The House on the Borderland ............................................................................................................................1

William Hope Hodgson...........................................................................................................................1

From the Manuscript, discovered in 1877 by Messrs. Tonnison and Berreggnog, in the Ruins that lie to the

South of the Village of Kraighten, in the West of Ireland. Set out here, with Notes by WILLIAM HOPE

AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION TO THE MANUSCRIPT MANY are the hours in which I have pondered

upon the story that is set forth in the following pages. I trust that my instincts are not awry when they prompt

me to leave the account, in simplicity, as it was handed to me. And the MS. itselfYou must picture me,

when first it was given into my care, turning it over, curiously, and making a swift, jerky examination. A

small book it is; but thick, and all, save the last few pages, filled with a quaint but legible handwriting, and

writ very close. I have the queer, faint, pitwater smell of it in my nostrils now as I write, and my fingers

I read, and, in reading, lifted the Curtains of the Impossible, that blind the mind, and looked out into the

unknown. Amid stiff, abrupt sentences I wandered; and, presently, I had no fault to charge against their

abrupt tellings; for, better far than my own ambitious phrasing, is this mutilated story capable of bringing

Of the simple, stiffly given account of weird and extraordinary matters, I will say little. It lies before you. The

inner story must be uncovered, personally, by each reader, according to ability and desire. And even should

any fail to see, as now I see, the shadowed picture and conception of that, to which one may well give the

accepted titles of Heaven and Hell; yet can I promise certain thrills, merely taking the story as a story.

RIGHT AWAY in the west of Ireland lies a tiny hamlet called Kraighten. It is situated, alone, at the base of a

low hill. Far around there spreads a waste of bleak and totally inhospitable country; where, here and there at

great intervals, one may come upon the ruins of some long desolate cottageunthatched and stark. The

whole land is bare and unpeopled, the very earth scarcely covering the rock that lies beneath it, and with

which the country abounds, in places rising out of the soil in waveshaped ridges. Yet, in spite of its

desolation, my friend Tonnison and I had elected to spend our vacation there. He had stumbled on the place,

by mere chance, the year previously, during the course of a long walking tour, and discovered the

possibilities for the angler, in a small and unnamed river that runs past the outskirts of the little village.

I have said that the river is without name; I may add that no map that I have hitherto consulted has shown

either village or stream. They seem to have entirely escaped observation: indeed, they might never exist for

all that the average guide tells one. Possibly, this can be partly accounted for by the fact that the nearest

It was early one warm evening when my friend and I arrived in Kraighten. We had reached Ardrahan the

previous night, sleeping there in rooms hired at the village postoffice, and leaving in good time on the

It had taken us all day to accomplish our journey over some of the roughest tracks imaginable, with the result

that we were thoroughly tired and somewhat bad tempered. However, the tent had to be erected, and our

goods stowed away, before we could think of food or rest. And so we set to work, with the aid of our driver,

and soon had the tent up, upon a small patch of ground just outside the little village, and quite near to the

Then, having stored all our belongings, we dismissed the driver, as he had to make his way back as speedily

as possible, and told him to come across to us at the end of a fortnight. We had brought sufficient provisions

to last us for that space of time, and water we could get from the stream. Fuel we did not need, as we had

It was Tonnison's idea to camp out instead of getting lodgings in one of the cottages. As he put it, there was

no joke in sleeping in a room with a numerous family of healthy Irish in one corner, and the pigsty in the

other, while overhead a ragged colony of roosting fowls distributed their blessings impartially, and the

whole place so full of peat smoke that it made a fellow sneeze his head off just to put it inside the doorway.

Tonnison had got the stove lit now, and was busy cutting slices of bacon into the fryingpan; so I took the

kettle and walked down to the river for water. On the way, I had to pass close to a little group of the village

people, who eyed me curiously, but not in any unfriendly manner, though none of them ventured a word.

As I returned with my kettle filled, I went up to them and, after a friendly nod, to which they replied in like

manner, I asked them casually about the fishing; but, instead of answering, they just shook their heads

silently, and stared at me. I repeated the question, addressing more particularly a great, gaunt fellow at my

elbow; yet again I received no answer. Then the man turned to a comrade and said something rapidly in a

language that I did not understand; and, at once, the whole crowd of them fell to jabbering in what, after a

few moments, I guessed to be pure Irish. At the same time they cast many glances in my direction. For a

minute, perhaps, they spoke among themselves thus; then the man I had addressed, faced round at me, and

said something. By the expression of his face I guessed that he, in turn, was questioning me; but now I had to

shake my head, and indicate that I did not comprehend what it was they wanted to know; and so we stood

looking at one another, until I heard Tonnison calling to me to hurry up with the kettle. Then, with a smile

and a nod, I left them, and all in the little crowd smiled and nodded in return, though their faces still betrayed

It was evident, I reflected as I went towards the tent, that the inhabitants of these few huts in the wilderness

did not know a word of English; and when I told Tonnison, he remarked that he was aware of the fact, and,

more, that it was not at all uncommon in that part of the country, where the people often lived and died in

"I wish we had got the driver to interpret for us before he left," I remarked, as we sat down to our meal. "It

seems so strange for the people of this place not even to know what we've come for."

Later, having satisfied our appetites somewhat, we began to talk, laying our plans for the morrow; then, after

"I suppose there's no chance of those fellows outside taking anything?" I asked, as we rolled ourselves in our

Tonnison said that he did not think so, at least while we were about; and, as he went on to explain, we could

lock up everything, except the tent, in the big chest that we had brought to hold our provisions. I agreed to

Next morning, early, we rose and went for a swim in the river; after which we dressed, and had breakfast.

Then we roused out our fishing tackle, and overhauled it, by which time, our breakfasts having settled

somewhat, we made all secure within the tent, and strode off in the direction my friend had explored on his

During the day we fished happily, working steadily upstream, and by evening we had one of the prettiest

creels of fish that I had seen for a long while. Returning to the village, we made a good feed off our day's

spoil, after which, having selected a few of the finer fish for our breakfast, we presented the remainder to the

group of villagers who had assembled at a respectful distance to watch our doings. They seemed wonderfully

grateful, and heaped mountains of, what I presumed to be, Irish blessings upon our heads.

Thus we spent several days, having splendid sport, and firstrate appetites to do justice upon our prey. We

were pleased to find how friendly the villagers were inclined to be, and that there was no evidence of their

It was on a Tuesday that we arrived in Kraighten, and it would be on the Sunday following that we made a

great discovery. Hitherto we had always gone upstream; on that day, however, we laid aside our rods, and,

taking some provisions, set off for a long ramble in the opposite direction. The day was warm, and we

trudged along leisurely enough, stopping about midday to eat our lunch upon a great flat rock near the river

bank. Afterwards, we sat and smoked awhile, resuming our walk only when we were tired of inaction.

For, perhaps, another hour we wandered onwards, chatting quietly and comfortably on this and that matter,

and on several occasions stopping while my companionwho is something of an artistmade rough

And then, without any warning whatsoever, the river we had followed so confidently, came to an abrupt

And I stared in amazement; then I turned to Tonnison. He was looking, with a blank expression upon his

I agreed, and we went forward once more, though rather aimlessly; for we were not at all certain in which

direction to prosecute our search. For perhaps a mile we moved onwards; then Tonnison, who had been

"See!" he said, after a moment, "isn't that mist or something, over there to the rightaway in a line with that

I stared, and, after a minute, seemed to see something, but could not be certain, and said so.

"Anyway," my friend replied, "we'll just go across and have a glance." And he started off in the direction he

had suggested, I following. Presently, we came among bushes, and, after a time, out upon the top of a high,

boulderstrewn bank, from which we looked down into a wilderness of bushes and trees.

"Seems as though we had come upon an oasis in this desert of stone," muttered Tonnison, as he gazed

interestedly. Then he was silent, his eyes fixed; and I looked also; for up from somewhere about the centre of

the wooded lowland there rose high into the quiet air a great column of hazelike spray, upon which the sun

"Yes," answered Tonnison, thoughtfully. "There must be a waterfall, or something, over there. Perhaps it's

Down the sloping bank we made our way, and entered among the trees and shrubberies. The bushes were

matted, and the trees overhung us, so that the place was disagreeably gloomy; though not dark enough to hide

from me the fact that many of the trees were fruittrees, and that, here and there, one could trace indistinctly,

signs of a long departed cultivation. Thus it came to me, that we were making our way through the riot of a

great and ancient garden. I said as much to Tonnison, and he agreed that there certainly seemed reasonable

What a wild place it was, so dismal and sombre! Somehow, as we went forward, a sense of the silent

loneliness and desertion of the old garden grew upon me, and I felt shivery. One could imagine things lurking

among the tangled bushes; while, in the very air of the place, there seemed something uncanny. I think

Suddenly, we came to a halt. Through the trees there had grown upon our ears a distant sound. Tonnison bent

forward, listening. I could hear it more plainly now; it was continuous and harsha sort of droning roar,

seeming to come from far away. I experienced a queer, indescribable, little feeling of nervousness. What sort

of place was it into which we had got? I looked at my companion, to see what he thought of the matter; and

noted that there was only puzzlement in his face; and then, as I watched his features, an expression of

"'That's a waterfall," he exclaimed, with conviction. "I know the sound now." And he began to push

As we went forward, the sound became plainer continually, showing that we were heading straight towards it.

Steadily, the roaring grew louder and nearer, until it appeared, as I remarked to Tonnison, almost to come

"Take care!" Tonnison called to me. "Look where you're going." And then, suddenly, we came out from

among the trees, on to a great open space, where, not six paces in front of us, yawned the mouth of a

tremendous chasm, from the depths of which, the noise appeared to rise, along with the continuous, mistlike

For quite a minute we stood in silence, staring in bewilderment at the sight; then my friend went forward

cautiously to the edge of the abyss. I followed, and, together, we looked down through a boil of spray at a

monster cataract of frothing water that burst, spouting, from the side of the chasm, nearly a hundred feet

I was silent, and rather awed. The sight was so unexpectedly grand and eerie; though this latter quality came

Presently, I looked up and across to the further side of the chasm. There, I saw something towering up among

the spray: it looked like a fragment of a great ruin, and I touched Tonnison on the shoulder. He glanced

round, with a start, and I pointed towards the thing. His gaze followed my finger, and his eyes lighted up with

"Come along," he shouted above the uproar. "We'll have a look at it. There's something queer about this

place; I feel it in my bones." And he started off, round the edge of the craterlike abyss. As we neared this

new thing, I saw that I had not been mistaken in my first impression. It was undoubtedly a portion of some

ruined building; yet now I made out that it was not built upon the edge of the chasm itself, as I had at first

supposed; but perched almost at the extreme end of a huge spur of rock that jutted out some fifty or sixty feet

over the abyss. In fact, the jagged mass of ruin was literally suspended in midair.

Arriving opposite it, we walked out on to the projecting arm of rock, and I must confess to having felt an

intolerable sense of terror, as I looked down from that dizzy perch into the unknown depths below usinto

the deeps from which there rose ever the thunder of the falling water, and the shroud of rising spray.

Reaching the ruin, we clambered round it cautiously, and, on the further side, came upon a mass of fallen

stones and rubble. The ruin itself seemed to me, as I proceeded now to examine it minutely, to be a portion of

the outer wall of some prodigious structure, it was so thick and substantially built; yet what it was doing in

such a position, I could by no means conjecture. Where was the rest of the house, or castle, or whatever there

I went back to the outer side of the wall, and thence to the edge of the chasm, leaving Tonnison rooting

systematically among the heap of stones and rubbish on the outer side. Then I commenced to examine the

surface of the ground, near the edge of the abyss, to see whether there were not left other remnants of the

building to which the fragment of ruin evidently belonged. But, though I scrutinised the earth with the

greatest care, I could see no signs of anything to show that there had ever been a building erected on the spot,

Then, I heard a cry from Tonnison; he was shouting my name, excitedly, and, without delay, I hurried along

the rocky promontory to the ruin. I wondered whether he had hurt himself, and then the thought came, that

I reached the crumbled wall, and climbed round. There, I found Tonnison standing within a small excavation

that he had made among the d�bris: he was brushing the dirt from something that looked like a book, much

crumpled and dilapidated; and opening his mouth, every second or two, to bellow my name. As soon as he

saw that I had come, he handed his prize to me, telling me to put it into my satchel so as to protect it from the

damp, while he continued his explorations. This I did, first, however, running the pages through my fingers,

and noting that they were closely filled with neat, oldfashioned writing which was quite legible, save in one

portion, where many of the pages were almost destroyed, being muddied and crumpled, as though the book

had been doubled back at that part. This, I found out from Tonnison, was actually as he had discovered it, and

the damage was due, probably, to the fall of masonry upon the opened part. Curiously enough, the book was

fairly dry, which I attributed to its having been so securely buried among the ruins.

Having put the volume away safely, I turnedto and gave Tonnison a hand with his selfimposed task of

excavating; yet, though we put in over an hour's hard work, turning over the whole of the upheaped stones

and rubbish, we came upon nothing more than some fragments of broken wood, that might have been parts of

a desk or table; and so we gave up searching, and went back along the rock, once more to the safety of the

The next thing we did was to make a complete tour of the tremendous chasm, which we were able to observe

was in the form of an almost perfect circle, save for where the ruincrowned spur of rock jutted out, spoiling

The abyss was, as Tonnison put it, like nothing so much as a gigantic well or pit going sheer down into the

For some time longer, we continued to stare about us, and then, noticing that there was a clear space away to

Here, distant from the mouth of the mighty pit by some hundreds of yards, we came upon a great lake of

silent watersilent, that is, save in one place where there was a continuous bubbling and gurgling.

Now, being away from the noise of the spouting cataract, we were able to hear one another speak, without

having to shout at the tops of our voices, and I asked Tonnison what he thought of the placeI told him that

I didn't like it, and that the sooner we were out of it the better I should be pleased.

He nodded in reply, and glanced at the woods behind, furtively. I asked him if he had seen or heard anything.

He made no answer; but stood silent, as though listening, and I kept quiet also.

"Hark!" he said, sharply. I looked at him, and then away among the trees and bushes, holding my breath

involuntarily. A minute came and went in strained silence; yet I could hear nothing, and I turned to Tonnison

to say as much; and then, even as I opened my lips to speak, there came a strange wailing noise out of the

wood on our left. . . . It appeared to float through the trees, and there was a rustle of stirring leaves, and then

All at once, Tonnison spoke, and put his hand on my shoulder. "Let us get out of here," he said, and began to

move slowly towards where the surrounding trees and bushes seemed thinnest. As I followed him, it came to

me suddenly that the sun was low, and that there was a raw sense of chilliness in the air.

