it, if you have given it Mechanically the girl dropped the stone
to Pan also, my child?” and the doctor back into the bosom of her golden
pushed his heavy spectacles up and frock. Her eyes went to Henry Winch, as
peered at the stone again. if impelled by some powerful influence
“He told me to keep it until tonight.” that she could not combat.
840 WEIRD TALES
"If you are afraid, dear,” said the sec- the doctor, but also to the sounds in the
retary softly, "let me take it.” corridor without, where the ebon-skinned
She shook her head slowly from side to litter-bearers still stood beside the gilded
litter.
side.
"Why? If it must be given them in the "The high priest asked me directly for
end, why not give it without friction? the stone, and when I refused, took me
Perhaps, as Doctor John says, if we give to Pan. There is an interesting anom-
”
it willingly. . . . Oh, they told me I was aly
to be a kind of high priestess of their "Is that what you’d call him?” Leda
cult, and even that high priest would wanted to know disgustedly. "I call him
have to take my orders,” she remembered. a horrible, unnatural monster. Ugh!”
"Did Pan tell you that?” she shuddered, the memory of his grop-
ing hairy hand returning to her sick-
She nodded at the old doctor, who
eningly.
sighed thoughtfully.
"Well,” said he with reluctance, "per- "Monster he may be, yet not purely
haps things may come out better than physical monster,” mused the old doctor.
seems possible to us now. If such author- “He a splendid example of what con-
is
ity is to be vested in you, my child, the sciously directed will-power and occult
way may open for our safe escape from knowledge can do in the way of embody-
this strange and nerve-racking situation.” ing an idea in a material form.”
"Gemma!” ordered Leda sharply, re- "Do you actually mean,” interrupted
covering something of her pristine poise. Larry Weaver truculently, "that this Pan
"Stop your noise, do! Hallowe’en isn’t is merely an idea? From what you’ve told
going to hurt you, and it looks as if we me, he is just plain matter.”
were going to have a mighty exciting "Matter, of course,” responded the old
Hallowe’en party. Here, Suki!” doctor patiently. "But the entirety of him
The whimpering marmoset scampered is the massed-together ancient belief in
across the floor to her and sprang to her his existence. Without he simply could
it,
shoulder. Leda’s tender hand stroked the not be. Hence, I call him an idea.”
furry little body abstractedly. Larry snorted.
Gemma, from her
lifting her face "Can you an idea with a couple of
kill
cupped wet hands, looked up directly bullets?” he inquired pointedly.

into the solicitous countenance of Sir The doctor regarded him with gravity.
Hubert. For a moment she appeared "Yes . . . and no, Larry.”
amazed. At his imploring look she "It’s the 'yes’ I’m interested in,”
bridled and looked quite through him, growled the air pilot.
much to his obvious dismay and despair. "You see, so much depends upon the
“While we have time to ourselves,” idea. it is embodied in something
If
hurriedly observed John Peabody, “I’d material,and that material thing is de-
better tell you people my experience with stroyed when it is believed to be inde-
”
Pan.” structible
Leda leaned against Job’s shoulder, "I think I get you. And the 'no’?”
and appeared not to notice that Henry “Sometimes the embodiment of an
Winch’s hand was resting lightly on her idea, when destroyed, leaves the idea
arm. Larry walked noiselessly to and fro, stronger than ever. Christianity is
itself
but he was listening tensely not only to an example of this; the Great Master
was, apparently, slain, but He left behind The old physician beat one fist into
Him an idea that has revolutionized the the other palm.
world.” "Of I have it!” He lowered
course!
The airman, his keen face darkly mus- his voice to a whisper. "Leda can go to
ing, turned away. see us off, and once we are up there,
"Go on, John, with your interview with Larry can hold off the bunch at the head
”
Pan. We don’t know how long a time of the steps with his gun, and
we may have without interruption,” Job "Rigfito. Only it will be I who will
urged. hold them off,” declared Henry Winch
"Oh, So the high priest took
yes, yes. with a touch of fine hauteur. "It is my
me to Pan. Pan began in a most friendly right.” And his eyes sought those of old
manner until I positively declared myself Job.
out of any occult experiments that might "Right nothing. Your privilege, you
be made. Then he merely tittered at me, may mean,” scowled Larry. "Well, I’ve
and said he would be pleased to send me got the gun, haven’t I?”
away with the rest of the party . except . .
"In case our plans fail ” Leda
one member.” faltered, nervously.
The doctor’s look was significant.
"My child, you have what I gave you,
Gemma whipped one hand to her lips as
and they will mean freedom for you
she regarded her young mistress, whose from any situation that may complicate
lips compressed as her warn biown eyes matters beyond our power to remedy.”
met the old doctor’s squarely.
"That’s putting it very prettily,”
“The dirty dog!” ejaculated Henry-
groaned Henry Winch, "but it does seem
Winch hotly. "Does he think for a mo-
to me that we ought to be able to get
ment that we would go away and leave
Leda away in safety.”
Leda behind?”
"Just the same, I believe we would be The girl turned her face upward and
looked at him gravely for a long moment.
wise to let him think just that,” suddenly
whispered Larry Weaver, approaching the Then, meeting his ardent, anxious eyes
squarely, she smiled very sweetly. Her
little group.
"Are you mad?” snapped old face, as she made sure of the small
Job, with
envelope in her bosom, was so absorbed
an irate glare at the pilot.
and distant, that Henry Winch turned
"Not a whit,” responded the lattter,
in a lowered voice. "If we can make
still
away from her with a kind of groan, as if
them think that Leda actually wishes to he could not bear to look upon it.
remain, and that she wants us sent away "Larry, you’ve our only weapon, it ap-
because we might interfere with her ac- pears. Do not forget, in our plans, that
tions ... we might get them to put the you alone can pilot the 'Queen’, so you
'Queen’ up on that plateau again, and we must take the best care of yourself, for
” the sake of your young mistress,” warned
might all
"So childishly simple!” growled Henry Doctor Peabody.
Winch. "Of course, the glass walls Henry Winch began to pace the room
would melt before us when we wanted by Larry’sside, and the two men who
to go!” loved Leda Scudder started talking very
“I have a theory as to that,” doggedly animatedly together. Leda’s eyes were on
replied Larry-. them, and a half -puzzled look passed
842 WEIRD TALES
over her piquant face as she saw them all very much to say to each other, and she
at once clasp hands firmly, looking at continued watching them until a clatter
each other with such warm looks that her of spears at the doorway sounded, and in
heart felt lighter and safer in their love the opening stood the high priest, looking
for her. It appeared to her that they had at them expectantly.
The startling denouement will be told in the thrilling chapters

which bring this story to a conclusion in next
month's WEIRD TALES
A Weird 'Tale of the Sea

THE BOAT ON
THE BEACH
By KADRA MAYSI
T HE
life-guards watched her, every
come down the boardwalk
night,
from the beach hotel, cross the
dunes obliquely, and go to sit in the boat.
When the others asked him what the mat-
ter was,he said, "I saw her eyes.” They
asked him what color her eyes were and
what was the trouble with them. He said,
—
They talked about her idly, but spec- "They’re big, and I think they’re black as
ulatively, as lonely men talk about the her hair, but they look —they look— well,
smallest thing which crosses their horizon they look like you’d expea the eyes of
—and they agreed that "she wasn’t bad- somebody nailed on a cross to look!”
looking.” She did not look up again, but every
——
She was a slim -&oman probably some- evening, before dark, she came down and
where in the thirties a slim woman, crossed the dunes and sat in the life-
dressed all in white, with a lot of wavy, guards’ boat for several hours. And the
blue-black hair. They noticed that her life-guards talked about her — idly, when
hair was unusually beautiful and most un- they were not discussing the far more im-
usually abundant. They noticed that she portant topic of the latest maritime dis-
had narrow feet in the low-heeled, one- aster.
strap white kid pumps, and slender For this was just three weeks after the
ankles above them. They noticed that she passenger steamer Astarte had sprung a
wore no color on her clothes, her cheeks, leak and foundered — in foul weather
or lips. just a few hundred miles off the coast.
One day she turned and looked directly For some reason, which the surviving
up when the boy room
in the observation members of her crew could not satis-
had the glass trained upon her. The boy faaorily explain, her S.O.S. had not been
fell back a step and said, "Good God!” sent out in what her surviving passengers
THE BOAT ON THE BEACH 843
and the public considered time enough to said they were drowned because the cap-
bring her aid. More than fifty per cent of tain had not sent a wireless off in time.
those on board had perished either in the —
But the oldest life-guard the little one
launching of the lifeboats or in the with the bow-legs and the grizzled hair
stormy, bitter cold of the days before that that stood up straight —
had said: "Sonny,
pitiful flotilla was picked up by the rescue all a man can do is do his best.’’ The
ships. small boy understood, too, and, privately,

Shipping boards and owners, passen- he agreed with the life-guard rather than
gers and reading public, investigated, with his daddy. He was in the third
questioned, promised explanations, threat- grade —would be when school opened
ened wrote to the papers. And
suits, again —and he practised writing on the
when they were through nobody knew beach "A-S-T-A-R-T-E.”
any more than they had known at first. One morning while he was laboriously
For the only man who bad that secret tracing it the lady in the ^sleeveless white
locked under the breast of his blue uni- silk dress came up behind him. She said:
—
form had done his best whether right or "You, too?”
wrong —and had gone down on the And, not understanding but liking her
bridge of his ship. voice, he looked up and smiled at her with
It was a far more important topic than his wide "governor’s gates” of missing
idle discussion of a slim woman in white teeth.
who sat alone in a boat on the beach from She said: "Will you come down to the
sunset until the three-quarter moon had drug store and eat an ice cream cone with
passed high overhead toward the west. me?”
The life-guards were discussing it At the counter she said: "What do you
gravely, humbly, understandingly, as be- want?”
seemed men who know that the sea has He chose a strawberry one and asked
crises too great for any man to meet. politely: "What do you want?”
The boarders at the beach hotel most — She looked at him with her wide black
of whom had never taken a longer sea eyes, and the soda jerker heard her say:
voyage than that afforded by the six-mile —
"A little boy like you for a sea anchor!"
ferry from the mainland to the island But she ordered another strawberry
were discussing it shrilly, assertively, not cone and then, for some reason, did not
hesitating to censure and to state what eat it and asked him if he would be kind
should or should not have been done. enough to eat it for her.
But everybody was discussing it even — That evening she came down, as usual,
the eight-year-old small boy who came along the walk, across the sandhills.
every day from the nearest cottage to in- Looking up over the dunes from the boat
spect the life-guard station, to mount the she saw the sea-oats etched in golden
lookout ladders, to climb into the boats, grain and sheaf against the sky. Sunset,
to help the sunburned men in white wash, out on the back beaches, had set the marsh
paint, scrub brass, and oil the heavy two- aflame. Up to the zenith its wastrel opals
wheel carriages so that they might be, spattered the western clouds. East, the
momentarily, ready to be launched upon giant copper disk of the moon came out
their runway to the sea. of the sea.
The small boy knew that a boat had —
She sat there so long so long with —
—
sunk a big boat, full of men and women her arms clasped around her knees. The
and little boys and girls. His daddy had wind was whipping her thin white dress
844 WEIRD TALES
and loosening strands of her long black post dunes into new, concave, wave-
hair. But her body did not move. To the carved shapes.
life-guard up in the observation tower Just before sunrise the lookout saw
she looked a woman carved in stone. She that the boat on the beach was gone. The
saw the moon go higher and cut, in the man who had had the night watch re-
sea’s green jungle, a silver road. It ported having seen it shortly before mid-
stretched from the climbing planet night. Tide had turned three hours before
straight to the boat on the beach. Her that time and it was then well above the
brain was grasping at scattered thoughts water. Anyway, it was an eight-man boat
as a drowning person grasps drifting and it took two husky ones to launch it.
straws. She was half-remembering queer Yes; he was sure he had seen it at eleven-
old lines —
things that nobody reads now- fifty p. m. He was absolutely sure for —
adays. Who wrote the woman in white had been sitting in it
then.
“
wished that the ebbing tide
Would bear me away on its bosom life-guards who went down to
The two
To the ocean far and wide?” investigatefound the heavy carriage with
its two broad-tired wheels, its chassis,
The life-guard up in his conning-place
pole, and ropes, well out in the surf of
remembered that next night would be the
the now incoming tide. That in itself
full moon and the flood tide. He looked
proved that someone had taken the boat.
again to see that the boat, on its heavy
Had the flood tide, coming higher than
carriage, was well above the high tide
usual, washed it out, it would have taken
mark. It was well above it, there in the
the boat alone and not the carriage with
moonlight, with that lonely figure sitting
its sand-imbedded wheels. Some persons
in the stern.
The small boy, lying on his stomach on

— for the strongest life-guard could not
alone roll that carriage down the shingle
a sand dune just a hundred yards away,
was watching too. He had seen the red
—had rolled it out into the surf deep
enough to launch it.
moon rise and throw that path across the With one man hauling on its rope and
sea to the boat. Being a child and nearer
one pushing on the pole, they got it back
to God, his vision was clearer than
to its place high on the beach. Starting
theirs. He saw what the life-guard did
up the boardwalk, they met a group of
—
not see what the slim woman in the boat
men from the hotel. The manager him-
did not see although she looked for it
self was one of them and he was speaker.
with which bore witness to her
eyes
'We’ve just been to the station to re-
crucifixion every night. He had been woman
port a missing. One of the ladies
—
watching every night the small boy on didn’t come in last night. Can you help
the dune. It had happened every night
us?”
and it was happening again. But the "What did she look like? We’ll send
woman in the boat sat, marble-still. The a man out on
the beach and send a boat
wind moved only her dress and her hair.
,
away.”
out, too, right
She seemed to think that she was alone at "She was a slim woman, with a lot of
the end of that long moon-sequined path. dark hair. And she was dressed all in
white.”
lood foamed on the beach next woman who
F night
tide
—brimmed the gutters and shal-
"That’s the
boat,” said the grizzled life-guard.
sits in the
And
low pools —washed the sides of the out- the younger one added:
THE BOAT ON THE BEACH 845
"She was in it last night. Sawyer said But midday came without a trace of
he saw her there just before midnight.” lost woman or lost lifeboat.
"What boat? Where’s the boat?” de-
manded the manager.
"The station boat that sits on its car-
She’s been
T
ladder.
he oldest guard
room when
He
the
usually came
was
little
in the lookout
boy climbed the
earlier, but he
riage just across the dunes.
coming down and sitting in it for hours
had been following the search. The sta-
tion was quiet, for all the men except the
every night.”
lookout and the wireless operator were
"Where is it now?”
engaged in that search.
"We’d like you to tell us that. Some-
body rolled the carriage down the beach
He climbed the ladder — the little boy
did—and stuck a tow-head in a cap much
and launched it sometime between mid-
too large for it into the door of the look-
night and daybreak.” •
out room. And the grizzled lookout

"And you say a slim woman —a woman dropped the glasses in his hand and stared
in white—was sitting in it last night?"
as ifhe saw a ghost.
"Sawyer saw her in it at eleven-fifty.”
"Godamighty! Where’ d* you get it?
"But, great God,” said the manager,
Where’d you get that cap,Buddy?”
"that was Mrs. Card!”
"What Mrs. Card? You don’t
The boy took it off and, proudly,
little
” held it out to him. And the man set it on

mean
one gnarled fist and turned it slowly, un-
"Yes; do mean,” said the manager.
I
"That was the Mrs. Card wife (I — believingly, around with the other hand.
should say widow) of Captain Card of It was the regulation blue and white
the steamship Astarte.” cap of a passenger steamship’s officer. Its
"I hadn’t heard she was here,” one of gold braid and insignia told those who
the coast-guards said. knew the sea that it was a master’s cap.
"She registered under a different And the lettering above its vizor told
name,” answered the manager. "She anyone who read that it was property of
wanted to be quiet, and that was the only the "S. S. Astarte
way. But she told me who she was and The lifeguard was still turning it,
why she was doing it. Do you think slowly, unbelievingly.