Tonnison said nothing further, but kept on steadily. We were among the trees now, and I glanced around,

nervously; but saw nothing, save the quiet branches and trunks and the tangled bushes. Onwards we went,

and no sound broke the silence, except the occasional snapping of a twig under our feet, as we moved

forward. Yet, in spite of the quietness, I had a horrible feeling that we were not alone; and I kept so close to

Tonnison that twice I kicked his heels clumsily, though he said nothing. A minute, and then another, and we

reached the confines of the wood coming out at last upon the bare rockiness of the countryside. Only then

was I able to shake off the haunting dread that had followed me among the trees.

Once, as we moved away, there seemed to come again a distant sound of walling, and I said to myself that it

"Look you," he said with decision, "I would not spend the night in that place for all the wealth that the world

holds. There is something unholydiabolical about it. It came to me all in a moment, just after you spoke. It

"Yes," I answered, and looked back towards the place; but it was hidden from us by a rise in the ground.

"Perhaps," he continued, "we shall learn something from it when we get back to the tent. We had better hurry,

too; we're a long way off still, and I don't fancy, now, being caught out here in the dark."

It was two hours later when we reached the tent; and, without delay, we set to work to prepare a meal; for we

Supper over we cleared the things out of the way, and lit our pipes. Then Tonnison asked me to get the

manuscript out of my satchel. This I did, and then, as we could not both read from it at the same time, he

suggested that I should read the thing out loud. "And mind," he cautioned, knowing my propensities, "don't

Yet, had he but known what it contained, he would have realised how needless such advice was, for once at

least. And there seated in the opening of our little tent, I began the strange tale of "The House on the

Borderland" (for such was the title of the MS.) ; this is told in the following pages.

"I AM an old man. I live here in this ancient house, surrounded by huge, unkempt gardens. "The peasantry,

who inhabit the wilderness beyond, say that I am mad. That is because I will have nothing to do with them. I

live here alone with my old sister, who is also my housekeeper. We keep no servantsI hate them. I have

one friend, a dog; yes, I would sooner have old Pepper than the rest of Creation together. He, at least,

understands meand has sense enough to leave me alone when I am in my dark moods.

"I have decided to start a kind of diary; it may enable me to record some of the thoughts and feelings that I

cannot express to any one; but, beyond this, I am anxious to make some record of the strange things that I

have heard and seen, during many years of loneliness, in this weird old building.

"For a couple of centuries, this house has had a reputation, a bad one, and, until I bought it, for more than

eighty years no one had lived here; consequently, I got the old place at a ridiculously low figure.

"I am not superstitious; but I have ceased to deny that things happen in this old housethings that I cannot

explain; and, therefore, I must needs ease my mind, by writing down an account of them, to the best of my

ability; though, should this, my diary, ever be read when I am gone, the readers will but shake their heads,

"This house, how ancient it is! though its age strikes one less, perhaps, than the quaintness of its structure,

which is curious and fantastic to the last degree. Little curved towers and pinnacles, with outlines suggestive

of leaping flames, predominate; while the body of the building is in the form of a circle.

"I have heard that there is an old story, told amongst the country people, to the effect that the devil built the

place. However, that is as may be. True or not, I neither know nor care, save as it may have helped to cheapen

"I must have been here some ten years, before I saw sufficient to warrant any belief in the stories, current in

the neighbourhood, about this house. It is true that I had, on at least a dozen occasions, seen, vaguely, things

that puzzled me, and, perhaps, had felt more than I had seen. Then, as the years passed, bringing age upon

me, I became often aware of something unseen, yet unmistakably present, in the empty rooms and corridors.

Still, it was, as I have said, many years before I saw any real manifestations of the, so called, supernatural.

"It was not Hallowe'en. If I were telling a story for amusement's sake, I should probably place it on that night

of nights; but this is a true record of my own experiences, and I would not put pen to paper to amuse any one.

No. It was after midnight on the morning of the twentyfirst day of January. I was sitting reading, as is often

"Without warning, the flames of the two candles went low, and then shone with a ghastly, green effulgence. I

looked up, quickly, and, as I did so, I saw the lights sink into a dull, ruddy tint; so that the room glowed with

a strange, heavy, crimson twilight that gave the shadows, behind the chairs and tables, a double depth of

blackness; and wherever the light struck, it was as though luminous blood had been splashed over the room.

"Down on the floor, I heard a faint, frightened whimper, and something pressed itself in between my two feet.

It was Pepper, cowering under my dressinggown. Pepper, usually as brave as a lion!

"It was this movement of the dog's, I think, that gave me the first twinge of real fear. I had been considerably

startled when the lights burnt first green and then red; but had been momentarily under the impression that

the change was due to some influx of noxious gas into the room. Now, however, I saw that it was not so; for

the candles burned with a steady flame, and showed no signs of going out, as would have been the case had

"I did not move. I felt distinctly frightened; but could think of nothing better to do than wait. For perhaps a

minute, I kept my glance about the room, nervously. Then, I noticed that the lights had commenced to sink,

very slowly; until, presently, they showed, minute specks of red fire, like the gleamings of rubies, in the

darkness. Still, I sat watching; while a sort of dreamy indifference seemed to steal over me; banishing,

"Away in the far end of the huge, oldfashioned room, I became conscious of a faint glow. Steadily it grew,

filling the room with gleams of quivering green light; then they sank quickly, and changedeven as the

candleflames had doneinto a deep, sombre crimson, that strengthened, and lit up the room with a flood of

"The light came from the end wall, and grew ever brighter, until its intolerable glare caused my eyes acute

pain, and, involuntarily, I closed them. It may have been a few seconds before I was able to open them. The

first thing I noticed, was that the light had decreased, greatly; so that it no longer tried my eyes. Then, as it

grew still duller, I was aware, all at once, that, instead of looking at the redness, I was staring through it, and

"Gradually, as I became more accustomed to the idea, I realised that I was looking out on to a vast plain, lit

with the same gloomy twilight that pervaded the room. The immensity of this plain scarcely can be

conceived. In no part could I perceive its confines. It seemed to broaden and spread out, so that the eye failed

to perceive any limitations. Slowly, the details of the nearer portions began to grow clear; then, in a moment

"Suddenly, I became conscious that I was no longer in the chair. Instead, I seemed to be hovering above it,

and looking down at a dim something, huddled and silent. In a little while, a cold blast struck me, and I was

outside in the night, floating, like a bubble, up through the darkness. As I moved, an icy coldness seemed to

"After a time, I looked to right and left, and saw the intolerable blackness of the night, pierced by remote

gleams of fire. Onwards, outwards, I drove. Once, I glanced behind, and saw the earth, a small crescent of

blue light, receding away to my left. Further off, the sun, a splash of white flame, burned vividly against the

"An indefinite period passed. Then, for the last time, I saw the earthan enduring globule of radiant blue,

swimming in an eternity of ether. And there I, a fragile flake of souldust, flickered silently across the void,

"A great while seemed to pass over me, and now I could nowhere see anything. I had passed beyond the fixed

stars, and plunged into the huge blackness that waits beyond. All this time, I had experienced little, save a

sense of lightness and cold discomfort. Now, however, the atrocious darkness seemed to creep into my soul,

and I became filled with fear and despair. What was going to become of me? Where was I going? Even as the

thoughts were formed, there grew, against the impalpable blackness that wrapped me, a faint tinge of blood.

It seemed extraordinarily remote, and mistlike; yet, at once, the feeling of oppression was lightened, and I no

"Slowly, the distant redness became plainer and larger; until, as I drew nearer, it spread out into a great,

sombre glaredull and tremendous. Still, I fled onward, and, presently, I had come so close, that it seemed

to stretch beneath me, like a great ocean of sombre red. I could see little, save that it appeared to spread out

"In a further space, I found that I was descending upon it; and, soon, I sank into a great sea of sullen,

redhued clouds. Slowly, I emerged from these, and there, below me, I saw the stupendous plain, that I had

"Presently, I landed, and stood, surrounded by a great waste of loneliness. The place was lit with a gloomy

"Afar to my right, within the sky, there burnt a gigantic ring of dullred fire, from the outer edge of which

were projected huge, writhing flames, darted and jagged. The interior of this ring was black, black as the

gloom of the outer night. I comprehended, at once, that it was from this extraordinary sun that the place

"From that strange source of light, I glanced down again to my surroundings. Everywhere I looked, I saw

nothing but the same flat weariness of interminable plain. Nowhere could I descry any signs of life; not even

"Gradually, I found that I was being borne forward, floating across the flat waste. For what seemed an

eternity, I moved onwards. I was unaware of any great sense of impatience; though some curiosity and a vast

wonder were with me continually. Always, I saw around me the breadth of that enormous plain; and, always,

I searched for some new thing to break its monotony; but there was no changeonly loneliness, silence and

"Presently, in a halfconscious manner, I noticed that there was a faint mistiness, ruddy in hue, lying over its

surface. Still, when I looked more intently, I was unable to say that it was really mist; for it appeared to blend

with the plain, giving it a peculiar unrealness, and conveying to the senses the idea of unsubstantiality.

"Gradually, I began to weary with the sameness of the thing. Yet, it was a great time before I perceived any

"At first, I saw it, far ahead, like a long hillock on the surface of the Plain. Then, as I drew nearer, I perceived

that I had been mistaken; for, instead of a low hill, I made out, now, a chain of great mountains, whose distant

"AND SO, after a time, I came to the mountains. Then, the course of my journey was altered, and I began to

move along their bases, until, all at once, I saw that I had come opposite to a vast rift, opening into the

mountains. Through this, I was borne, moving at no great speed. On either side of me, huge, scarped walls of

rocklike substance rose sheer. Far overhead, I discerned a thin ribbon of red, where the mouth of the chasm

opened, among inaccessible peaks. Within, was gloom, deep and sombre, and chilly silence. For awhile, I

went onward steadily, and then, at last, I saw, ahead, a deep, red glow, that told me I was near upon the

further opening of the gorge. "A minute came and went, and I was at the exit of the chasm, staring out upon

an enormous amphitheatre of mountains. Yet, of the mountains, and the terrible grandeur of the place, I

recked nothing; for I was confounded with amazement, to behold, at a distance of several miles, and

occupying the centre of the arena, a stupendous structure, built apparently of green jade. Yet, in itself, it was

not the discovery of the building that had so astonished me; but the fact, which became every moment more

apparent, that in no particular, save in colour and its enormous size, did the lonely structure vary from this

"For awhile, I continued to stare, fixedly. Even then, I could scarcely believe that I saw aright. In my mind, a

question formed, reiterating incessantly: 'What does it mean?' 'What does it mean?' and I was unable to make

answer, even out of the depths of my imagination. I seemed capable only of wonder and fear. For a time

longer, I gazed, noting, continually, some fresh point of resemblance that attracted me. At last, wearied and

sorely puzzled, I turned from it, to view the rest of the strange place on to which I had intruded.

"Hitherto, I had been so engrossed in my scrutiny of the House, that I had given only a cursory glance round.

Now, as I looked, I began to realise upon what sort of a place I had come. The arena, for so I have termed it,

appeared a perfect circle of about ten to twelve miles in diameter, the House, as I have mentioned before,

standing in the centre. The surface of the place, like to that of the Plain, had a peculiar, misty appearance, that

"From a rapid survey, my glance passed quickly upwards, along the slopes of the circling mountains. How

silent they were. I think that this same abominable stillness was more trying to me, than anything that I had,

so far, seen or imagined. I was looking up, now, at the great crags, towering so loftily. Up there, the

"And then, as I peered, curiously, a new terror came to me; for, away up among the dim peaks to my right, I

had descried a vast shape of blackness, giantlike. It grew upon my sight. It had an enormous equine head,

with gigantic ears, and seemed to peer steadfastly down into the arena. There was that about the pose, that

gave me the impression of an eternal watchfulnessof having warded that dismal place, through unknown

eternities. Slowly, the monster became plainer to me; and then, suddenly, my gaze sprang from it to

something further off and higher among the crags. For a long minute, I gazed, fearfully. I was strangely

conscious of something not altogether unfamiliaras though something stirred in the back of my mind. The

thing was black, and had four grotesque arms. The features showed, indistinctly. Round the neck, I made out

several lightcoloured objects. Slowly, the details came to me, and I realised, coldly, that they were skulls.

Further down the body was another circling belt, showing less dark against the black trunk. Then, even as I

puzzled to know what the thing was, a memory slid into my mind, and straightway, I knew that I was looking

"Other remembrances of my old student days drifted into my thoughts. My glance fell back upon the huge

beastheaded Thing. Simultaneously, I recognised it for the ancient Egyptian god Set, or Seth, the Destroyer

of Souls. With the knowledge, there came a great sweep of questioning'Two of the!' I stopped, and

endeavoured to think. Things beyond my imagination, peered into my frightened mind. I saw, obscurely. 'The

old gods of mythology!' I tried to comprehend to what it was all pointing. My gaze dwelt, flickeringly,

"An idea came swiftly, and I turned, and glanced rapidly upwards, searching the gloomy crags, away to my

left. Something loomed out under a great peak, a shape of greyness. I wondered I had not seen it earlier, and

then remembered I had not yet viewed that portion. I saw it more plainly now. It was, as I have said, grey. It

"Now, I saw that there were other things up among the mountains. Further off, reclining on a lofty ledge, I

made out a livid mass, irregular and ghoulish. It seemed without form, save for an unclean, halfanimal face,

that looked out, vilely, from somewhere about its middle. And then, I saw othersthere were hundreds of

them. They seemed to grow out of the shadows. Several, I recognised, almost immediately, as mythological

deities; others were strange to me, utterly strange, beyond the power of a human mind to conceive.

"On each side, I looked, and saw more, continually. The mountains were full of strange thingsBeastgods,

and Horrors, so atrocious and bestial that possibility and decency deny any further attempt to describe them.

And II was filled with a terrible sense of overwhelming horror and fear and repugnance; yet, spite of these,

I wondered exceedingly. Was there then, after all, something in the old heathen worship, something more

than the mere deifying of men, animals and elements? The thought gripped mewas there?