we’ll find her on the island or do you "''NTiere’d you get it, Buddy?”
think ?” "On the beach —where the man
Nobody what he thought, but
said dropped it while he was shoving the boat
they all were thinking hard. Not one of last night.”
them failed to wonder whether the theft "What man. Buddy?”
of a seaworthy boat, by parties unknown, "The man who came and took the boat
and the suicide of a woman beside her- and the lady away with him, the same
self with grief might not be unrelated man who used to come and sit, every
incidents occurring only by coincidence on night, in your boat with her.”
the same night. Landsmen have always called sailormen
Within thirty minutes there were half a superstitious folk. This is as it should
a dozen volunteer boats, as well as the be, for superstition — like everything else
station boats, out past the breakers, and — lends itself to the individual interpreta-
posses were patrolling the beach and tion. And those who go down to the sea
every foot of the island. in ships know well enough that there
846 WEIRD TALES
occur phenomena which are outside lands- "She saw him?”
men’s experience. "Yes, she saw him. She held out her
So the old life-guard turned the cap in arms to him, and he came across the beach
his rope-gnarled, salt-scarred fingers. and put his arms around her. I watched
"Tell me about it, Buddy. Sure you him launch the boat and, when it was
didn’t dream it?” afloat, jump in it with her. I thought he
"No, sir. I was wide awake, sitting out had a right to do it because he was
on the sandhill there. Nights that mother dressed like an officer.”
and daddy go to the hotel dances I stay
"He was dressed like an officer?”
out until the music stops, then run back
"Yes; like the captain of the ferry that
home before they get there.”
brought us over here. He had a blue uni-
"Tell me what you saw. You say
form with gold braid on his cuffs. And
you’ve seen him before?”
he had this cap. He dropped it on the
"Oh, yes; he’scome every night since
beach. Can I keep it?”
the lady came. I don’t know which side
he comes from. I never see him until The telephone bell. It was the hotel
on the manager asking whether there was yet
he’s beach, at the edge of the
any news of boat or woman.
waves, right where the end of the road of
moonlight is. He
goes and sits in the "No; not yet,” said the grizzled guard;
boat with her. But she never seemed to and, after he shut the telephone, he
see him before. Perhaps she saw him last handed the blue cap back to the little boy.
night because the moon was so bright and "Yes; you can keep it, Buddy,” he said,
big.” "because — there won’t be any news!”
Lucifer
By JOHN D. SWAIN
T
details
HE notorious Remsen Case was
table talk a year or so ago, al-
though few today could quote the
offhand. Because of it, half a
dozen
ities,
men were discussing psychic trivial-
in a more or
Bliven, the psychoanalyst,
"It all hinges on
less desultory way.
was speaking.
a tendency which is
From Weird Tales, November, 1923.
perhaps best expressed in such old saws
LUCIFER 847
as: 'Drowning men clutch at straws,' manifestations of any medium; and yet
'Any port in a storm,’ or, 'A gambling he states that every now and then he finds
chance.’ himself utterly baffled. He can fake the
"When men have exhausted science thing cleverly, you understand; but he
and religion, they turn to mediums, and can not fathom the unknown forces back
crystal-gazers, and clairvoyants, and pat- of it all. It is dangerous ground. It is
ent medicines. I knew an intelligent sometimes blasphemy. It is blundering

pharmacist who was dying of a malig- in where angels fear to tread.”
nant disease. Operated on three times. "Piffle!” snorted Bliven. "The sub-
Specialists had given him up. Then he conscious mind it all; and we
explains
began to take the nostrums and cure-alls have only skirted the edge of our subject.
on his own shelves, although he knew When we have mastered it, we shall do
perfectly well what they contained or — things right in the laboratory that will put
could easily enough have found out. every astrologer and palmist and tea-
Consulted a lot of herb doctors, and long- ground prophet out of business.”
haired Indian healers, and advertising Nobody seemed to have anything to
specialists.” answer, and the psychoanalyst turned to
"And, of course, without result,” com- the little doctor.
mented the little English doctor. "You know this, Royce,” he asserted,
wouldn’t say that,” said Bliven.
"I a bit defiantly.
"It kept alive the forlorn spade of hope "I don’t pretend to follow you new-
in his soul. Better than merely folding era chaps as closely as I ought; but I re-
his hands and waiting for the inevitable! call an incident in my early practise that
He was just starting in with a miraculous is not explicable in the present-day stage
Brazilian root, when he snuffed out. On of your science, as I understand it.”
the whole, he lived happier, and quite
Bliven grunted.
possibly longer, because of all the fake
remedies and doctors he spent so much
"Well — shoot!” he said. "Of course,
we can’t check up your facts, but if you
money on. It’s all in your own mind, were an accurate observer, we may be
you know. Nothing else counts much.”
able to offer a plausible theory, at least.”
"All fakes, including the records of Royce flushed at his brusk way of put-
the P. S. R.,” nodded Holmes, who lec- ting it, but took no offense. Every one
tured on experimental psychology. makes allowances for Bliven, who is a
The little doctor shook his head depre- good fellow, but crudely sure of himself,
catingly. and a slave to his hobby.
go as far as that, really,”
"I shouldn’t "It happened a long, long time ago,”
he objected; "because, every now and began Royce, "when I was an intern in
then, in the midst of their conscious fak- a London hospital. If you know any-
ing, asyou call it, with the marked cards thing about our hospitals, you will under-
and prepared slates, the hidden magnets stand that they are about the last places
and invisible wires and all, these mediums on earth for anything bizarre to occur in.
and pseudo-magicians come up against Everything is frightfully ethical, and
something that utterly baffles them. I prosy, and red-tapy — far more so than in
have talked with a well-known presti- institutions over here, better as these are
digitator who has a standing bet of a in many ways.
hundred guineas that he can duplicate the "But almost anything can happen in
848 WEIRD TALES
London, and does. You love to point to “tIhere was brought to us one day a
New York as the typical Cosmopolis — A peculiarly distressing case; the only
because it has a larger Italian population child of Sir William Hutchison, a wid-
than has Rome, a larger German than ower, whose hopes had almost idola-
and so trously centered in this boy, who was a
Berlin, a Jewish than Jerusalem,
forth. Well, London has all this, and cripple. You would have to be British
to understand just how Sir William felt.
more. It has nuclei of Afghans, and
Turkomans, and Arabs; it has neighbor-
He was a keen sportsman; played all out-
door games superlatively well, rode to
hoods where conversation is carried on
hounds over his own fields, shot tigers
in no known tongue. It even has a
from an elephant’s back in India, and on
synagogue of Negro Jews —dating cer-
foot in Africa, rented a salmon stream
tainly from the Plantagenet dynasty, and
in Norway, captained the All-English
probably earlier.
polo team for years, sailed his own yacht,
"Myriads spend all their lives in Lon- bred his own hunters, had climbed all the
don, and die knowing nothing about it. more difficult Swiss peaks, and was the
Sir Walter Besant devoted twenty years first amateur to purchase and operate a
to the collecting of data for his history biplane.
of the city, and confessed that he had "So that to natural parental grief was
only a smattering of his subject. Men added the bitter downfall of all the plans
learn some one of hundred phases
its he had for this boy; instructing him in the
passing well; Scotland Yard agents, buy- fine art of fly-casting, straight shooting,
ers of old pewter or black letter books, hard riding, and all that sort of thing.
tea importers, hotel keepers, solicitors, Instead of a companion who could take
clubmen; but outside of their own little up the life his advancing years were
pool broods the eternal fog, hiding the forcing him to relinquish, in a measure,
real London in its sticky, yellow embrace. he had a hopeless cripple to carry on, and
I was born there, attended its university, end his line.
practised for a couple of years in White- "He was a dear, patient little lad, with
chapel,and migrated to the fashionable the most beautiful head, and great, in-
Westminster district; but I visit the city telligent eyes; but his wrecked little body
as a stranger. was enough to wring your heart. Twisted,
"So, if anything mysterious were to

warped, shriveled — and far beyond the
skill of Watts-Bedloe himself, who had
happen anywhere, it might well be in
been Sir William’s last resort. When
London; although, as I have said, one
he sadly confessed that there was noth-
would hardly look for it in one of our
ing he could do, that science and skilful
solid, dull, intensely prosaic hospitals.
nursing might add a few years to the
"Watts-Bedloe was the big man in my mere existence of the little martyr, you
day. You will find his works in your will understand that his father came to
medical libraries, Bliven; though I dare that pass which you, Bliven, have illus-
say he has been thrust aside by the on- trated in citing the case of the pharma-
march of science. Osteopathy owes a cist. He was, in short, ready to try any-
deal to him, I think; and I know that thing; to turn to quacks, necromancers,
Doctor Lorenz, die great orthopedist of to Satan himself, if his son might be
today, freely acknowledges his own debt, made whole!
W. T.—
Next Month
Doa't miss this group of fine stories scheduled to appear in the January issue of
Weird Tales on sale December i.
The Lost Lady