"Later, a question repeated itself. What were they, those Beastgods, and the others? At first, they had

appeared to me, just sculptured Monsters, placed indiscriminately among the inaccessible peaks and

precipices of the surrounding mountains. Now, as I scrutinised them with greater intentness, my mind began

to reach out to fresh conclusions. There was something about them, an indescribable sort of silent vitality,

that suggested, to my broadening consciousness, a state of lifeindeatha something that was by no means

life, as we understand it; but rather an inhuman form of existence, that well might be likened to a deathless

trancea condition in which it was possible to imagine their continuing, eternally. 'Immortal!' the word rose

in my thoughts unbidden; and, straightway, I grew to wondering whether this might be the immortality of the

"And then, in the midst of my wondering and musing, something happened. Until then, I had been staying,

just within the shadow of the exit of the great rift. Now, without volition on my part, I drifted out of the

semidarkness, and began to move slowly across the arenatowards the House. At this, I gave up all

thoughts of those prodigious Shapes above meand could only stare, frightenedly, at the tremendous

structure, towards which I was being conveyed so remorselessly. Yet, though I searched earnestly, I could

"Presently, I had reached a point more than halfway between the House and the gorge. All around, was

spread the stark loneliness of the place, and the unbroken silence. Steadily, I neared the great building. Then,

all at once, something caught my vision, something that came round one of the huge buttresses of the House,

and so into full view. It was a gigantic thing, and moved with a curious lope, going almost upright, after the

manner of a man. It was quite unclothed, and had a remarkable luminous appearance. Yet it was the face that

"Silently, intently, I watched this horrible creature, and forgot my fear, momentarily, in my interest in its

movements. It was making its way, cumbrously, round the building, stopping, as it came to each window, to

peer in, and shake at the bars, with whichas in this housethey were protected; and whenever it came to a

door, it would push at it, fingering the fastening stealthily. Evidently, it was searching for an ingress into the

"I had come now to within less than a quarter of a mile of the great structure, and still I was compelled

forward. Abruptly, the Thing turned, and gazed, hideously, in my direction. It opened its mouth, and, for the

first time, the stillness of that abominable place was broken, by a deep, booming note, that sent an added

thrill of apprehension through me. Then, immediately, I became aware that it was coming towards me,

swiftly and silently. In an instant, it had covered half the distance that lay between. And still, I was borne

helplessly to meet it. Only a hundred yards, and the brutish ferocity of the giant face numbed me with a

feeling of unmitigated horror. I could have screamed, in the supremeness of my fear; and then, in the very

moment of my extremity and despair, I became conscious that I was looking down upon the arena, from a

rapidlyincreasing height. I was rising, rising. In an inconceivably short while, I had reached an altitude of

many hundred feet. Beneath me, the spot that I had just left, was occupied by the foul Swinecreature. It had

gone down on all fours, and was snuffing and rooting, like a veritable hog, at the surface of the arena. A

moment, and it rose to its feet, clutching upwards, with an expression of desire upon its face, such as I have

"Continually, I mounted higher. A few minutes, it seemed, and I had risen above the great

mountainsfloating, alone, afar in the redness. At a tremendous distance below, the arena showed, dimly;

with the mighty House looking no larger than a tiny spot of green. The Swinething was no longer visible.

"Presently, I passed over the mountains, out above the huge breadth of the plain. Far away, on its surface, in

the direction of the ringshaped sun, there showed a confused blur. I looked towards it, indifferently. It

reminded me, somewhat, of the first glimpse I had caught of the mountainamphitheatre.

"With a sense of weariness, I glanced upwards at the immense ring of fire. What a strange thing it was! Then,

as I stared, out from the dark centre, there spurted a sudden flare of extraordinary vivid fire. Compared with

the size of the black centre, it was as naught; yet, in itself, stupendous. With awakened interest, I watched it

carefully, noting its strange boiling and glowing. Then, in a moment, the whole thing grew dim and unreal,

and so passed out of sight. Much amazed, I glanced down to the Plain from which I was still rising. Thus, I

received a fresh surprise. The Plaineverything, had vanished, and only a sea of red mist was spread, far

below me. Gradually, as I stared, this grew remote, and died away into a dim, far mystery of red, against an

unfathomable night. Awhile, and even this had gone, and I was wrapped in an impalpable, lightless gloom.

"THUS I was, and only the memory that I had lived through the dark, once before, served to sustain my

thoughts. A great time passedages. And then a single star broke its way through the darkness. It was the

first of one of the outlying clusters of this universe. Presently, it was far behind, and all about me shone the

splendour of the countless stars. Later, years it seemed, I saw the sun, a clot of flame. Around it, I made out,

presently, several remote specks of lightthe planets of the Solar system. And so I saw the earth again, blue

and unbelievably minute. It grew larger, and became defined. "A long space of time came and went, and then,

at last, I entered into the shadow of the worldplunging headlong into the dim and holy earthnight.

Overhead, were the old constellations, and there was a crescent moon. Then, as I neared the earth's surface, a

"For awhile, I knew nothing. I was unconscious. Gradually, I became aware of a faint, distant whining. It

became plainer. A desperate feeling of agony possessed me. I struggled madly for breath, and tried to shout.

A moment, and I got my breath more easily. I was conscious that something was licking my hand. Something

damp, swept across my face. I heard a panting, and then again the whining. It seemed to come to my ears,

now, with a sense of familiarity, and I opened my eyes. All was dark; but the feeling of oppression had left

me. I was seated, and something was whining piteously, and licking me. I felt strangely confused, and,

instinctively, tried to ward off the thing that licked. My head was curiously vacant, and, for the moment, I

seemed incapable of action or thought. Then, things came back to me, and I called 'Pepper,' faintly. I was

"In a little while, I felt stronger, and put out my hand for the matches. I groped about, for a few moments,

blindly; then my hands lit upon them, and I struck a light, and looked confusedly around. All about me, I saw

the old, familiar things. And there I sat, full of dazed wonders, until the flame of the match burnt my finger,

and I dropped it; while a hasty expression of pain and anger, escaped my lips, surprising me with the sound of

"After a moment, I struck another match, and, stumbling across the room, lit the candles. As I did so, I

"As the flames shot up, I turned, and stared about the study; yet there was nothing unusual to see; and,

suddenly, a gust of irritation took me. What had happened? I held my head, with both hands, and tried to

remember. Ah! the great, silent Plain, and the ringshaped sun of red fire. Where were they? Where had I

seen them? How long ago? I felt dazed and muddled. Once or twice, I walked up and down the room,

unsteadily. My memory seemed dulled, and, already, the thing I had witnessed, came back to me with an

"I have a remembrance of cursing, peevishly, in my bewilderment. Suddenly, I turned faint and giddy, and

had to grasp at the table for support. During a few moments, I held on, weakly; and then managed to totter

sideways into a chair. After a little time, I felt somewhat better, and succeeded in reaching the cupboard

where, usually, I keep brandy and biscuits. I poured myself out a little of the stimulant, and drank it off. Then,

taking a handful of biscuits, I returned to my chair, and began to devour them, ravenously. I was vaguely

surprised at my hunger. I felt as though I had eaten nothing for an uncountably long while.

"As I ate, my glance roved about the room, taking in its various details, and still searching, though almost

unconsciously, for something tangible upon which to take hold, among the invisible mysteries that

encompassed me. 'Surely,' I thought, 'there must be something' And, in the same instant, my gaze dwelt

upon the face of the clock in the opposite corner. Therewith, I stopped eating, and just stared. For, though its

ticking indicated, most certainly, that it was still going, the hands were pointing to a little before the hour of

midnight; whereas it was, as well I knew, considerably after that time when I had witnessed the first of the

"For, perhaps a moment, I was astounded and puzzled. Had the hour been the same, as when I had last seen

the clock, I should have concluded that the hands had stuck in one place, while the internal mechanism went

on as usual; but that would, in no way, account for the hands having travelled backwards. Then, even as I

turned the matter over in my wearied brain, the thought flashed upon me, that it was now close upon the

morning of the twentysecond, and that I had been unconscious to the visible world through the greater

portion of the last twentyfour hours. The thought occupied my attention for a full minute; then I commenced

"During breakfast, next morning, I inquired, casually of my sister, regarding the date, and found my surmise

correct. I had, indeed, been absentat least in spiritfor nearly a day and a night.

"My sister asked me no questions; for it is not, by any means, the first time that I have kept to my study for a

whole day, and sometimes a couple of days, at a time, when I have been particularly engrossed in my books

"And so the days pass on, and I am still filled with a wonder, to know the meaning of all that I saw on that

memorable night. Yet, well I know that my curiosity is little likely to be satisfied.

"THIS HOUSE IS, as I have said before, surrounded by a huge estate, and wild and uncultivated gardens.

"Away at the back, distant some three hundred yards, is a dark, deep ravinespoken of as the 'Pit,' by the

peasantry. At the bottom, runs a sluggish stream, so overhung by trees, as scarcely to be seen from above.

"In passing, I must explain that this river has a subterranean origin, emerging, suddenly, at the East end of the

ravine, and disappearing, as abruptly, beneath the cliffs that form its Western extremity.

"It was some months after my vision (if vision it were) of the great Plain, that my attention was particularly

"I happened, one day, to be walking along its Southern edge, when, suddenly, several pieces of rock and

shale were dislodged from the face of the cliff, immediately beneath me, and fell, with a sullen crash, through

the trees. I heard them splash in the river, at the bottom; and then silence. I should not have given this

incident more than a passing thought, had not Pepper, at once, begun to bark, savagely; nor would he be silent

"Feeling that there must be some one or something in the Pit, I went back to the house, quickly, for a stick.

When I returned, Pepper had ceased his barks, and was growling and smelling, uneasily, along the top.

"Whistling to him, to follow me, I started to descend, cautiously. The depth, to the bottom of the Pit, must be

about a hundred and fifty feet, and some time, as well as considerable care, was expended before we reached

"Once down, Pepper and I started to explore along the banks of the river. It was very dark there, due to the

overhanging trees, and I moved warily, keeping my glance about me, and my stick ready.

"Pepper was quiet now, and kept close to me all the time. Thus, we searched right up one side of the river,

without hearing or seeing anything. Then, we crossed overby the simple method of jumpingand

"We had accomplished, perhaps, half the distance, when I heard, again, the sound of falling stones on the

other sidethe side from which we had just come. One large rock came thundering down through the

treetops, struck the opposite bank, and bounded into the river, driving a great jet of water right over us. At

this, Pepper gave out a deep growl; then stopped, and pricked up his ears. I listened, also.

"A second later, a loud, halfhuman, halfpiglike squeal sounded from among the trees, apparently about

halfway up the South cliff. It was answered by a similar note from the bottom of the Pit. At this, Pepper

gave a short, sharp bark, and, springing across the little river, disappeared into the bushes.

"Immediately afterwards, I heard his barks increase in depth and number, and, in between, there sounded a

noise of confused jabbering. This ceased, and, in the succeeding silence, there rose a semihuman yell of

agony. Almost immediately, Pepper gave a longdrawn howl of pain, and then the shrubs were violently

agitated, and he came running out, with his tail down, and glancing, as he ran, over his shoulder. As he

reached me, I saw that he was bleeding from what appeared to be a great claw wound in the side, that had

"Seeing Pepper thus mutilated, a furious feeling of anger seized me, and, whirling my staff, I sprang across,

and into the bushes from which Pepper had emerged. As I forced my way through, I thought I heard a sound

of breathing. Next instant, I had burst into a little clear space, just in time to see something, livid white in

colour, disappear among the bushes on the opposite side. With a shout, I ran towards it; but, though I struck

and probed among the bushes with my stick, I neither saw nor heard anything further; and so returned to

Pepper. There, after bathing his wound in the river, I bound my wetted handkerchief round his body; having

"On reaching the house, my sister inquired what had happened to Pepper, and I told her he had been fighting

"I felt it would be better not to tell her how it had really happened; though, to be sure, I scarcely knew,

myself; but this I did know, that the thing I had seen run into the bushes, was no wild cat. It was much too

big, and had, so far as I had observed, a skin like a hog's, only of a dead, unhealthy white colour. And

thenit had run upright, or nearly so, upon its hind feet, with a motion somewhat resembling that of a

human being. This much, I had noticed in my brief glimpse, and, truth to tell, I felt a good deal of uneasiness,

"Then, it would be after dinner, as I sat reading, that, happening to look up suddenly, I saw something peering

" 'A pig, by Jove!' I said, and rose to my feet. Thus, I saw the thing more completely; but it was no pigGod

alone knows what it was. It reminded me, vaguely, of the hideous Thing that had haunted the great arena. It

had a grotesquely human mouth and jaw; but with no chin of which to speak. The nose was prolonged into a

snout; this it was, that, with the little eyes and queer ears, gave it such an extraordinarily swinelike

appearance. Of forehead there was little, and the whole face was of an unwholesome white colour.

"For, perhaps a minute, I stood looking at the thing, with an ever growing feeling of disgust, and some fear.

The mouth kept jabbering, inanely, and once emitted a halfswinish grunt. I think it was the eyes that

attracted me the most; they seemed to glow, at times, with a horribly human intelligence, and kept flickering

away from my face, over the details of the room, as though my stare disturbed it.

"It appeared to be supporting itself, by two clawlike hands upon the windowsill. These claws, unlike the

face, were of a clayey brown hue, and bore an indistinct resemblance to human hands, in that they had four

fingers and a thumb; though these were webbed up to the first joint, much as are a duck's. Nails it had also,

but so long and powerful that they were more like the talons of an eagle than aught else.

"As I have said, before, I felt some fear; though almost of an impersonal kind. I may explain my feeling

better by saying that it was more a sensation of abhorrence; such as one might expect to feel, if brought in

contact with something superhumanly foul; something unholybelonging to some hitherto undreamt of state

"I cannot say that I grasped these various details of the brute, at the time. I think they seemed to come back to

me, afterwards, as though imprinted upon my brain. I imagined more than I saw, as I looked at the thing, and

"For, perhaps a minute, I stared at the creature; then, as my nerves steadied a little, I shook off the vague

alarm that held me, and took a step towards the window. Even as I did so, the thing ducked and vanished. I

rushed to the door, and looked round, hurriedly; but only the tangled bushes and shrubs met my gaze.