by Seabury Quinn
A beautiful white dancer in the temple of Angkor wa.3 perse-
cuted by the fiendish Doctor Sun Ah Poy.
The Horror from The Master Has a

the Hills Narrow Escape
by Frank Belknap Long, Jr. by H. Warner Munn
A vivid and powerful story of shuddery A tale of the werewolf clan. Tho Thirty
horror, a gooseflesh tale about a stone idol Years’ War, and the first case of witchcraft
brought from China. in New England.
The Necromantic Tale

by Clark Ashton Smith
An occult story of much power, in which Sir Roderick Hag-
don's life is tied to the personality of an infamous, long-dead
ancestor.
Passing of a God The Galley-Slave

by Henry S. Whitehead by Lieutenant Edgar Gardiner
A weird story of surgery and the dark rite3 An unusual story of a man who retained a
of the Black people in the land of Haiti. vivid memory of the voyage of Odysseus.
The Avenging Shadow

by Arlton Eadie
Practising forbidden arts in mediaeval Naples, Taso Vitetlt
sought to outwit the Prince »f Darkness, forgetting that “Ho
who sups with the Devil must have a long spoon."
These are some of the super-excellent stories that will appear in the January issue of
Weird Tales
January Issue on Sale December 1
Subscription Rates: $2.50 a year in U. S. or possessions; Canadian $3.00; Foreign $3.50.

Weird Tales 840 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago. 111.
w. T—
850 WEIRD TALES
"Oh, naturally he had sought the aid which has an altar, and above it a cruci-
of religion. Noted clergy of his own fix, which they reverse. It is believed
faith had anointed the brave eyes, die pa- that they number hundreds of thousands,
tient lips, the crooked limbs, and prayed and flourish in every quarter of the world;
that God might work a miracle. But and it is presumed that they employ grips
none was vouchsafed. I haven’t the and passwords. But amid so much that
least idea who it was that suggested the is conjecture, this faa stands clear: the
Luciferians to Sir William.” cult of Lucifer does exist, and has from
"Luciferians? Devil-worshippers?” in- time immemorial.

terrupted Holmes. "Were there any of "I never had the least idea who sug-
them in your time?” gested them to Sir William. May have
"There are plenty of them today; but been some friend who was a secret de-
it is the most secret sea in the world. votee, and wished to make a proselyte.
Huysmans in La-Bas has told us as much May have been an idle word overheard
as has any one; and you know perfealy in a club — or a penny bus. The point
well, or should, that all priests who be- is, he did hear, discovered that an occult
lieve in the Real Presence, take the ut- power was claimed by their unholy
most care that the sacred wafer does not priests, was ready to mortgage his estate
pass into irresponsible hands. Many will or sell his soul for his little chap, and
not even place it on the communicant’s somehow got in touch with them.
palm; but only in his mouth. For the "The faa that he managed
that he it,
stolen Host is essential to the celebration browbeat Watts-Bedloe into permitting

of the infamous Black Mass which forms one of the fraternity to enter the hospital
the chief ceremony of the Luciferian at all, is the best example I can give of
ritual. And every year a number of his despairing persistence. At that, the
thefts, or attempted thefts, from the physician agreed only upon certain seem-
tabernaculum, are reported in the press. ingly prohibitive conditions. The fellow
"Now the theory of this strange sea was not to touch the little patient, nor
is not without a certain distorted ration- even to draw near his bed. He was not
ality. They argue that Lucifer, Star of to speak to him, or seek to hold his gaze.
the Morning, was cast out of Heaven No phony hypnotism, or anything like
after a great battle, in which he was de- that.
feated, to be sure* but not destroyed, nor "Watts-Bedloe, I framed the

think,
even crippled. Today, after centuries of conditions in the confidenthope that they
missionary zeal, Christianity has gathered would end and he was pro-
negotiations;
only a tithe of the people into its fold; foundly disgusted when he learned that
the great majority is, and always has the Luciferian, though apathetic, was not
been, outside. The wicked flourish, in the least deterred by the hardness of
often the righteous stumble; and at the the terms. It appeared that he had not
last great battle of Armageddon, the been at all willing to come under any cir-
Luciferians believe that their champion cumstances; that he tried persistently to

will finally triumph. learn how SirWilliam had heard of him,
"Meanwhile, and in almost impene- and his address, and that he had refused
infamous
trable secrecy, they praaise their remuneration of any sort. Altogether, a
rites and serve the devil, foregathering new breed of faker, you see!
preferably in some abandoned church, ''There were five of us in the room at
WEIRD TALES 851 ’
the time appointed, besides the little pa-

tient, who was sleeping peacefully. Fact
is, Watts-Bedloe had taken the precau-
tion of administering a sleeping-draft, in
order that the quack might not in any
possible way work upon his nervous sys-
tem. Watts-Bedloe was standing by the
cot, his sandy hair rumpled, his stiff mus-
tache bristling, forall the world like an
Airedale terrier on guard. The father

was there, of course; and the head nurse,
and a powerful and taciturn orderly. You
can see that there wasn’t much chance of
the devil-man pulling off anything un-
toward!
"When, precisely on the moment, the
loUiCan Leam\
door opened and he stood before us, I
suffered as great a shock of surprize as HYPNOTISM
ever in my life;
companions’ faces showed

and a rapid glance
me
at
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my
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I
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Utterly certain that he could do that for Street and No,
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If you are likely to be out when postman calls send $2.50 with cou-
pon and we'll pay delivery charges. Customers outside 0. S. must
( Continued on page 853) send cash with order.
852 WEIRD TALES
( Continued, from page 126
views down to the Wild West thrillers, are hide-bound and hog-tied with traditions
of unutterable dullness.”
W. San Antonio, Texas, writes to the Eyrie: "Weird Tales is
Billy Barbe, of
now reaching an amazing stage, from the standpoint of present-day American ficti-
tious literature. Magazines that depend almost entirely upon a universal appeal to
the imaginative and more or less secreted side of the human race generally falter
in their stride a bit, sooner or later; yet W
eird Tales seems to be increasing rather
than decreasing in popularity. I have perused Weird Tales for over seven years,
and although I am of a very restless and impatient disposition, I have never tired of
the periodical. There is a very good reason for this: Weird Tales, unlike so many
other magazines, has not altered the original type of the contents that it first started
out with, but is even now publishing stories of the weird, bizarre and unusual
order; while many other magazines, not so successful today, have, for commercial
)
reasons, filled their pages with either lewd, risque and racy sex-appeal stories, or with
the soft, dove-eyed love stories of grandmother’s day, thinking thus to increase the
circulation. I would not be possible for you to publish as a reprint A.
wonder if it
)
Merrit’s story, The Woman of the Wood. That is the most beautiful and yet the
most fascinating story that has even been published in Weird Tales. Even now,
although I lost my copy of the magazine that contained the story some time ago, I
can close my eyes and become enraptured by the mere thought of its dramatic
beauty. Should you see fit to comply with my request, you will do a huge army of
my(1)
friends, as well as myself, an enormous and generous favor.”
Readers, what is your favorite story in this issue of Weird Tales? The Druid’s
Shadow, by Seabury Quinn, was your favorite in the October issue, as shown by
your votes and letters to the Eyrie; with Edmond Hamilton’s story, The Mind-mas-
ter, in second place.
(1)
MY FAVORITE STORIES IN THE DECEMBER WEIRD TALES ARE:

Story Remarks
(
2
( 3)
I do not like the following stories:
Why?
(
2
r
It know what kind of stories
will help us to
| Reader’s name and address:
you Weird Tales if you will
want in
fill out this coupon and mail it to The
Eyrie, Weird Tales, 840 N. Michigan Ave.,
*
Chicago, 111.
I
WEIRD TALES m
from page 831)
( Continued
ing that he were anywhere else. I heard
Watts-Bedloe mutter 'my word!’ And I

believe he would have spat disgustedly
were such an act thinkable of a physician
in a London hospital!
“^TpHE Luciferian priest turned to