"I ran back into the house, and, getting my gun, sallied out to search through the gardens. As I went, I asked

myself whether the thing I had just seen, was likely to be the same of which I had caught a glimpse in the

"I would have taken Pepper with me; but judged it better to give his wound a chance to heal. Besides, if the

creature I had just seen, was, as I imagined, his antagonist of the morning, it was not likely that he would be

"I began my search, systematically. I was determined, if it were possible, to find and put an end to that

"At first, I searched, cautiously; with the thought of Pepper's wound in my mind; but, as the hours passed, and

not a sign of anything living, showed in the great, lonely gardens, I became less apprehensive. I felt almost as

though I would welcome the sight of it. Anything seemed better than this silence, with the ever present

feeling, that the creature might be lurking in every bush I passed. Later, I grew careless of danger, to the

extent of plunging right through the bushes, probing with my gunbarrel as I went.

"At times, I shouted; but only the echoes answered back. I thought thus, perhaps to frighten or stir the

creature to showing itself; but only succeeded in bringing my sister Mary out, to know what was the matter. I

told her, that I had seen the wild cat that had wounded Pepper, and that I was trying to hunt it out of the

bushes. She seemed only half satisfied, and went back into the house, with an expression of doubt upon her

face. I wondered whether she had seen or guessed anything. For the rest of the afternoon, I prosecuted the

search, anxiously. I felt that I should be unable to sleep, with that bestial thing haunting the shrubberies, and

yet, when evening fell, I had seen nothing. Then, as I turned homewards, I heard a short, unintelligible noise,

among the bushes to my right. Instantly, I turned, and, aiming quickly, fired in the direction of the sound.

Immediately afterwards, I heard something scuttling away among the bushes. It moved rapidly, and, in a

minute, had gone out of hearing. After a few steps, I ceased my pursuit, realising how futile it must be, in the

fast gathering gloom; and so, with a curious feeling of depression, I entered the house.

"That night, after my sister had gone to bed, I went round to all the windows and doors on the ground floor;

and saw to it, that they were securely fastened. This precaution was scarcely necessary as regards the

windows, as all of those on the lower storey are strongly barred; but with the doorsof which there are

"Having secured these, I went to my study; yet, somehow, for once, the place jarred upon me; it seemed so

huge and echoey. For some time, I tried to read; but, at last, finding it impossible, I carried my book down to

"I dare say, I had read for a couple of hours, when, suddenly, I heard a sound that made me lower my book,

and listen, intently. It was a noise of something rubbing and fumbling against the back door. Once the door

creaked, loudly; as though force were being applied to it. During those few, short moments, I experienced an

indescribable feeling of terror, such as I should have believed impossible. My hands shook; a cold sweat

"Then, for an hour, I sat, silent, and watchful. All at once, the feeling of fear took me again. I felt as I imagine

an animal must, under the eye of a snake. Yet, now, I could hear nothing. Still, there was no doubting that

"Gradually, imperceptibly almost, something stole on my eara sound, that resolved itself into a faint

murmur. Quickly, it developed, and grew into a muffled, but hideous, chorus of bestial shrieks. It appeared to

"I heard a thud, and realised, in a dull, half comprehending way, that I had dropped my book. After that, I just

sat; and thus the daylight found me, when it crept wanly in through the barred, high windows of the great

"With the dawning light, the feeling of stupor and fear left me; and I came more into possession of my senses.

"Thereupon, I picked up my book, and crept to the door, to listen. Not a sound broke the chilly silence. For

some minutes, I stood there; then, very gradually and cautiously, I drew back the bolt, and, opening the door,

"My caution was unneeded. Nothing was to be seen, save the grey vista of dreary, tangled bushes and trees,

"IT WAS EVENING, a week later. My sister sat in the garden, knitting. I was walking up and down, reading.

My gun leant up against the wall of the house; for, since the advent of that strange thing in the gardens, I had

deemed it wise to take precautions. Yet, through the whole week, there had been nothing to alarm me, either

by sight or sound; so that I was able to look back, calmly, to the incident; though still with a sense of

unmitigated wonder and curiosity. "I was, as I have just said, walking up and down, and somewhat engrossed

in my book. Suddenly, I heard a crash, away in the direction of the Pit. With a quick movement, I turned and

"My sister had risen to her feet, with a sharp exclamation of surprise and fright.

"Telling her to stay where she was, I snatched up my gun, and ran towards the Pit. As I neared it, I heard a

dull, rumbling sound, that grew quickly into a roar, split with deeper crashes, and up from the Pit drove a

"I reached the edge, and looked down; but could see nothing, save a boil of dust clouds swirling hither and

thither. The air was so full of the small particles, that they blinded and choked me; and, finally, I had to run

"Gradually, the suspended matter sank, and hung in a panoply over the mouth of the Pit.

"That there had been a landslip of some kind, I had little doubt; but the cause was beyond my knowledge;

and yet, even then, I had half imaginings; for, already, the thought had come to me, of those falling rocks, and

that Thing in the bottom of the Pit; but, in the first minutes of confusion, I failed to reach the natural

"Slowly, the dust subsided, until, presently, I was able to approach the edge, and look down.

"For a while, I peered impotently, trying to see through the reek. At first, it was impossible to make out

anything. Then, as I stared, I saw something below, to my left, that moved. I looked intently towards it, and,

presently, made out another, and then anotherthree dim shapes that appeared to be climbing up the side of

the Pit. I could see them only indistinctly. Even as I stared and wondered, I heard a rattle of stones,

somewhere to my right. I glanced across; but could see nothing. I leant forward, and peered over, and down

into the Pit, just beneath where I stood; and saw no further than a hideous, white swineface, that had risen to

within a couple of yards of my feet. Below it, I could make out several others. As the Thing saw me, it gave a

sudden, uncouth squeal, which was answered from all parts of the Pit. At that, a gust of horror and fear took

me, and, bending down, I discharged my gun right into its face. Straightway, the creature disappeared, with a

"There was a momentary silence, to which, probably, I owe my life; for, during it, I heard a quick patter of

many feet, and, turning sharply, saw a troop of the creatures coming towards me, at a run. Instantly, I raised

my gun and fired at the foremost, who plunged headlong, with a hideous howling. Then, I turned to run.

More than halfway from the house to the Pit, I saw my sistershe was coming towards me. I could not see

her face, distinctly, as the dusk had fallen; but there was fear in her voice as she called to know why I was

"Without more ado, she turned and fledpicking up her skirts with both hands. As I followed, I gave a

glance behind. The brutes were running on their hind legsat times dropping on all fours.

"I think it must have been the terror in my voice, that spurred Mary to run so; for I feel convinced that she

"Each moment, the nearing sounds of the footsteps, told me that the brutes were gaining on us, rapidly.

Fortunately, I am accustomed to live, in some ways, an active life. As it was, the strain of the race was

"Ahead, I could see the back doorluckily it was open. I was some halfdozen yards behind Mary, now, and

my breath was sobbing in my throat. Then, something touched my shoulder. I wrenched my head round,

quickly, and saw one of those monstrous, pallid faces close to mine. One of the creatures, having outrun its

companions, had almost overtaken me. Even as I turned, it made a fresh grab. With a sudden effort, I sprang

to one side, and, swinging my gun by the barrel, brought it crashing down upon the foul creature's head. The

"Even this short delay had been nearly sufficient to bring the rest of the brutes down upon me; so that,

"Reaching it, I burst into the passage; then, turning quickly, slammed and bolted the door, just as the first of

"My sister, sat, gasping, in a chair. She seemed in a fainting condition; but I had no time then to spend on her.

I had to make sure that all the doors were fastened. Fortunately, they were. The one leading from my study

into the gardens, was the last to which I went. I had just had time to note that it was secured, when I thought I

heard a noise outside. I stood perfectly silent, and listened. Yes! Now I could distinctly hear a sound of

whispering, and something slithered over the panels, with a rasping, scratchy noise. Evidently, some of the

brutes were feeling with their clawhands, about the door, to discover whether there were any means of

"That the creatures should, so soon, have found the door, wasto mea proof of their reasoning

capabilities. It assured me that they must not be regarded, by any means, as mere animals. I had felt

something of this before, when that first Thing peered in through my window. Then, I had applied the term

superhuman to it, with an almost instinctive knowledge that the creature was something different from the

brutebeast. Something beyond human; yet in no good sense; but rather, as something foul and hostile to the

great and good in humanity. In a word, as something intelligent, and yet inhuman. The very thought of the

"Now, I bethought me of my sister, and, going to the cupboard, I got out a flask of brandy, and a wineglass.

Taking these, I went down to the kitchen, carrying a lighted candle with me. She was not sitting in the chair,

"Very gently, I turned her over, and raised her head, somewhat. Then, I poured a little of the brandy between

her lips. After a while, she shivered slightly. A little later, she gave several gasps, and opened her eyes. In a

dreamy, unrealising way, she looked at me. Then her eyes closed, slowly, and I gave her a little more of the

brandy. For, perhaps a minute longer, she lay silent, breathing quickly. All at once, her eyes opened again,

and it seemed to me, as I looked, that the pupils were dilated, as though fear had come with returning

consciousness. Then, with a movement so unexpected that I started backwards, she sat up. Noticing that she

seemed giddy, I put out my hand to steady her. At that, she gave a loud scream, and, scrambling to her feet,

"For a moment, I stayed therekneeling and holding the brandy flask. I was utterly puzzled and astonished.

"Could she be afraid of me? But no! Why should she? I could only conclude that her nerves were badly

shaken, and that she was temporarily unhinged. Upstairs, I heard a door bang, loudly, and I knew that she had

taken refuge in her room. I put the flask down on the table. My attention was distracted by a noise in the

direction of the back door. I went towards it, and listened. It appeared to be shaken, as though some of the

creatures struggled with it, silently; but it was far too strongly constructed and hung to be easily moved.

"Out in the gardens, rose a continuous sound. It might have been mistaken, by a casual listener, for the

grunting and squealing of a herd of pigs. But, as I stood there, it came to me that there was sense and meaning

to all those swinish noises. Gradually, I seemed able to trace a semblance in it to human speechglutinous

and sticky, as though each articulation were made with difficulty: yet, nevertheless, I was becoming

convinced that it was no mere medley of sounds; but a rapid interchange of ideas.

"By this time, it had grown quite dark in the passages, and from these came all the varied cries and groans of

which an old house is so full after nightfall. It is, no doubt, because things are then quieter, and one has more

leisure to hear. Also, there may be something in the theory that the sudden change of temperature, at

sundown, affects the structure of the house, somewhatcausing it to contract and settle, as it were, for the

night. However, this is as may be; but, on that night in particular, I would gladly have been quit of so many

eerie noises. It seemed to me, that each crack and creak was the coming of one of those Things along the dark

corridors; though I knew in my heart that this could not be, for I had seen, myself, that all the doors were

"Gradually, however, these sounds grew on my nerves to such an extent that, were it only to punish my

cowardice, I felt I must make the round of the basement again, and, if anything were there, face it. And then, I

would go up to my study; for I knew sleep was out of the question, with the house surrounded by creatures,

"Taking the kitchen lamp down from its hook, I made my way from cellar to cellar, and room to room;

through pantry and coalholealong passages, and into the hundredandone little blind alleys and hidden

nooks that form the basement of the old house. Then, when I knew I had been in every corner and cranny

"With my foot on the first step, I paused. It seemed to me, I heard a movement, apparently from the buttery,

which is to the left of the staircase. It had been one of the first places I searched, and yet, I felt certain my ears

had not deceived me. My nerves were strung now, and, with hardly any hesitation, I stepped up to the door,

holding the lamp above my head. In a glance, I saw that the place was empty, save for the heavy, stone slabs,

supported by brick pillars; and I was about to leave it, convinced that I had been mistaken; when, in turning,

my light was flashed back from two bright spots outside the window, and high up. For a few moments, I

stood there, staring. Then they movedrevolving slowly, and throwing out alternate scintillations of green

"Slowly, I traced the shadowy outline of one of the Things. It appeared to be holding on to the bars of the

window, and its attitude suggested climbing. I went nearer to the window, and held the light higher. There

was no need to be afraid of the creature; the bars were strong, and there was little danger of its being able to

move them. And then, suddenly, in spite of the knowledge that the brute could not reach to harm me, I had a

return of the horrible sensation of fear, that had assailed me on that night, a week previously. It was the same

feeling of helpless, shuddering fright. I realised, dimly, that the creature's eyes were looking into mine with a

steady, compelling stare. I tried to turn away; but could not. I seemed, now, to see the window through a mist.

Then, I thought other eyes came and peered, and yet others; until a whole galaxy of malignant, staring orbs

"My head began to swim, and throb violently. Then, I was aware of a feeling of acute physical pain in my left

hand. It grew more severe, and forced, literally forced, my attention. With a tremendous effort, I glanced

down; and, with that, the spell that had held me was broken. I realised, then, that I had, in my agitation,

unconsciously caught hold of the hot lampglass, and burnt my hand, badly. I looked up to the window,

again. The misty appearance had gone, and, now, I saw that it was crowded with dozens of bestial faces. With

a sudden access of rage, I raised the lamp, and hurled it, full at the window. It struck the glass (smashing a

pane), and passed between two of the bars, out into the garden, scattering burning oil as it went. I heard

several loud cries of pain, and, as my sight became accustomed to the dark, I discovered that the creatures

"Pulling myself together, I groped for the door, and, having found it, made my way upstairs, stumbling at

each step. I felt dazed, as though I had received a blow on the head. At the same time, my hand smarted

"Reaching my study, I lit the candles. As they burnt up, their rays were reflected from the rack of firearms on

the side wall. At the sight, I remembered that I had there a power, which, as I had proved earlier, seemed as

fatal to those monsters as to more ordinary animals; and I determined I would take the offensive.

"First of all, I bound up my hand; for the pain was fast becoming intolerable. After that, it seemed easier, and

I crossed the room, to the rifle stand. There, I selected a heavy riflean old and tried weapon; and, having

procured ammunition, I made my way up into one of the small towers, with which the house is crowned.

"From there, I found that I could see nothing. The gardens presented a dim blur of shadowsa little blacker,

perhaps, where the trees stood. That was all, and I knew that it was useless to shoot down into all that

darkness. The only thing to be done, was to wait for the moon to rise; then, I might be able to do a little

"In the meantime, I sat still, and kept my ears open. The gardens were comparatively quiet now, and only an

occasional grunt or squeal came up to me. I did not like this silence; it made me wonder on what devilry the

creatures were bent. Twice, I left the tower, and took a walk through the house; but everything was silent.