A Sir William. When he spoke, it
seemed keeping with his ap-

entirely in
pearance that he should take liberties with
his aspirates. Tm ’ere, m’lord. And
h’at your service.’
"Watts-Bedloe spoke sharply. 'Look

here, my man!’ he said. "Do you pre-
tend to say that you can make this crip-
pled child whole?’ Get Strong with
"The strange man turned his moist,
pasty face, livid in the fog murk, toward these6improvedMmck
*
the specialist. ’E that I serves can, and
will. I’m a middleman, in a manner of
Realize your ambition and develop muscles of
speaking. A transmitter. Hit’s easy a super-man. Get strong! Easily master feats
—
which now seem difficult or If you want physical
culture for your health's sake, this equip-
enough for ’im, but I don’t advise it, and ment Is what you need. With this special
offer you save at least half. We furnish
I warns you I’m not to be ’eld responsible 10 cable chest expander adjustable to 200
lbs. resistance. Made of new live extra
for ’ow ’E does it.’ strength, springy rubber so as to give re-
sistance you need for real muscle devolop-
ent. You also get a pair of patented
"Watts-Bedloe turned to Sir William. £ md grips for developing powerful grip
and forearms. We include wall exercising
parte which permit you to develop your book, arms
’Let’shave an end to the sickening farce,’ and lege—a real muscle neoeselty. The head strap per-
mits you to exercise muscles of your neck. Develop leg
muscles with foot strap furnished. This gives speed,
he said curtly. 'I need fresh air!’ snduranoe. In addition you get specially written course
containing pictures and
diagrams showing how to de-
"Sir William nodded to the little man, velopany part of your body.
Act neatl
who mopped brow with his bandanna, Send No Money
his
Sign name and address to
and pointed to the cot. 'Draw back the
Pay postman mail. Sfi.i
coverlet!’ he commanded. you de- plus postage. (If

send money sire, or-
now and we der
"The nurse obeyed, after a questioning pay postage.)
glance at Watts-Bedloe. 'Tyke off ’is
nightgown,’ continued the visitor.
"Watts-Bedloe’ s lips parted in a snarl

at this, but Sir William arrested him with
a gesture, stepped to his son’s side, and
with infinite gentleness took off the tiny I CRUSADER APPARATUS CO. v
j
Dept. 4407 • Maplewood, N. J.
I accept your offer. Bend me everything described in your
gown, leaving the sleeping child naked advertisement by return mail. I will pay postman $5.00 plus
I postage on arrival. It Is understood if I am not entirely
in his bed. I satisfied after examination I can return the goods and you
! will refund my money.
"Again, as always, I felt a surge of
I i
—
Note C. O. D. Orders Shipped to Canada— If In Other Foreign
Country Send Cash.
pity sweep through me. The noble head,
|
Name ........
j
the pigeon breast, rising and falling soft-

'
Street,.... .........
ly now, the crooked spine, the little, j
gnarled, twisted limbs! But my atten- • City Stato

8*4 WEIRD TALES
tion was quickly drawn back to die "The nurse gently drew the sheet over
strange man. the form.
little We
could see it rise and
"Barely glancing at the child, he fum- fall with the regular respiration of slum-
bled at bis greasy waistcoat, Watts-Bed- ber. Suddenly, eyes wide open and star-
loe watching him meanwhile like a lynx, ing at the floor, the fellow began to pray,
as he took out a crumb of chalk and, in Latin. And whatever his English, his
squatting down, drew a rude cirde on Latin was beautiful to listen to, and vir-
the floor about him; a eirde of possibly gin pure! was too voluble for me to
It
four feet in diameter. And within this follow verbatim

r
—
I made as good a tran-
cirde he began laboriously to write cer- script as I could a bit later, and will be
tain words and figures.” glad to show it to you, Bliven —

but, any-
"Hold on there!” spoke Bliven. "Cer- how, it was a prayer to Lucifer, at once an
tain words and figures? Just what sym- adoration and a petition, that he would
bols, please?”
vouchsafe before these Christian unbe-
lievers a proof of his dominion over fire,
"There was a swastika emblem,” Royce
earth, air and water. He ceased abrupt-
promptly replied, "and others familiar to
ly as he had begun, and nodded toward
some of the older secret orders, and some-
the cot. 'Hit is done!’ he sighed, and
times found on Aztec ruins and Baby-
once again mopped his forehead.
lonian bride tablets; the open eye, for in- "
stance, and a rude fist with thumb ex- 'You infernal charlatan!’ snarled
tended. Also he scrawled the sequence Watts-Bedloe, unable longer to contain
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9 —
the ‘8’ omitted, you no- himself. 'You’ve got the effrontery to
tice —
which he multiplied by 18, and stand there and tell us anything has been
again by 27, and by 36; you can amuse wrought upon that child by your slobber-
yourselves working it out. ing drivel?’
The result is
curious. Lastly, he wrote the sentence: "The man looked at him with luster-
'Signa te, signa, temere me tangis et an- less eyes. 'Look for yerself, guv-ner/ he
gh: A palindrome, you observe; that is, answered.
it reads equally well, or ill —backward or
forward." “Tt was Sir William who snatched
*110005 pocus! Old stuff!” snorted A back the sheet from his son; and till
Bliven. my dying day I shall remember the un-
Royce gazed mildly at him. earthly beauty of what our astounded eyes
“Old stuff, as you say, professor. beheld. Lying there, smile upon his
Older than recorded history. Having lips, like a perfect form fresh from the
done this, a matter of five minutes, per- hand of his Creator, his little limbs
haps, with Watts-Bedloe becoming more straight and delicately rounded, a picture
and more restless, and evidently holding of almost awesome -loveliness, lay the
himself in with difficulty, the fellow rose child we had but five minutes before seen
stiffly from his squatting position, care- as a wrecked and broken travesty of hu-
fully replaced the fragment of chalk in manity."

his pocket, mopped his brow for the Again Bliven interrupted explosively:
twentieth time, and gestured toward the "Oh, I say now, Royce! I’ll admit you
cot with a moist palm. *Now cover ’im tella ripping story, as such; you had even
hup!’ he ordered. ’All hup; ’ead and me hanging breathless on your climax,
all.* but this is too much! As man to man.
WEIRD TALES 855
you can’t sit there and tell us this child

was cured!”
"I didn’t say that; for he was dead.”
Bliven was speechless, for once; but
Holmes spoke up in remonstrance:
"It seems strange to me that such a

queer story should not have been repeat-
ed, and discussed!”
"It isn’t strange, if you happen to know
anything about London hospitals,” Royce
explained patiently. "Who would re-
peat it?Would Watts-Bedloe permit it
to be known that by his permission some
charlatan was admitted, and that during
his devilish incantations his patient died?
Would the stricken father mention the
subject, even to us? Or the head nurse
and orderly, cogs in an inexorable ma-
chine?
"All this took place nearly forty years
ago; and it is the first time I have spoken
of it. Watts-Bedloe died years back and

Sir William’s line is extinct. I can’t ver-
ify a detail;
I have
but
stated.
it all
As
happened exactly as
for the Luciferian,
12 Novels
none of us, I think, saw him depart. He for $| >oo
simply stole out in the slimy yellow fog,
These are copyright novels by well known
back to whatever private hell was he it writers. Printed on good paper with illus-
came from, somewhere in London, the trated covers.
city nobody knows, and where anything

Thrilling Mystery Fiction
may happen.” Each of these books is an exciting
mystery or detective story. Guaranteed to
hold your interest.
And you get the entire set of twelve
DEATH
By ALICE PICKARD
novels for only one dollar! There is no
other charge.
—
But you must act immediately! The supply
is limited. Right now, while you think of it,
tear out this advertisement, fill in the coupon
below, and return to us with $1.00 (coin, stamps
or money order). The complete set of twelve
novels will be mailed to you promptly, postage
prepaid.
I am death Infinite,
Positive, Definite POPULAR FICTION PUBLISHING CO.,
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I call upon the young Chicago, 111.
I enclose $1.00. Send me the twelve novels,
Whose gay songs have been sung postage prepaid, at once. This $1.00 is payment
in full.
I claim the weary old,
Whose deeds were brave and bold Name -
I beckon all, yet some Address

Are reluctant to come. City State
856 WEIRD TALES
Burnt Things
( Continued from page 752
an unjust discharge. No proof could be offered, The mystery is heightened by the fact that sev-
however. eral reputable people claim to have seen Barry
Yesterday his charred body was found in the prowling among the ruins of Como as recently as
ruins of the factory, identification being possible last Sunday. That this is impossible is evidenced
by means of an old-fashioned watch he always by the watch, the hands of which stopped at two-
carried. It is surprizing the body has not been fifteen. This is the approximate time the factory’s
discovered sooner, for it lay in plain sight, near the night-shift discovered they were trapped by the
warehouse wall. flames.
The Wolf of St. Bonnot

( Continued from page 746
light. There is indubitably proof of true plasm returns to the bodies which gave
materializations being made at seances. it off, when once its work is done. Ha,
The British Society for Psychical Research but suppose the spiritual visitant is a lar-
and the Societe d’Etudes Psychiques — cener —one who so greatly desires once
both reliable associations of scientific men more to and move and have his
live
—have attested it. Very well, what makes being in this world that he will not re-
such materializations possible? turn that which furnishes him a corporeal
"A spiritual being, whether it be the body? What then?
ghost of one once human or otherwise, "There lies the danger of the seance,
possesses passions, but neither body nor my friend. It may unwittingly give bod-
parts to make them effective. Some ily structure to a discarnate, evil entity.
'ghosts’ may show themselves, others may So was in this case. Yes.”
it
not, and it is these latter which visit "Yes?” I answered. "Well, where’s
seances in hope of materialization. Of the solution of the problem you said
themselves they can not materialize any you’d found?”
more than the most skilled bricklayer can "Here, pardieu! I shall reassemble the
construct a house, but give the artizan seance and make that thief,
sitters at that
materials with which and pouf!

to build, Gilles Gamier, give back what he stole
the house is reared before you know it. from them. Yes, I shall most assuredly
So with these spirits. A form of energy do that, and this very night.”
is radiated by the sitters at the seance,
something definite as radio waves, yet not

to be seen or touched or handled. This
is called psychoplasm. If enough of it be
A
bers
ll afternoon he was busy at the tele-
> phone, tracing down the ten mem-
who composed the circle at Twelve-

present, the hovering ghost, spirit of trees with Norval Fleetwood and his wife.
demon can so change its vibrations, so When had been reached and agreed
all
compress it, as to render it solid and pon- to gather at Fleetwood’s town house that
derable. In fine, he has built himself a night, he rose wearily. "Do not wait
body. dinner for me, my friend,” he told me
"In normal circumstances the psycho- sadly. "Rather would I lose a finger
WEIRD TALES 857
than forego the young pig the so

little
talented Nora McGinnis roasts in the IT IS NOT

kitchen for dinner, but something more
precious than roast young pigs is involved
here. I shall dine at an hotel in New
TOO LATE—
to read one of themost popular stories that
York, Mias." has been printed in this magazine to date.
"Why, where are you going?” Through popular demand we have published
a cloth-bound edition of “The Moon Ter-
"To a booking agency of the theater.” ror/* by A. G. Birch, to satisfy those who
” were not fortunate enough to read this
"A theatrical booking startling story when it appeared serially in
the early issues of Weird Tales.
"Precisely, exactly, quite so. I have
said it. Meet me
Monsieur Fleetwood’s
at
at ten tonight, if you please, and as you

value my friendship, see to it that no one
of the party leaves before I come. Au
plaisir de vous revoir.”
H alf-past nine was sounding on the

clock in Fleetwood’s drawing-room
when de Grandin arrived. Embarrassed
and ill at ease, the sitters in the seance
at Twelvetrees were grouped about the
EAD the thrilling adventures of Dr. Fer-
room, Norval doing his best to entertain
them. Hildegarde, looking pale and hag-
R dinand Gresham, the eminent American
.astronomer, in his encounters with Kwo-
Sung-tao, high priest of the Seuen-H’sin (the
Sect of Two Moons). The Seuen-H’sin are the
gard, but showing no serious physical re- sorcerers of China, and the most murderously
diabolical breed of human beings on this earth
sults of her night’s adventure, sat before Each turn of the page increases the suspense
when you follow Dr. Gresham to take part in
the and every now and then she
fire, the hellish ceremonies in the Temple of the
— ——
Moon God when he crosses the Mountains of
shuddered slightly, though the room was Fear half starves on the dead plains of Dzun-
—
sz’chuen swims the River of Death sleeps in
the Caves of Nganhwiu, where the hot wind9
warmed somewhat past the point of com- never cease and the dead light their campfires
fort. A frightened, half-expectant look on their journey to Nirvana. Here is a story
that will thrill you.
was on her face, and once or twice as
motor horns hooted mournfully in the SPECIAL OFFER
street outside quick fear leaped into her
This book is beautifully bound in rich blue
eyesand she half rose from her seat with cloth with attractive orange-colored jacket
blenched cheeks and twitching, terrified and is for sale direct from the publishers at
the special price of $1.50 postpaid.
lips.
Remember, thiB edition is limited and thia
With de Grandin came a tall, pale- offer is good only as long as the supply
faced young man in poorly fitting eve- lasts. Send for this fascinating book now
while it is fresh in your mind.
ning clothes, a virtuoso’s mop of long,
dark hair and deep-set, melancholy eyes.
"Professor Morine, Doctor Trowbridge,” Weird Tales, Book Dept., M-33
840 N. Michigan Ave„ Chicago, Illinois,
de Grandin introduced the stranger.
Enclosed find $1.50 (or cloth-bound copy of
"Monsieur Fleetwood, Professor Mo- THE MOON TERROR at publishers’ price.
rine.”
Name
"The professor is by profession a stage
hypnotist,” he explained in a lower tone. Address
“At present he is without an engagement,
City State.
858 WEIRD TALES
but the gentlemen at the theatrical bureau sent to being hypnotized. You just want
d’enregistrement recommend his talents to make a fool of me!”
without reserve. His fee for tonight will "Parbleu, nature has forestalled us in
be one hundred dollars. You agree, Mon- that!” he muttered, but aloud he an-
sieur?” he looked inquiringly at Fleet- swered: "Very well, Mademoiselle, as
wood. you wish. You will excuse us while we
"If it will help cure Hildegarde it’s perform our work?” With a frigid bow
cheap at twice the price.” he turned from her and motioned the
others into an adjoining room.
"Very good, let us then say one hun-
All furniture had been removed from
dred and fifty. Remember, the professor
this apartment save a single round table
can secure no advertisement from tonight.
and a dozen chairs. About the latter de
Moreover, he has promised to forget all
Grandin traced a pentagram composed of
which transpires within this house.”
two interlaced triangles, and in each of
"All right, all right,” Fleetwood an-
the five points he set a tall wax candle, a
swered petulantly; "let’s get started.”
tiny, sharp-pointed dagger with tip point-
'"Ires bien. All is prepared in the ing outward, and a small crucifix.
farther room? Good. If you will kindly Norval led in Hildegarde, and as the
make excuse to have Madame Hildegarde sitters took their places round the table
leave theroom a moment?” Professor Morine walked slowly round
Norval whispered something in his the circle, stroking each forehead and
wife’s ear, and as they left the apartment whispering soothingly. "All right, Doc-
together de Grandin addressed the com- tor,” he called softly as he completed the
pany: circuit. "What next?”
"Messieurs, Mesdames, we are as- The Frenchman lighted the candles
sembled here tonight in an endeavor to one by one, murmuring some sort of
duplicate the conditions obtaining when prayer or incantation as each took flame,
Madame Fleetwood became first indis- surveyed the dimly lit room for a mo-
posed. Upon my honor I assure you no ment, then turned to the professor. "Bid
advantage will be taken, but it is neces- them take orders from me, if you please,”
sary that you all submit to a state of light he answered.
hypnosis. I by and personally
shall stand While Professor Morine repeated the
see that all goes well. Do you agree?” command, de Grandin drew forth five
One after another the guests reluctant- shallow silver dishes from beneath the
ly acquiesced in the proposal until Mazie table, poured some thick, dark fluid into
Noyer was reached. "I won’t,” she an- each from a prodigious hip-flask; then
swered shortly. "I’ll not be a party to from another flask he added some fur-
any such ridiculous proceeding. You just ther liquor, dark like the first, but thinner
want to get me in that man’s power to and less viscid. As he recorked the second
make me a laughing-stock. I know! No, flask I became aware of the pleasant,
indeed, I’ll not consent!” heady odor of port wine.