"Once, I heard a noise, from the direction of the Pit, as though more earth had fallen. Following this, and

lasting for some fifteen minutes, there was a commotion among the denizens of the gardens. This died away,

"About an hour later, the moon's light showed above the distant horizon. From where I sat, I could see it over

the trees; but it was not until it rose clear of them, that I could make out any of the details in the gardens

below. Even then, I could see none of the brutes; until, happening to crane forward, I saw several of them

lying prone, up against the wall of the house. What they were doing, I could not make out. It was, however, a

chance too good to be ignored; and, taking aim, I fired at the one directly beneath. There was a shrill scream,

and, as the smoke cleared away, I saw that it had turned on its back, and was writhing, feebly. Then, it was

"Immediately after this, I heard a loud squeal, in the direction of the Pit. It was answered, a hundred times,

from every part of the garden. This gave me some notion of the number of the creatures, and I began to feel

"As I sat there, silent and watchful, the thought came to meWhy was all this? What were these Things?

What did it mean? Then my thoughts flew back to that vision (though, even now, I doubt whether it was a

vision) of the Plain of Silence. What did that mean? I wonderedAnd that Thing in the arena? Ugh! Lastly, I

thought of the house I had seen in that faraway place. That house, so like this in every detail of external

structure, that it might have been modelled from it; or this from that. I had never thought of that

"At this moment, there came another long squeal, from the Pit, followed, a second later, by a couple of

shorter ones. At once, the garden was filled with answering cries. I stood up, quickly, and looked over the

parapet. In the moonlight, it seemed as though the shrubberies were alive. They tossed hither and thither, as

though shaken by a strong, irregular wind; while a continuous rustling, and a noise of scampering feet, rose

up to me. Several times, I saw the moonlight gleam on running, white figures among the bushes, and, twice, I

"A minute later, the gardens lay silent. From the Pit, came a deep, hoarse Babel of swinetalk. At times,

angry cries smote the air, and they would be answered by multitudinous gruntings. It occurred to me, that

they were holding some kind of a council, perhaps to discuss the problem of entering the house. Also, I

"It occurred to me, that now would be a good time to make a final survey of our defences. This, I proceeded

to do at once; visiting the whole of the basement again, and examining each of the doors. Luckily, they are

all, like the back one, built of solid, ironstudded oak. Then, I went upstairs to the study. I was more anxious

about this door. It is, palpably, of a more modern make than the others, and, though a stout piece of work, it

"I must explain here, that there is a small, raised lawn on this side of the house, upon which this door

opensthe windows of the study being barred on this account. All the other entrancesexcepting the great

"I SPENT some time, puzzling how to strengthen the study door. Finally, I went down to the kitchen, and

with some trouble, brought up several heavy pieces of timber. These, I wedged up, slantwise, against it, from

the floor, nailing them top and bottom. For halfanhour, I worked hard, and, at last, got it shored to my

mind. "Then, feeling easier, I resumed my coat, which I had laid aside, and proceeded to attend to one or two

matters before returning to the tower. It was whilst thus employed, that I heard a fumbling at the door, and the

latch was tried. Keeping silence, I waited. Soon, I heard several of the creatures outside. They were grunting

to one another, softly. Then, for a minute, there was quietness. Suddenly, there sounded a quick, low grunt,

and the door creaked under a tremendous pressure. It would have burst inwards; but for the supports I had

"Presently, one of the Things squealed, softly, and I heard the sound of others approaching. There was a short

confabulation; then again, silence; and I realised that they had called several more to assist. Feeling that now

was the supreme moment, I stood ready, with my rifle presented. If the door gave, I would, at least, slay as

"Again came the low signal; and, once more, the door cracked, under a huge force. For, a minute perhaps, the

pressure was kept up; and I waited, nervously; expecting each moment to see the door come down with a

crash. But no; the struts held, and the attempt proved abortive. Then followed more of their horrible, grunting

talk, and, whilst it lasted, I thought I distinguished the noise of fresh arrivals.

"After a long discussion, during which the door was several times shaken, they became quiet once more, and

I knew that they were going to make a third attempt to break it down. I was almost in despair. The props had

been severely tried in the two previous attacks, and I was sorely afraid that this would prove too much for

"At that moment, like an inspiration, a thought flashed into my troubled brain. Instantly, for it was no time to

hesitate, I ran from the room, and up stair after stair. This time, it was not to one of the towers, that I went;

but out on to the flat, leaded roof itself. Once there, I raced across to the parapet, that walls it round, and

looked down. As I did so, I heard the short, grunted signal, and, even up there, caught the crying of the door

"There was not a moment to lose, and, leaning over, I aimed, quickly, and fired. The report rang sharply, and,

almost blending with it, came the loud splud of the bullet striking its mark. From below, rose a shrill wail;

and the door ceased its groaning. Then, as I took my weight from off the parapet, a huge piece of the stone

coping slid from under me, and fell with a crash among the disorganised throng beneath. Several horrible

shrieks quavered through the night air, and then I heard a sound of scampering feet. Cautiously, I looked

over. In the moonlight, I could see the great coping stone, lying right across the threshold of the door. I

"As I stared, I saw something come round, out of the shadow of the house. It was one of the Things. It went

up to the stone, silently, and bent down. I was unable to see what it did. In a minute it stood up. It had

"For the moment, I did not realise. Then, slowly, I comprehended. The Thing was stooping again. It was

horrible. I started to load my rifle. When I looked again, the monster was tugging at the stonemoving it to

one side. I leant the rifle on the coping, and pulled the trigger. The brute collapsed, on its face, and kicked,

"Simultaneously, almost, with the report, I heard another soundthat of breaking glass. Waiting, only to

recharge my weapon, I ran from the roof, and down the first two flights of stairs.

"Here, I paused to listen. As I did so, there came another tinkle of falling glass. It appeared to come from the

floor below. Excitedly, I sprang down the steps, and, guided by the rattle of the windowsash, reached the

door of one of the empty bedrooms, at the back of the house. I thrust it open. The room was but dimly

illuminated by the moonlight; most of the light being blotted out by moving figures at the window. Even as I

stood, one crawled through, into the room. Levelling my weapon, I fired pointblank at itfilling the room

with a deafening bang. When the smoke cleared, I saw that the room was empty, and the window free. The

room was much lighter. The night air blew in, coldly, through the shattered panes. Down below, in the night,

"Stepping to one side of the window, I reloaded, and then stood there, waiting. Presently, I heard a scuffling

"Nearer came the sounds, and then I saw something come up above the sill, and clutch at the broken

windowframe. It caught a piece of the woodwork; and, now, I could make out that it was a hand and arm. A

moment later, the face of one of the Swinecreatures rose into view. Then, before I could use my rifle, or do

anything, there came a sharp crackcrack; and the windowframe gave way under the weight of the

Thing. Next instant, a squashing thud, and a loud outcry, told me that it had fallen to the ground. With a

savage hope that it had been killed, I went to the window. The moon had gone behind a cloud, so that I could

see nothing; though a steady hum of jabbering, just beneath where I stood, indicated that there were several

"As I stood there, looking down, I marvelled how it had been possible for the creatures to climb so far; for the

wall is comparatively smooth, while the distance to the ground must be, at least, eighty feet.

"All at once, as I bent, peering, I saw something, indistinctly, that cut the grey shadow of the houseside,

with a black line. It passed the window, to the left, at a distance of about two feet. Then, I remembered that it

was a gutterpipe, that had been put there some years ago, to carry off the rain water. I had forgotten about it.

I could see, now, how the creatures had managed to reach the window. Even as the solution came to me, I

heard a faint slithering, scratching noise, and knew that another of the brutes was coming. I waited some odd

moments; then leant out of the window and felt the pipe. To my delight, I found that it was quite loose, and I

managed, using the riflebarrel as a crowbar, to lever it out from the wall. I worked quickly. Then, taking

hold with both bands, I wrenched the whole concern away, and hurled it downwith the Thing still clinging

"For a few minutes longer, I waited there, listening; but, after the first general outcry, I heard nothing. I knew,

now, that there was no more reason to fear an attack from this quarter. I had removed the only means of

reaching the window, and, as none of the other windows had any adjacent waterpipes, to tempt the climbing

powers of the monsters, I began to feel more confident of escaping their clutches.

"Leaving the room, I made my way down to the study. I was anxious to see how the door had withstood the

test of that last assault. Entering, I lit two of the candles, and then turned to the door. One of the large props

had been displaced, and, on that side, the door had been forced inward some six inches.

"It was Providential that I had managed to drive the brutes away just when I did! And that copingstone! I

wondered, vaguely, how I had managed to dislodge it. I had not noticed it loose, as I took my shot; and then,

as I stood up, it had slipped away from beneath me. . . . I felt that I owed the dismissal of the attacking force,

more to its timely fall than to my rifle. Then the thought came, that I had better seize this chance to shore up

the door, again. It was evident that the creatures had not returned since the fall of the copingstone; but who

"There and then, I setto, at repairing the doorworking hard and anxiously. First, I went down to the

basement, and, rummaging round, found several pieces of heavy oak planking. With these, I returned to the

study, and, having removed the props, placed the planks up against the door. Then, I nailed the heads of the

struts to these, and, driving them well home at the bottoms, nailed them again there.

"Thus, I made the door stronger than ever; for now it was solid with the backing of boards, and would, I felt

"After that, I lit the lamp which I had brought from the kitchen, and went down to have a look at the lower

"Now that I had seen an instance of the strength the creatures possessed, I felt considerable anxiety about the

windows on the ground floorin spite of the fact that they were so strongly barred.

"I went first to the buttery, having a vivid remembrance of my late adventure there. The place was chilly, and

the wind, soughing in through the broken glass, produced an eerie note. Apart from the general air of

dismalness, the place was as I had left it the night before. Going up to the window, I examined the bars,

closely; noting, as I did so, their comfortable thickness. Still, as I looked more intently, it seemed to me, that

the middle bar was bent slightly from the straight; yet it was but trifling, and it might have been so for years. I

"I put my hand through the broken window, and shook the bar. It was as firm as a rock. Perhaps the creatures

had tried to 'start' it, and, finding it beyond their power, ceased from the effort. After that, I went round to

each of the windows, in turn; examining them with careful attention; but nowhere else could I trace anything

to show that there had been any tampering. Having finished my survey, I went back to the study, and poured

"IT WAS NOW about three a.m., and, presently, the Eastern sky began to pale with the coming of dawn.

Gradually, the day came, and, by its light, I scanned the gardens, earnestly; but nowhere could I see any signs

of the brutes. I leant over, and glanced down to the foot of the wall, to see whether the body of the Thing I

had shot the night before was still there. It was gone. I supposed that others of the monsters had removed it

during the night. "Then, I went down on to the roof, and crossed over to the gap from which the coping stone

had fallen. Reaching it, I looked over. Yes, there was the stone, as I had seen it last; but there was no

appearance of anything beneath it; nor could I see the creatures I had killed, after its fall. Evidently, they also

had been taken away. I turned, and went down to my study. There, I sat down, wearily. I was thoroughly

tired. It was quite light now; though the sun's rays were not, as yet, perceptibly hot. A clock chimed the hour

"I awoke, with a start, and looked round, hurriedly. The clock in the corner, indicated that it was three

"With a jerky movement, I sat forward in the chair, and listened. The house was perfectly silent. Slowly, I

stood up, and yawned. I felt desperately tired, still, and sat down again; wondering what it was that had

"It must have been the clock striking, I concluded, presently; and was commencing to doze off, when a

sudden noise brought me back, once more, to life. It was the sound of a step, as of a person moving

cautiously down the corridor, towards my study. In an instant, I was on my feet, and grasping my rifle.

Noiselessly, I waited. Had the creatures broken in, whilst I slept? Even as I questioned, the steps reached my

door, halted momentarily, and then continued down the passage. Silently, I tiptoed to the doorway, and

peeped out. Then, I experienced such a feeling of relief, as must a reprieved criminalit was my sister. She

"I stepped into the hall, and was about to call to her, when it occurred to me, that it was very queer she should

have crept past my door, in that stealthy manner. I was puzzled, and, for one brief moment, the thought

occupied my mind, that it was not she, but some fresh mystery of the house. Then, as I caught a glimpse of

her old petticoat, the thought passed as quickly as it had come, and I half laughed. There could be no

mistaking that ancient garment. Yet, I wondered what she was doing; and, remembering her condition of

mind, on the previous day, I felt that it might be best to follow, quietlytaking care not to alarm herand

see what she was going to do. If she behaved rationally, well and good; if not, I should have to take steps to

restrain her. I could run no unnecessary risks, under the danger that threatened us.

"Quickly, I reached the head of the stairs, and paused a moment. Then, I heard a sound that sent me leaping

down, at a mad rateit was the rattle of bolts being unshot. That foolish sister of mine was actually

"Just as her hand was on the last bolt, I reached her. She had not seen me, and, the first thing she knew, I had

hold of her arm. She glanced up quickly, like a frightened animal, and screamed aloud.

" 'Come, Mary!' I said, sternly, 'what's the meaning of this nonsense? Do you mean to tell me you don't

understand the danger, that you try to throw our two lives away in this fashion!'

"To this, she replied nothing; only trembled, violently, gasping and sobbing, as though in the last extremity of

"Through some minutes, I reasoned with her; pointing out the need for caution, and asking her to be brave.

There was little to be afraid of now, I explainedand, I tried to believe that I spoke the truthbut she must

"At last, I ceased, in despair. It was no use talking to her; she was, obviously, not quite herself for the time

being. Finally, I told her she had better go to her room, if she could not behave rationally.

"Still, she took not any notice. So, without more ado, I picked her up in my arms, and carried her there. At

first, she screamed, wildly; but had relapsed into silent trembling, by the time I reached the stairs.

"Arriving at her room, I laid her upon the bed. She lay there quietly enough, neither speaking nor

sobbingjust shaking in a very ague of fear. I took a rug from a chair near by, and spread it over her. I could

do nothing more for her, and so, crossed to where Pepper lay in a big basket. My sister had taken charge of

him since his wound, to nurse him, for it had proved more severe than I had thought, and I was pleased to

note that, in spite of her state of mind, she had looked after the old dog, carefully. Stooping, I spoke to him,

"Then, going to the bed, I bent over my sister, and asked her how she felt; but she only shook the more, and,

"And so, I left herlocking the door, and pocketing the key. It seemed to he the only course to take.