"Mademoiselle,” de Grandin protested, Each of the five dishes he placed just
"do you not care to see Madame Fleet- outside one of the five points of the
wood restored to health? You assume a pentagram; then drawing something
great burden by refusing.” which jangled musically from beneath
"I don’t care whether Hildegarde re- the table, he handed Morine and me each
covers or not. She can die before I’ll con- a small ecclesiastical censer and set the
WEIRD TALES 859
powdered incense glowing. "Keep them

in motion, my friends,” he ordered, "and
should anything appear amid the dark-
ness, swing your censers toward it with-
out ceasing.” ) latest in Radio . . . new 1931
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A sensation of intense cold was spread-
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860 WEIRD TALES
point there came a strange, soft sound, pentagram traced across the floor the
such a sound as a cat makes when it laps great beast stopped abruptly as though
milk, and the rubescent liquid in the dish in contact with a solid wall, gave a bay
showed faint ripples, as though disturbed of wild, insensate rage, and recoiled,
—
by a dabbling finger or an invisible choking and gasping from the cloud of
tongue. Lower, lower sank the liquid; incense.
the bowl was now all but empty. "Accursed of heaven, give back that
Softly, swiftly, de Grandin moved, which you withhold!” de Grandin or-
snatching one after another of the silver dered yet again.
vessels, dragging them within the outline The great white beast eyed him ques-
of the pentagram. tioningly, lowered itself till its bellyhairs
Again we waited, the monotonous, re- and slowly cir-
scarcely cleared the floor,
frain, "Gilles Gamier, give me back what cled round the pentagram, whining half
you withhold!” dinning in our ears; then fearfully, half savagely.
in a farther corner of the room showed "Accursed of heaven, give back that
a faint and ghastly phosphorescence. which you withhold!” came the inexor-
Brighter and brighter it glowed, took able command once more.
shape, took substance —
a monstrous, Oddly, the wolf-thing seemed losing
shaggy white wolf crouched in the angle substance. Its solidarity seemed dwin-
of the wall! dling; where a moment before it had
The was bigger than a mastiff,
beast been substantial as any terror of the for-
bigger than an Irish wolfhound, almost est, we could now plainly discern the out-
as big as a half-grown heifer, and from lines of the room through its body, as
its wide and gaping mouth there lolled a though it were composed of vapor. It
gluttonous red tongue from which a drop lost its red and white tones and became
of dark-red liquid dripped. But dreadful luminous, like a figure traced in phos-
as the monster’s size and aspect were, its phorescent paint on a dark background.
eyes were more so. Incongruous as living The head, the trunk, the limbs and tail
orbs glaring through the eye-holes of a became elongated, split off from one an-
skull, they were, fierce, fiery malevolent other, rose slowly toward the ceiling like
and human but human only to be vi- little globes of luminosity, floated in mid-
cious,cunning and wicked, as human air a moment, then slowly settled toward
cruder than the in-

intellect, perverted, is the monotonously droning sitters round
stincts of the crudest of brute beasts. the table.
For a moment the monster glared at As each luminous globe touched a sit-
us; then with a bellowing cry of rage it ter’s head it vanished, not like a bursting
rose upon its haunches, got to all four bubble, but slowly, like a ponderable sub-
feet, and charged full-tilt upon us. stance being sucked in, as milk in a gob-
"Accursed of heaven, cast-off of hell, let vanishes when imbibed through a
give back that which you withhold!” de straw.
Grandin cried, advancing to an angle of A single tiny pear-shaped globule of
the pentagram to meet the werewolf’s light remained, bobbing aimlessly against
charge, swinging his censer toward it, so the ceiling, bouncing down again, as an
that clouds of incense floated forward, imprisoned wasp may make the circuit of
and returning the wolf-thing’s glare with a room into which it has inadvertently
a stare of equal hatred and ferocity. flown.
Where the narrow chalk-line of the "Accursed of heaven, give back that
WEIRD TALES 861
which you withhold!” de Grandin or-

dered, staring fixedly at the rebounding
fire-ball, "give back that which
”
"Here, I’ve stood about enough of this

Stopped
— I want to know what’s going on here!”
His Whiskey
Mazie Noyer burst into the room. "If
you’re doing anything mystic, I want
to
”
"Pour I’amour de Dieu, have a care!”

Drinking
de Grandin’s appalled shout cut her
short. She had walked across an angle of
It FREE
Wives, mothers,
the pentagram, oversetting and extin- sisters, it is you that
the man who drinks
guishing one of the candles as she did so. Whiskey, Wine or
B Beer to excess must
"I won’t be bullied and insulted by depend upon to help
save him from a .
ruined life and a

you any longer, you miserable little
'
drunkard’s grave. Take

French snip!” she announced striding The Happy Reunion heed from the thou-
sands of men going
” to ruin daily through vile bootlegger’s Whiskey,
toward him. "I’ll and the horrible stuff called home brew from pri-
The fire-ball fell to the floor as though vate stills. Once he gets it in his system he finds
it difficult to stop —
but you can help him. What
suddenly transmuted to lead. could We it has done for others is an example of what it
should do for you. All you have to do is to send
hear the impact as it struck the boards. your name and address and we will send absolutely
FREE, in plain wrapper, a trial package of
For a moment it rolled aimlessly to and GOLDEN TREATMENT. You will be thankful as
long as you live that you did it. Address
—
fro, seemed to shrink -compress itself DR. J. W. HAINES CO.
4140 Glenn Building Cincinnati, Ohio
and quickly took on the shape of a tiny,
white wolf.
Scarcely larger than a mouse it was, but
a perfect replica of the great beast which
had menaced us a few moments earlier,
even to its implacable savagery. With a
MARRY!
howl which was hardly more than a rat-
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squeak in volume, yet fierce and terrify-
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ing for all that, it dashed across the room, our big (FREE) List of Descriptions.
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"Pardieu, we meet on something like Box 100-AD. Detroit, Michigan
even ground, Monsieur le Loup-garou, I
think!” de Grandin cried, seized one of
the small, sharp-pointed daggers from
the floor and impaled the advancing ToAnySultl
miniature monster with
'
Double the life of your
its keen blade. coat and vest with correctly
The matched pants. 100,000 pattei
tiny, savage thing died slowly, Every pair hand tailored to your measure; no
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'
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it fought against the steel which pinned IIS So. Dearborn Street* pt. 487,
it to the floor, blood and futile, hissing,
agonized squealing howls issuing from I CHALLENGE