"The rest of the day, I spent between the tower and my study. For food, I brought up a loaf from the pantry,

"What a long, weary day it was. If only I could have gone out into the gardens, as is my wont, I should have

been content enough; but to be cooped in this silent house, with no companion, save a mad woman and a sick

dog, was enough to prey upon the nerves of the hardiest. And out in the tangled shrubberies that surrounded

the house, lurkedfor all I could tellthose infernal Swinecreatures waiting their chance. Was ever a man

"Once, in the afternoon, and again, later, I went to visit my sister. The second time, I found her tending

Pepper; but, at my approach, she slid over, unobtrusively, to the far corner, with a gesture that saddened me

beyond belief. Poor girl! her fear cut me intolerably, and I would not intrude on her, unnecessarily. She

would be better, I trusted, in a few days; meanwhile, I could do nothing; and I judged it still needfulhard as

it seemedto keep her confined to her room. One thing there was that I took for encouragement: she had

"As the evening drew on, the air grew chilly, and I began to make preparations for passing a second night in

the towertaking up two additional rifles, and a heavy ulster. The rifles I loaded, and laid alongside my

other; as I intended to make things warm for any of the creatures who might show, during the night. I had

plenty of ammunition, and I thought to give the brutes such a lesson, as should show them the uselessness of

"After that, I made the round of the house again; paying particular attention to the props that supported the

study door. Then, feeling that I had done all that lay in my power to insure our safety, I returned to the tower;

calling in on my sister and Pepper, for a final visit, on the way. Pepper was asleep; but woke, as I entered, and

wagged his tail, in recognition. I thought he seemed slightly better. My sister was lying on the bed; though

"Reaching the tower, I made myself as comfortable as circumstances would permit, and settled down to

watch through the night. Gradually, darkness fell, and soon the details of the gardens were merged into

shadows. During the first few hours, I sat, alert, listening for any sound that might help to tell me if anything

"Slowly, the hours passed; without anything unusual happening. And the moon rose, showing the gardens,

apparently empty, and silent. And so, through the night, without disturbance or sound.

"Towards morning, I began to grow stiff and cold, with my long vigil; also, I was getting very uneasy,

concerning the continued quietness on the part of the creatures. I mistrusted it, and would sooner, far, have

had them attack the house, openly. Then, at least, I should have known my danger, and been able to meet it;

but to wait like this, through a whole night, picturing all kinds of unknown devilment, was to jeopardise one's

sanity. Once or twice, the thought came to me, that, perhaps, they had gone; but, in my heart, I found it

"AT LAST, what with being tired and cold, and the uneasiness that possessed me, I resolved to take a walk

through the house; first calling in at the study, for a glass of brandy to warm me. This, I did, and, while there,

I examined the door, carefully; but found all as I had left it the night before. "The day was just breaking, as I

left the tower; though it was still too dark in the house to be able to see without a light, and I took one of the

study candles with me on my round. By the time I had finished the ground floor, the daylight was creeping in,

wanly, through the barred windows. My search had shown me nothing fresh. Everything appeared to be in

order, and I was on the point of extinguishing my candle, when the thought suggested itself to me to have

another glance round the cellars. I had not, if I remember rightly, been into them since my hasty search on the

"For, perhaps, the half of a minute, I hesitated. I would have been very willing to forego the taskas, indeed,

I am inclined to think any man well mightfor of all the great, aweinspiring rooms in this house, the

cellars are the hugest and weirdest. Great, gloomy caverns of places, unlit by any ray of daylight. Yet, I

would not shirk the work. I felt that to do so would smack of sheer cowardice. Besides, as I reassured myself,

the cellars were really the most unlikely places in which to come across anything dangerous; considering that

they can be entered, only through a heavy oaken door, the key of which, I carry always on my person.

"It is in the smallest of these places that I keep my wine; a gloomy hole close to the foot of the cellar stairs;

and beyond which, I have seldom proceeded. Indeed, save for the rummage round, already mentioned, I

"As I unlocked the great door, at the top of the steps, I paused, nervously, a moment, at the strange, desolate

smell that assailed my nostrils. Then, throwing the barrel of my weapon forward, I descended, slowly, into

"Reaching the bottom of the stairs, I stood for a minute, and listened. All was silent, save for a faint drip, drip

of water, falling, drop by drop, somewhere to my left. As I stood, I noticed how quietly the candle burnt;

"Quietly, I moved from cellar to cellar. I had but a very dim memory of their arrangement. The impressions

left by my first search were blurred. I had recollections of a succession of great cellars, and of one, greater

than the rest, the roof of which was upheld by pillars; beyond that my mind was hazy, and predominated by a

sense of cold and darkness and shadows. Now, however, it was different; for, although nervous, I was

sufficiently collected to be able to look about me, and note the structure and size of the different vaults I

"Of course, with the amount of light given by my candle, it was not possible to examine each place, minutely;

but I was enabled to notice, as I went along, that the walls appeared to be built with wonderful precision and

finish; while here and there, an occasional, massive pillar shot up to support the vaulted roof.

"Thus, I came, at last, to the great cellar that I remembered. It is reached, through a huge, arched entrance, on

which I observed strange, fantastic carvings, which threw queer shadows under the light of my candle. As I

stood, and examined these, thoughtfully, it occurred to me how strange it was, that I should be so little

acquainted with my own house. Yet, this may be easily understood, when one realises the size of this ancient

pile, and the fact that only my old sister and I live in it, occupying a few of the rooms, such as our wants

"Holding the light high, I passed on into the cellar, and, keeping to the right, paced slowly up, until I reached

the further end. I walked quietly, and looked cautiously about, as I went. But, so far as the light showed, I saw

"At the top, I turned to the left, still keeping to the wall, and so continued, until I had traversed the whole of

the vast chamber. As I moved along, I noticed that the floor was composed of solid rock, in places covered

with a damp mould, in others bare, or almost so, save for a thin coating of lightgrey dust.

"I had halted at the doorway. Now, however, I turned, and made my way up the centre of the place; passing

among the pillars, and glancing to right and left, as I moved. About half way up the cellar, I stubbed my foot

against something that gave out a metallic sound. Stooping quickly, I held the candle, and saw that the object

I had kicked, was a large, metal ring. Bending lower, I cleared the dust from around it, and, presently,

"Feeling excited, and wondering to where it could lead, I laid my gun on the floor, and, sticking the candle in

the trigger guard, took the ring in both hands, and pulled. The trap creaked loudlythe sound echoing,

"Propping the edge on my knee, I reached for the candle, and held it in the opening, moving it to right and

left; but could see nothing. I was puzzled and surprised. There were no signs of steps, nor even the

appearance of there ever having been any. Nothing; save an empty blackness. I might have been looking

down into a bottomless, sideless well. Then, even as I stared, full of perplexity, I seemed to hear, far down, as

though from untold depths, a faint whisper of sound. I bent my head, quickly, more into the opening, and

listened, intently. It may have been fancy; but I could have sworn to hearing a soft titter, that grew into a

hideous, chuckling, faint and distant. Startled, I leapt backwards, letting the trap fall, with a hollow clang, that

filled the place with echoes. Even then, I seemed to hear that mocking, suggestive laughter; but this, I knew,

must be my imagination. The sound, I had heard, was far too slight to penetrate through the cumbrous trap.

"For a full minute, I stood there, quiveringglancing, nervously, behind and before; but the great cellar was

silent as a grave, and, gradually, I shook off the frightened sensation. With a calmer mind, I became again

curious to know into what that trap opened; but could not, then, summon sufficient courage, to make a further

investigation. One thing I felt, however, was that the trap ought to be secured. This, I accomplished by

placing upon it several large pieces of 'dressed' stone, which I had noticed in my tour along the East wall.

"Then, after a final scrutiny of the rest of the place, I retraced my way through the cellars, to the stairs, and so

reached the daylight, with an infinite feeling of relief, that the uncomfortable task was accomplished.

"THE SUN was now warm, and shining brightly, forming a wondrous contrast to the dark and dismal cellars;

and it was with comparatively light feelings, that I made my way up to the tower, to survey the gardens.

There, I found everything quiet, and, after a few minutes, went down to Mary's room. "Here, having knocked,

and received a reply, I unlocked the door. My sister was sitting, quietly, on the bed; as though waiting. She

seemed quite herself again, and made no attempt to move away, as I approached; yet, I observed that she

scanned my face, anxiously, as though in doubt, and but half assured in her mind that there was nothing to

"To my questions, as to how she felt, she replied, sanely enough, that she was hungry, and would like to go

down to prepare breakfast, if I did not mind. For a minute, I meditated whether it would be safe to let her out.

Finally, I told her she might go, on condition that she promised not to attempt to leave the house, or meddle

with any of the outer doors. At my mention of the doors, a sudden look of fright crossed her face; but she said

"Crossing the floor, I approached Pepper. He had waked as I entered; but, beyond a slight yelp of pleasure,

and a soft rapping with his tail, had kept quiet. Now, as I patted him, he made an attempt to stand up, and

"I spoke to him, and bade him lie still. I was greatly delighted with his improvement, and also with the

natural kindness of my sister's heart, in taking such good care of him, in spite of her condition of mind. After

"In a little time, Mary appeared, carrying a tray on which smoked a hot breakfast. As she entered the room, I

saw her gaze fasten on the props that supported the study door; her lips tightened, and I thought she paled,

slightly; but that was all. Putting the tray down at my elbow, she was leaving the room, quietly, when I called

her back. She came, it seemed, a little timidly, as though startled; and I noted that her hand clutched at her

" 'Come, Mary,' I said. 'Cheer up! Things look brighter. I've seen none of the creatures since yesterday

"She looked at me, in a curiously puzzled manner; as though not comprehending. Then, intelligence swept

into her eyes, and fear; but she said nothing, beyond an unintelligible murmur of acquiescence. After that, I

kept silence; it was evident that any reference to the Swinethings, was more than her shaken nerves could

"Breakfast over, I went up to the tower. Here, during the greater part of the day, I maintained a strict watch

over the gardens. Once or twice, I went down to the basement, to see how my sister was getting along. Each

time, I found her quiet, and curiously submissive. Indeed, on the last occasion, she even ventured to address

me, on her own account, with regard to some household matter that needed attention. Though this was done

with an almost extraordinary timidity, I hailed it with happiness, as being the first word, voluntarily spoken,

since the critical moment, when I had caught her unbarring the back door, to go out among those waiting

brutes. I wondered whether she was aware of her attempt, and how near a thing it had been; but refrained

"That night, I slept in a bed; the first time for two nights. In the morning, I rose early, and took a walk

through the house. All was as it should be, and I went up to the tower, to have a look at the gardens. Here,

"At breakfast, when I met Mary, I was greatly pleased to see that she had sufficiently regained command over

herself, to be able to greet me in a perfectly natural manner. She talked sensibly and quietly; only keeping

carefully from any mention of the past couple of days. In this, I humoured her, to the extent of not attempting

"Earlier in the morning, I had been to see Pepper. He was mending, rapidly; and bade fair to be on his legs, in

earnest, in another day or two. Before leaving the breakfast table, I made some reference to his improvement.

In the short discussion that followed, I was surprised to gather, from my sister's remarks, that she was still

under the impression that his wound had been given by the wild cat, of my invention. It made me feel almost

ashamed of myself for deceiving her. Yet, the lie had been told to prevent her from being frightened. And

then, I had been sure that she must have known the truth, later, when those brutes had attacked the house.

"During the day, I kept on the alert; spending much of my time, as on the previous day, in the tower; but not a

sign could I see of the Swinecreatures, nor hear any sound. Several times, the thought had come to me, that

the Things had, at last, left us; but, up to this time, I had refused to entertain the idea, seriously; now,

however, I began to feel that there was reason for hope. It would soon be three days since I had seen any of

the Things; but still, I intended to use the utmost caution. For all that I could tell, this protracted silence might

be a ruse to tempt me from the houseperhaps right into their arms. The thought of such a contingency, was,

"So it was, that the fourth, fifth and sixth days went by, quietly; without my making any attempt to leave the

"On the sixth day, I had the pleasure of seeing Pepper, once more, upon his feet; and, though still very weak,

"HOW SLOWLY the time went; and never a thing to indicate that any of the brutes still infested the gardens.

"It was on the ninth day that, finally, I decided to run the risk, if any there were, and sally out. With this

purpose in view, I loaded one of the shotguns, carefullychoosing it, as being more deadly than a rifle, at

close quarters; and then, after a final scrutiny of the grounds, from the tower, I called Pepper to follow me,

"At the door, I must confess to hesitating a moment. The thought of what might be awaiting me among the

dark shrubberies, was by no means calculated to encourage my resolution. It was but a second, though, and

"Pepper followed, stopping at the doorstep to sniff, suspiciously; and carrying his nose up and down the

jambs, as though following a scent. Then, suddenly, he turned, sharply, and started to run here and there, in

semicircles and circles, all around the door; finally returning to the threshold. Here, he began again to nose

"Hitherto, I had stood, watching the dog; yet, all the time, with half my gaze on the wild tangle of gardens,

stretching round me. Now, I went towards him, and, bending down, examined the surface of the door, where

he was smelling. I found that the wood was covered with a network of scratches, crossing and recrossing one

another, in inextricable confusion. In addition to this, I noticed that the doorposts, themselves, were gnawed

in places. Beyond these, I could find nothing; and so, standing up, I began to make the tour of the house wall.

"Pepper, as soon as I walked away, left the door, and ran ahead, still nosing and sniffing as he went along. At

times, he stopped to investigate. Here, it would be a bullethole in the pathway, or, perhaps, a powder stained

wad. Anon, it might be a piece of torn sod, or a disturbed patch of weedy path; but, save for such trifles, he

found nothing. I observed him, critically, as he went along, and could discover nothing of uneasiness, in his

demeanour, to indicate that he felt the nearness of any of the creatures, By this, I was assured that the gardens

were empty, at least for the present, of those hateful Things. Pepper could not be easily deceived, and it was a

relief to feel that he would know, and give me timely warning, if there were any danger.

"Reaching the place where I had shot that first creature, I stopped, and made a careful scrutiny; but could see

nothing. From there, I went on to where the great copingstone had fallen. It lay on its side, apparently just as

it had been left when I shot the brute that was moving it. A couple of feet to the right of the nearer end, was a

great dent in the ground; showing where it had struck. The other end was still within the indentationhalf in,

and half out. Going nearer, I looked at the stone, more closely. What a huge piece of masonry it was! And

that creature had moved it, singlehanded, in its attempt to reach what lay below.

"I went round to the further end of the stone. Here, I found that it was possible to see under it, for a distance

of nearly a couple of feet. Still, I could see nothing of the stricken creatures, and I felt much surprised. I had,

as I have before said, guessed that the remains had been removed; yet, I could not conceive that it had been

done so thoroughly as not to leave some certain sign, beneath the stone, indicative of their fate. I had seen

several of the brutes struck down beneath it, with such force that they must have been literally driven into the

"I felt more puzzled, than ever, as I turned the matter over in my mind; but could think of no plausible

explanation; and so, finally, gave it up, as one of the many things that were unexplainable.

"From there, I transferred my attention to the study door. I could see, now, even more plainly, the effects of

the tremendous strain, to which it had been subjected; and I marvelled how, even with the support afforded

by the props, it had withstood the attacks, so well. There were no marks of blowsindeed, none had been

givenbut the door had been literally riven from its hinges, by the application of enormous, silent force. One

thing that I observed affected me profoundlythe head of one of the props had been driven right through a

panel. This was, of itself, sufficient to show how huge an effort the creatures had made to break down the

"Leaving, I continued my tour round the house, finding little else of interest; save at the back, where I came

across the piece of piping I had torn from the wall, lying among the long grass underneath the broken

"Then, I returned to the house, and, having rebolted the back door, went up to the tower. Here, I spent the

afternoon, reading, and occasionally glancing down into the gardens. I had determined, if the night passed

quietly, to go as far as the Pit, on the morrow. Perhaps, I should be able to learn, then, something of what had

happened. The day slipped away, and the night came, and went much as the last few nights had gone.

"When I rose the morning had broken, fine and clear; and I determined to put my project into action. During

breakfast, I considered the matter, carefully; after which, I went to the study for my shotgun. In addition, I

loaded, and slipped into my pocket, a small, but heavy, pistol. I quite understood that, if there were any

"Leaving the study, I went down to the back door, followed by Pepper. Once outside, I took a quick survey of

the surrounding gardens, and then set off towards the Pit. On the way, I kept a sharp outlook, holding my

gun, handily. Pepper was running ahead, I noticed, without any apparent hesitation. From this, I augured that

there was no imminent danger to be apprehended, and I stepped out more quickly in his wake. He had

"A minute later, I was beside him, looking down into the Pit. For a moment, I could scarcely believe that it

was the same place, so greatly was it changed. The dark, wooded ravine of a fortnight ago, with a

foliagehidden stream, running sluggishly, at the bottom, existed no longer. Instead, my eyes showed me a

ragged chasm, partly filled with a gloomy lake of turbid water. All one side of the ravine was stripped of

"A little to my left, the side of the Pit appeared to have collapsed altogether, forming a deep Vshaped cleft

in the face of the rocky cliff. This rift ran, from the upper edge of the ravine, nearly down to the water, and

penetrated into the Pit side, to a distance of some forty feet. Its opening was, at least, six yards across; and,

from this, it seemed to taper into about two. But, what attracted my attention, more than even the stupendous

split itself, was a great hole, some distance down the cleft, and right in the angle of the V. It was clearly

defined, and not unlike an arched doorway in shape; though, lying as it did in the shadow, I could not see it

"The opposite side of the Pit, still retained its verdure; but so torn in places, and everywhere covered with

"My first impression, that there had been a land slip, was, I began to see, not sufficient, of itself, to account

for all the changes I witnessed. And the water? I turned, suddenly; for I had become aware that,

somewhere to my right, there was a noise of running water. I could see nothing; but, now that my attention

had been caught, I distinguished, easily, that it came from somewhere at the East end of the Pit.

"Slowly, I made my way in that direction; the sound growing plainer as I advanced, until in a little, I stood

right above it. Even then, I could not perceive the cause, until I knelt down, and thrust my head over the cliff.

Here, the noise came up to me, plainly; and I saw, below me, a torrent of clear water, issuing from a small

fissure in the Pit side, and rushing down the rocks, into the lake beneath. A little further along the cliff, I saw

another, and, beyond that again, two smaller ones. These, then, would help to account for the quantity of

water in the Pit; and, if the fall of rock and earth had blocked the outlet of the stream at the bottom, there was

"Yet, I puzzled my head to account for the generally shaken appearance of the placethese streamlets, and

that huge cleft, further up the ravine! It seemed to me, that more than the landslip was necessary to account

for these. I could imagine an earthquake, or a great explosion, creating some such condition of affairs as

existed; but, of these, there had been neither. Then, I stood up, quickly, remembering that crash, and the cloud

of dust that had followed, directly, rushing high into the air. But I shook my head, unbelievingly. No! It must

have been the noise of the falling rocks and earth, I had heard; of course, the dust would fly, naturally. Still,

in spite of my reasoning, I had an uneasy feeling, that this theory did not satisfy my sense of the probable;

and yet, was any other, that I could suggest, likely to be half so plausible? Pepper had been sitting on the

grass, while I conducted my examination. Now, as I turned up the North side of the ravine, he rose and

"Slowly, and keeping a careful watch in all directions, I made the circuit of the Pit; but found little else, that I

had not already seen. From the West end, I could see the four waterfalls, uninterruptedly. They were some

considerable distance up from the surface of the lakeabout fifty feet, I calculated.

"For a little while longer, I loitered about; keeping my eyes and ears open, but still, without seeing or hearing

anything suspicious. The whole place was wonderfully quiet; indeed, save for the continuous murmur of the

"All this while, Pepper had shown no signs of uneasiness. This seemed, to me, to indicate that, for the time

being, at least, there was none of the Swinecreatures in the vicinity. So far as I could see, his attention

appeared to have been taken, chiefly, with scratching and sniffing among the grass at the edge of the Pit. At

times, he would leave the edge, and run along towards the house, as though following invisible tracks; but, in

all cases, returning after a few minutes. I had little doubt but that he was really tracing out the footsteps of the

Swinethings; and the very fact that each one seemed to lead him back to the Pit, appeared to me, a proof that

"At noon, I went home, for dinner. During the afternoon, I made a partial search of the gardens, accompanied

by Pepper; but, without coming upon anything to indicate the presence of the creatures.

"Once, as we made our way through the shrubberies, Pepper rushed in among some bushes, with a fierce

yelp. At that, I jumped back, in sudden fright, and threw my gun forward, in readiness; only to laugh,

nervously, as Pepper reappeared, chasing an unfortunate cat. Towards evening, I gave up the search, and

returned to the house. All at once, as we were passing a great clump of bushes, on our right, Pepper

disappeared, and I could hear him sniffing and growling among them, in a suspicious manner. With my

gunbarrel, I parted the intervening shrubbery, and looked inside. There was nothing to be seen, save that

many of the branches were bent down, and broken; as though some animal had made a lair there, at no very

previous date. It was probably, I thought, one of the places occupied by some of the Swinecreatures, on the

"Next day, I resumed my search through the gardens; but without result. By evening, I had been right through

them, and now, I knew, beyond the possibility of doubt, that there were no longer any of the Things

concealed about the place. Indeed, I have often thought since, that I was correct in my earlier surmise, that

"ANOTHER WEEK came and went, during which I spent a great deal of my time about the Pit mouth. I had

come to the conclusion a few days earlier, that the arched hole, in the angle of the great rift, was the place

through which the Swinethings had made their exit, from some unholy place in the bowels of the world.

How near the probable truth this went, I was to learn later. "It may be easily understood, that I was

tremendously curious, though in a frightened way, to know to what infernal place that hole led; though, so

far, the idea had not struck me, seriously, of making an investigation. I was far too much imbued with a sense

of horror of the Swinecreatures, to think of venturing, willingly, where there was any chance of coming into

"Gradually, however, as time passed, this feeling grew insensibly less; so that when, a few days later, the

thought occurred to me that it might be possible to clamber down and have a look into the hole, I was not so

exceedingly averse to it, as might have been imagined. Still, I do not think, even then, that I really intended to

try any such foolhardy adventure. For all that I could tell, it might be certain death, to enter that doleful

looking opening. And yet, such is the pertinacity of human curiosity, that, at last, my chief desire was but to

"Slowly, as the days slid by, my fear of the Swinethings became an emotion of the pastmore an

"Thus, a day came, when, throwing thoughts and fancies adrift, I procured a rope from the house, and, having

made it fast to a stout tree, at the top of the rift, and some little distance back from the Pit edge, let the other

end down into the cleft, until it dangled right across the mouth of the dark hole.

"Then, cautiously, and with many misgivings as to whether it was not a mad act that I was attempting, I

climbed slowly down, using the rope as a support, until I reached the hole. Here, still holding on to the rope, I

stood, and peered in. All was perfectly dark, and not a sound came to me. Yet, a moment later, it seemed that

I could hear something. I held my breath, and listened; but all was silent as the grave, and I breathed freely

once more. At the same instant, I heard the sound again. It was like a noise of laboured breathingdeep and

sharpdrawn. For a short second, I stood, petrified; not able to move. But now the sounds had ceased again,

"As I stood there, anxiously, my foot dislodged a pebble, which fell inward, into the dark, with a hollow

chink. At once, the noise was taken up and repeated a score of times; each succeeding echo being fainter, and

seeming to travel away from me, as though into remote distance. Then, as the silence fell again, I heard that

stealthy breathing. For each respiration I made, I could hear an answering breath. The sounds appeared to be

coming nearer; and then, I heard several others; but fainter and more distant. Why I did not grip the rope, and

spring up out of danger, I cannot say. It was as though I had been paralysed. I broke out into a profuse sweat,

and tried to moisten my lips with my tongue. My throat had gone suddenly dry, and I coughed, huskily. It

came back to me, in a dozen, horrible, throaty tones, mockingly. I peered, helplessly, into the gloom; but still

nothing showed. I had a strange, choky sensation, and again I coughed, dryly. Again the echo took it up,

"Then, suddenly, a thought came to me, and I held my breath. The other breathing stopped. I breathed again,

and, once more, it recommenced. But now, I no longer feared. I knew that the strange sounds were not made

"Yet, I had received such a fright, that I was glad to scramble up the rift, and haul up the rope. I was far too

shaken and nervous to think of entering that dark hole then, and so returned to the house. I felt more myself

next morning; but even then, I could not summon up sufficient courage to explore the place.

"All this time, the water in the Pit had been creeping slowly up, and now stood but a little below the opening.

At the rate at which it was rising, it would be level with the floor in less than another week; and I realised

that, unless I carried out my investigations soon, I should probably never do so at all; as the water would rise

"It may have been that this thought stirred me to act; but, whatever it was, a couple of days later, saw me

"This time, I was resolved to conquer my shirking, and go right through with the matter. With this intention, I

had brought, in addition to the rope, a bundle of candles, meaning to use them as a torch; also my

doublebarrelled shotgun. In my belt, I had a heavy horsepistol, loaded with buckshot.

"As before, I fastened the rope to the tree. Then, having tied my gun across my shoulders, with a piece of

stout cord, I lowered myself over the edge of the Pit. At this movement, Pepper, who had been eyeing my

actions, watchfully, rose to his feet, and ran to me, with a half bark, half wail, it seemed to me, of warning.

But I was resolved on my enterprise, and bade him lie down. I would much have liked to take him with me;

but this was next to impossible, in the existing circumstances. As my face dropped level with the Pit edge, he

licked me, right across the mouth; and then, seizing my sleeve between his teeth, began to pull back, strongly.

It was very evident that he did not want me to go. Yet, having made up my mind, I had no intention of giving

up the attempt; and, with a sharp word to Pepper, to release me, I continued my descent, leaving the poor old

"Carefully, I lowered myself from projection to projection. I knew that a slip might mean a wetting.

"Reaching the entrance, I let go the rope, and untied the gun from my shoulders. Then, with a last look at the

skywhich I noticed was clouding over, rapidlyI went forward a couple of paces, so as to be shielded

from the wind, and lit one of the candles. Holding it above my head, and grasping my gun, firmly, I began to

"For the first minute, I could hear the melancholy sound of Pepper's howling, coming down to me. Gradually,

as I penetrated further into the darkness, it grew fainter; until, in a little while, I could hear nothing. The path

tended downward somewhat, and to the left. Thence it kept on, still running to the left, until I found that it

"Very cautiously, I moved onward, stopping, every few steps, to listen. I had gone, perhaps, a hundred yards,

when, suddenly, it seemed to me that I caught a faint sound, somewhere along the passage behind. With my

heart thudding heavily, I listened. The noise grew plainer, and appeared to be approaching, rapidly. I could

hear it distinctly, now. It was the soft padding of running feet. In the first moments of fright, I stood,

irresolute; not knowing whether to go forward or backward. Then, with a sudden realisation of the best thing

to do, I backed up to the rocky wall on my right, and, holding the candle above my head, waitedgun in

"I had not long to wait, but a few seconds, before two eyes reflected back from the gloom, the rays of my

candle. I raised my gun, using my right hand only, and aimed quickly. Even as I did so, something leapt out

of the darkness, with a blustering bark of joy that woke the echoes, like thunder. It was Pepper. How he had

contrived to scramble down the cleft, I could not conceive. As I brushed my hand, nervously, over his coat, I

noticed that he was dripping; and concluded that he must have tried to follow me, and fallen into the water;

"Having waited a minute, or so, to steady myself, I proceeded along the way, Pepper following, quietly. I was

curiously glad to have the old fellow with me. He was company, and, somehow, with him at my heels, I was

less afraid. Also, I knew how quickly his keen ears would detect the presence of any unwelcome creature,

"For some minutes we went slowly along; the path still leading straight towards the house. Soon, I concluded,

we should be standing right beneath it, did the path but carry far enough. I led the way, cautiously, for

another fifty yards, or so. Then, I stopped, and held the light high; and reason enough I had to be thankful that

I did so; for there, not three paces forward, the path vanished, and, in place, showed a hollow blackness, that

"Very cautiously, I crept forward, and peered down; but could see nothing. Then, I crossed to the left of the

passage, to see whether there might be any continuation of the path. Here, right against the wall, I found that

a narrow track, some three feet wide, led onward. Carefully, I stepped on to it; but had not gone far, before I

regretted venturing thereon. For, after a few paces, the already narrow way, resolved itself into a mere ledge,

with, on the one side the solid, unyielding rock, towering up, in a great wall, to the unseen roof, and, on the

other, that yawning chasm. I could not help reflecting how helpless I was, should I be attacked there, with no

room to turn, and where even the recoil of my weapon might be sufficient to drive me headlong into the

"To my great relief, a little further on, the track suddenly broadened out again to its original breadth.