you that I will teach you. by mail in one lesson, the simplest,
its gaping mouth. At last its struggles shortest, method. Not telopathy. You can read one's mind to a
dot by only looking in the eyes of partner, chum, sweet-
ceased, it quivered and lay still. heart, etc. Fraised by New York, Boston, Montreal Police
Chiefs, colleges, Thurston, Blackstone, etc. If fake, lot them
arrest me. Send in all 11.00.
"Oh, you cruel, odious little wretch,
A* Honigman, 5390 Clarke St., W.T.-l, Montreal, Can,
862 WEIRD TALES
STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MAN-
you killed that poor little animal as heart- AGEMENT, CIRCULATION, ETC.. R1&-
” Miss Noyer raged at him, <|UIRED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS
lessly as OF AUGUST 24, 1918,
then broke off her tirade abruptly and Of Weird Tales, published monthly at Indianap-
oiis, Indiana, for October 1, 1930.
planted a resounding slap upon de Gran- State of Illinois
County of Cook ss *
din's cheek. Before me, a notary public in and for the State
and county aforesaid, personally appeared Wm. R.
A red and angry patch showed on his Sprenger, who, having been duly sworn according
to law, deposes and says that he is the Business
face where her palm and fingers struck, Manager of the Weird Tales and that the following
is, to the best of his knowledge and belief, a true
but the rest of his countenance went livid statement of the ownership, management (and If
a daily paper, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid
beneath the insult. "Sorciere! Witch- publication for the date shown in the above caption
required by the Act of August 24, 1912, embodied
woman; ally of hell’s dark powers!” he in section 411, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed
on the reverse of this form, to wit:
cried furiously. "Were it not that I must 1. That the names and addresses of the pub-
lisher, editor, managing editor, and business man-
burn him to ashes in the fire, I would ager are:
give you the carcass of your familiar for a —
Publisher Popular Fiction Publishing Company,
2457 E. Washington St., Indianapolis, Ind.
keepsake. Be off, get gone, ere I forget —
Editor Farnsworth Wright, 840 N. Michigan
” Ave., Chicago, 111.
your sex and He strode toward her,
Managing Editor None. —
eyes blazing with such cold, concentrated —
Business Manager William R. Sprenger, 840 N,
Michigan Ave., Chicago, 111.
fury that she recoiled from him as from a 2. That the owner is: (If owned by a corpora-
tion, its name and address must be stated and also
serpent. “You dare!” she challenged in immediately thereunder the names and addresses
of stockholders owning or holding one per cent or
a shrill, frightened voice. "You just dare more of total amount of stock. If not owned by a
corporation, the names and addresses of the indi-
strike me!” turned and raced
then vidual owners must be given. If owned by a firm,
company, or other unincorporated concern, its name
through the door as though in fear of and address, as well as those of each individual
swift and condign punishment. member must be given.)
Popular Fiction Publishing Company, 2457 E.
Washington St., Indianapolis, Ind.
Wm. R. Sprenger, 840 N. Michigan Ave., Chi-
<(
/\F course,” de Grandin told me in cago, 111.
Farnsworth Wright, 840 N. Michigan Ave., Chi-
my
study some two hours later, cago, 111.
George M. Cornelius, 2457 E. Washington In- St.,
"we could neglect no precautions, my dianapolis, Indiana.
George H. Cornelius, 2457 E. Washington St.,
friend. The pentagram has at all times Indianapolis, Indiana.
P. W. Cornelius, 2457 E. Washington St., Indian-
and in all ages been esteemed as a guard apolis, Indiana.
3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and
against the powers of evil; wicked spirits, other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent
or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or
other securities are: (If there are none, so state).
None.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS 4.
the
That the two paragraphs next above, giving
names of the owners, stockholders, and secu-
-LEARN WHAT 1931 rity holders, if any, contain not only the list of
has in store for you. Do you know what your strong stockholders and security holders as they appear
and weak points are? Will you be lucky ? _ Will upon the books of the company, but also, in cases
1931 foe a profitable year for you? Consult it for where the stockholder or security holder appears
business, love, courtship, marriage, speculation, upon the books of the company as trustee or in any
health, etc. 8 pages. Send birth date with 25c. other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or
corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is
J. M. Simmons, 109 N. Dearborn, Chicago, 111. given; also that the said two paragraphs contain
statements embracing affiant’s full knowledge and
belief as to the circumstances and conditions under
ARB YOU LONELY?? and single, too. which stockholders and security holders who do not
Don’t wonder what on earth to do! appear upon the books of the company as trustees,
Just send a line to BETTY TRUE, hold stock and securities in a capacity other than
Her Club will chase the blues for you! that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no
(Write today.) reason to believe that any other person, association,
Box 796, Los Angeles, Calif. or corporation has any interest, direct or indirect,
in the said stock, bonds, or other securities than
as so stated by him.
That the average number of copies of each
Do you want to learn how to get 6.
issue of this publication sold or distributed, through
the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during
the six months preceding the date shown above
EMPLOYMENT? If so we can help you

isj: (This information is required from
daily publications only.)
WM. R. SPRENGER.
Business Manager.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 29th day
Send name and address for free literature. THE of September, 1930. RICHARD
S. GOULDEN,
BROTHERHOOD OF LIGHT, DEFT. O, Bos 1525, [SEAL] Notary Public.
Los Angeles, Calif. My commission expires May 4. 1934.
WEIRD TALES 863
even the most powerful, are balked by

In addition, I placed in each of
angles a blessed candle from the church,
its
it.
five TEST
a crucifixand also a dagger which had
been dipped in eau benite. Evil spirits of
—
an elemental nature those which have
never been housed in human flesh can —
not face pointed steel, probably because it
concentrates radiations of psychic force

from the human body which are destruc-
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the fire when that never-enough-to-be-
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killed it to death with the consecrated 292-E, Mount Vernon, N. Y.
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the very pal for you, lonesome like yourself. Write
I’VE
already inside the protecting pentagram. —

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"Bait,” he answered with a grin. MEN—ENLARGE MUSCLES; STRICTLY CON-
"Blood and wine, my friend; wine and fidentiaL Stamp appreciated. Address: Laboratory
Manager, Box 534, Santa Ana, Calif.
864 WEIRD TALES
blood. The mixture of those liquids is
especially pleasing to the hosts of evil. In

NEXT MONTH the celebration of la messe —
noire die
black mass where Satan is invoked—by
THE LOST example, the chalice is filled
gled wine and blood from the cut throat

with min-
LADY of a sacrificed babe. Therefore,

cured some fresh blood from the hospi-
I pro-
tal and some fresh wine from a legger-

By SEABURY QUINN of-the-boot this morning, and set my bait.
The werewolf came to drink, but I would
not let him lap his fill. No. When he
had drank one bowlful I did move the
N the temple of Angkor in Cam-
others from his reach within the angles
I bodia danced a white temple-dancer.
of the pentagram, lest he become too
How she came there was a mystery
powerful for us. One does not nourish
which interested the French govern-
one’s enemy before the encounter, my
ment. This beautiful temple-dancer
friend. Assuredly not. All of which re-
became the focal point in a mystery ”
minds me
involving a revolt against French rule,
"Of what?” I asked, as he paused with
evil magic, and fiendish tortures.
one of his well-remembered, elfish grins.
H
Poy
ow
to
Inspector Renouard pursued
the diabolical Doctor Sun
America and enlisted the help
Ah
"That wine unmixed with blood is
very good to drink, and that
vilely thirsty. Madame
I am most
Hildegarde's ob-
of the French occultist, Jules de
little session is destroyed, she has no more to
Grandin, makes a thrilling and fasci- fear, for Gilles Gamier is deprived of
nating novelette, which will be pub- bodily ability to do her harm. There is
lished complete in the no immediate further need for the so

great talents of Jules de Grandin, there-
January issue of fore” —

he rose with a profound bow—
"with your permission I shall proceed to
WEIRD TALES drink myself into a state of blissful un-

consciousness —and he who wakes me
before noon tomorrow would be advised
On Sale December 1st
to have his Pater Nosters said before-
hand!”
Clip and Mail this coupon today /
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We invite you to take a trip with us through the glamorous land of
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Address
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7/c PHANTOM

Over 900 Different Kinds of Positions

to travel. It gives you an excellent chance to see

are required to levy the duties, I

etc., and see that Customs regulations are I

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Copyright. 1930, by the Popular Fiction Publishing Company

Contents for December 1930 ,

Cover Design Hugh Rankin

The Eyrie 724

The Wolf of St. Bonnot Seabury Quinn 728

Burnt Things Robert C. Sandison 747

The Crime on Christmas Night Gaston Leroux 753

[CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE]

722 COPYRIGHTED IN GREAT BRITAIN

Something From Above Donald Wandrei 763

A Dream of Bubastis Harvey W. Flink 778

The Primeval Pit B. Wallis 779

Fungi From Yuggoth:

Tales of the Werewolf Clan:

Men of Steel Ainslee Jenkins 815

The Portal to Power (Part 3) Greye La Spina 827

The Boat on the Beach Kadra Maysi 842

Weird Story Reprint:

Death Alice Pickard 855

For Advertising Rates in WEIRD TALES Apply Direct to

Mengshoel, of Minneapolis, writes to the Eyrie: "The last two issues of

Protects My Car From Thieves

I have hit on something truly amazing. Since the first

The Wind That Tramps the World

The Purple Sea

SPECIAL AUTOGRAPHED FIRST EDITIONS

"The liny, savage thing died slowly, writhing horribly.

feeble, trembling flames doing little more could afford.”

in a sharp, rasping whisper. "This is no business of the monkey?” de Grandin

Friend Trowbridge; we must intervene, He burst into the dining-room, eyes

we seek our beds while this so tempera- I grumbled, glancing irritably at my

I asked, helping myself to a fresh serving He turned toward the consulting-room

man what next?”

He paused again, swallowed once or "Of course. It frightened her,” I in-

just got home. Hildegarde’s gone! Nancy,

like, de awfulest hollerin’ an’ yellin’ though they conveyed no meaning to

winder sumpin down

and bear her up the steps. page:

gill’s breast, clasping a rosary

The corpse, with its shroud and burial clothing

dully red, heated

"Go? Where?” gents?” he wanted to know.

From his waistcoat popket

This” —from his overcoat pocket he it you would know?”

"Very good. A sign? Consider what

occurred. A rapping announces a man-

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