Gradually, as I went onward, I noticed that the path trended steadily to the right, and so, after some minutes, I

discovered that I was not going forward; but simply circling the huge abyss. I had, evidently, come to the end

"Five minutes later, I stood on the spot from which I had started; having been completely round, what I

guessed now to be a vast pit, the mouth of which must be at least a hundred yards across.

"For some little time, I stood there, lost in perplexing thought. 'What does it all mean?' was the cry that had

"A sudden idea struck me, and I searched round for a piece of stone. Presently, I found a bit of rock, about the

size of a small loaf. Sticking the candle upright in a crevice of the floor, I went back from the edge,

somewhat, and, taking a short run, launched the stone forward into the chasmmy idea being to throw it far

enough to keep it clear of the sides. Then, I stooped forward, and listened; but, though I kept perfectly quiet,

"I knew, then, that the depth of the hole must be immense; for the stone, had it struck anything, was large

enough to have set the echoes of that weird place, whispering for an indefinite period. Even as it was, the

cavern had given back the sounds of my footfalls, multitudinously. The place was awesome, and I would

willingly have retraced my steps, and left the mysteries of its solitudes unsolved; only, to do so, meant

"Then, a thought came, to try to get a view of the abyss. It occurred to me that, if I placed my candles round

the edge of the hole, I should be able to get, at least, some dim sight of the place.

"I found, on counting, that I had brought fifteen candles, in the bundlemy first intention having been, as I

have already said, to make a torch of the lot. These, I proceeded to place round the Pit mouth, with an interval

"Having completed the circle, I stood in the passage, and endeavoured to get an idea of how the place looked.

But I discovered, immediately, that they were totally insufficient for my purpose. They did little more than

make the gloom visible. One thing they did, however, and that was, they confirmed my opinion of the size of

the opening; and, although they showed me nothing that I wanted to see; yet the contrast they afforded to the

heavy darkness, pleased me, curiously. It was as though fifteen tiny stars shone through the subterranean

"Then, even as I stood, Pepper gave a sudden howl, that was taken up by the echoes, and repeated with

ghastly variations, dying away, slowly. With a quick movement, I held aloft the one candle that I had kept,

and glanced down at the dog; at the same moment, I seemed to hear a noise, like a diabolical chuckle, rise up

from the hitherto, silent depths of the Pit. I started; then, I recollected that it was, probably, the echo of

"Pepper had moved away from me, up the passage, a few steps; he was nosing along the rocky floor; and I

thought I heard him lapping. I went towards him, holding the candle low. As I moved, I heard my boot go

sop, sop; and the light was reflected from something that glistened, and crept past my feet, swiftly towards

the Pit. I bent lower, and looked; then gave vent to an expression of surprise. From somewhere, higher up the

path, a stream of water was running quickly in the direction of the great opening, and growing in size every

"Again, Pepper gave vent to that deepdrawn howl, and, running at me, seized my coat, and attempted to

drag me up the path towards the entrance. With a nervous gesture, I shook him off, and crossed quickly over

to the lefthand wall. If anything were coming, I was going to have the wall at my back.

"Then, as I stared anxiously up the pathway, my candle caught a gleam, far up the passage. At the same

moment, I became conscious of a murmurous roar, that grew louder, and filled the whole cavern with

deafening sound. From the Pit, came a deep, hollow echo, like the sob of a giant. Then, I had sprung to one

side, on to the narrow ledge that ran round the abyss, and, turning, saw a great wall of foam sweep past me,

and leap tumultuously into the waiting chasm. A cloud of spray burst over me, extinguishing my candle, and

wetting me to the skin. I still held my gun. The three nearest candles went out; but the further ones gave only

a short flicker. After the first rush, the flow of water eased down to a steady stream, maybe a foot in depth;

though I could not see this, until I had procured one of the lighted candles, and, with it, started to reconnoitre.

Pepper had, fortunately, followed me as I leapt for the ledge, and now, very much subdued, kept close

"A short examination showed me that the water reached right across the passage, and was running at a

tremendous rate. Already, even as I stood there, it had deepened. I could make only a guess at what had

happened. Evidently, the water in the ravine had broken into the passage, by some means. If that were the

case, it would go on increasing in volume, until I should find it impossible to leave the place. The thought

was frightening. It was evident that I must make my exit as hurriedly as possible.

"Taking my gun by the stock, I sounded the water. It was a little under kneedeep. The noise it made,

plunging down into the Pit, was deafening. Then, with a call to Pepper, I stepped out into the flood, using the

gun as a staff. Instantly, the water boiled up over my knees, and nearly to the tops of my thighs, with the

speed at which it was racing. For one short moment, I nearly lost my footing; but the thought of what lay

"Of Pepper, I knew nothing at first. I had all I could do to keep on my legs; and was overjoyed, when he

appeared beside me. He was wading manfully along. He is a big dog, with longish thin legs, and I suppose

the water had less grasp on them, than upon mine. Anyway, he managed a great deal better than I did; going

ahead of me, like a guide, and wittinglyor otherwisehelping, somewhat, to break the force of the water.

On we went, step by step, struggling and gasping, until somewhere about a hundred yards had been safely

traversed. Then, whether it was because I was taking less care, or that there was a slippery place on the rocky

floor, I cannot say; but, suddenly, I slipped, and fell on my face. Instantly, the water leapt over me in a

cataract, hurling me down, towards that bottomless hole, at a frightful speed. Frantically I struggled; but it

was impossible to get a footing. I was helpless, gasping and drowning. All at once, something gripped my

coat, and brought me to a standstill. It was Pepper. Missing me, he must have raced back, through the dark

turmoil, to find me, and then caught, and held me, until I was able to get to my feet.

"I have a dim recollection of having seen, momentarily, the gleams of several lights; but, of this, I have never

been quite sure. If my impressions are correct, I must have been washed down to the very brink of that awful

chasm, before Pepper managed to bring me to a standstill. And the lights, of course, could only have been the

distant flames of the candles, I had left burning. But, as I have said, I am not by any means sure. My eyes

"And there was I, without my helpful gun, without light, and sadly confused, with the water deepening;

depending solely upon my old friend Pepper, to help me out of that hellish place.

"I was facing the torrent. Naturally, it was the only way in which I could have sustained my position a

moment; for even old Pepper could not have held me long against that terrific strain, without assistance,

"Perhaps a minute passed, during which it was touch and go with me; then, gradually I recommenced my

tortuous way up the passage. And so began the grimmest fight with death, from which ever I hope to emerge

victorious. Slowly, furiously, almost hopelessly, I strove; and that faithful Pepper led me, dragged me,

upward and onward, until, at last, ahead I saw a gleam of blessed light. It was the entrance. Only a few yards

further, and I reached the opening, with the water surging and boiling hungrily around my loins.

"And now I understood the cause of the catastrophe. It was raining heavily, literally in torrents. The surface

of the lake was level with the bottom of the openingnay! more than level, it was above it. Evidently, the

rain had swollen the lake, and caused this premature rise; for, at the rate the ravine had been filling, it would

"Luckily, the rope by which I had descended, was streaming into the opening, upon the inrushing waters.

Seizing the end, I knotted it securely round Pepper's body; then, summoning up the last remnant of my

strength, I commenced to swarm up the side of the cliff. I reached the Pit edge, in the last stage of exhaustion.

"Slowly and wearily, I hauled on the rope. Once or twice, it seemed that I should have to give up; for Pepper

is a weighty dog, and I was utterly done. Yet, to let go, would have meant certain death to the old fellow, and

the thought spurred me to greater exertions. I have but a very hazy remembrance of the end. I recall pulling,

through moments that lagged strangely. I have also some recollection of seeing Pepper's muzzle, appearing

over the Pit edge, after what seemed an indefinite period of time. Then, all grew suddenly dark.

"I SUPPOSE I must have swooned; for, the next thing I remember, I opened my eyes, and all was dusk. I was

lying on my back, with one leg doubled under the other, and Pepper was licking my ears. I felt horribly stiff,

and my leg was numb, from the knee, downwards. For a few minutes, I lay thus, in a dazed condition; then,

slowly, I struggled to a sitting position, and looked about me. "It had stopped raining, but the trees still

dripped, dismally. From the Pit, came a continuous murmur of running water. I felt cold and shivery. My

clothes were sodden, and I ached all over. Very slowly, the life came back into my numbed leg, and, after a

little, I essayed to stand up. This, I managed, at the second attempt; but I was very tottery, and peculiarly

weak. It seemed to me, that I was going to be ill, and I made shift to stumble my way towards the house. My

steps were erratic, and my head confused. At each step that I took, sharp pains shot through my limbs.

"I had gone, perhaps, some thirty paces, when a cry from Pepper, drew my attention, and I turned, stiffly,

towards him. The old dog was trying to follow me; but could come no further, owing to the rope, with which

I had hauled him up, being still tied round his body, the other end not having been unfastened from the tree.

For a moment, I fumbled with the knots, weakly; but they were wet and hard, and I could do nothing. Then, I

"How I reached the house, I scarcely know, and, of the days that followed, I remember still less. Of one thing,

I am certain, that, had it not been for my sister's untiring love and nursing, I had not been writing at this

"When I recovered my senses, it was to find that I had been in bed for nearly two weeks. Yet another week

passed, before I was strong enough to totter out into the gardens. Even then, I was not able to walk so far as

the Pit. I would have liked to ask my sister, how high the water had risen; but felt it was wiser not to mention

the subject to her. Indeed, since then, I have made a rule never to speak to her about the strange things, that

"It was not until a couple of days later, that I managed to get across to the Pit. There, I found that, in my few

weeks' absence, there had been wrought a wondrous change. Instead of the threeparts filled ravine, I looked

out upon a great lake, whose placid surface, reflected the light, coldly. The water had risen to within half a

dozen feet of the Pit edge. Only in one part was the lake disturbed, and that was above the place where, far

down under the silent waters, yawned the entrance to the vast, underground Pit. Here, there was a continuous

bubbling; and, occasionally, a curious sort of sobbing gurgle would find its way up from the depth. Beyond

these, there was nothing to tell of the things that were hidden beneath. As I stood there, it came to me how

wonderfully things had worked out. The entrance to the place whence the Swinecreatures had come, was

sealed up, by a power that made me feel there was nothing more to fear from them. And yet, with the feeling,

there was a sensation that, now, I should never learn anything further, of the place from which those dreadful

Things had come. It was completely shut off and concealed from human curiosity for ever.

"Strangein the knowledge of that underground hellholehow apposite has been the naming of the Pit.

One wonders how it originated, and when. Naturally, one concludes that the shape and depth of the ravine

would suggest the name 'Pit.' Yet, is it not possible that it has, all along, held a deeper significance, a

hintcould one but have guessedof the greater, more stupendous Pit that lies far down in the earth,

beneath this old house? Under this house! Even now, the idea is strange and terrible to me. For I have proved,

beyond doubt, that the Pit yawns right below the house, which is evidently supported, somewhere above the

"It happened in this wise, that, having occasion to go down to the cellars, the thought occurred to me to pay a

visit to the great vault, where the trap is situated; and see whether everything was as I had left it.

"Reaching the place, I walked slowly up the centre, until I came to the trap. There it was, with the stones

piled upon it, just as I had seen it last. I had a lantern with me, and the idea came to me, that now would be a

good time to investigate whatever lay under the great, oak slab. Placing the lantern on the floor, I tumbled the

stones off the trap, and, grasping the ring, pulled the door open. As I did so, the cellar became filled with the

sound of a murmurous thunder, that rose from far below. At the same time, a damp wind blew up into my

face, bringing with it a load of fine spray. Therewith, I dropped the trap, hurriedly, with a half frightened

"For a moment, I stood puzzled. I was not particularly afraid. The haunting fear of the Swinethings had left

me, long ago; but I was certainly nervous and astonished. Then, a sudden thought possessed me, and I raised

the ponderous door, with a feeling of excitement. Leaving it standing upon its end, I seized the lantern, and,

kneeling down, thrust it into the opening. As I did so, the moist wind and spray drove in my eyes, making me

unable to see, for a few moments. Even when my eyes were clear, I could distinguish nothing below me, save

"Seeing that it was useless to expect to make out anything, with the light so high, I felt in my pockets for a

piece of twine, with which to lower it further into the opening. Even as I fumbled, the lantern slipped from

my fingers, and hurtled down into the darkness. For a brief instant, I watched its fall, and saw the light shine

on a tumult of white foam, some eighty or a hundred feet below me. Then it was gone. My sudden surmise

was correct, and now, I knew the cause of the wet and noise. The great cellar was connected with the Pit, by

means of the trap, which opened right above it; and the moisture, was the spray, rising from the water, falling

"In an instant, I had an explanation of certain things, that had hitherto puzzled me. Now, I could understand

why the noiseson the first night of the invasionhad seemed to rise directly from under my feet. And the

chuckle that had sounded when first I opened the trap! Evidently, some of the Swinethings must have been

"Another thought struck me. Were the creatures all drowned? Would they drown? I remembered how unable

I had been to find any traces to show that my shooting had been really fatal. Had they life, as we understand

life, or were they ghouls? These thoughts flashed through my brain, as I stood in the dark, searching my

pockets for matches. I had the box in my hand now, and, striking a light, I stepped to the trapdoor, and

closed it. Then, I piled the stones back upon it; after which, I made my way out from the cellars.

"And so, I suppose the water goes on, thundering down into that bottomless hellpit. Sometimes, I have an

inexplicable desire to go down to the great cellar, open the trap, and gaze into the impenetrable, spraydamp

darkness. At times, the desire becomes almost overpowering, in its intensity. It is not mere curiosity, that

prompts me; but more as though some unexplained influence were at work. Still, I never go; and intend to

fight down the strange longing, and crush it; even as I would the unholy thought of selfdestruction.

"This idea of some intangible force being exerted, may seem reasonless. Yet, my instinct warns me, that it is

"One thought there is, in closing, that impresses itself upon me, with ever growing insistence. It is, that I live

in a very strange house; a very awful house. And I have begun to wonder whether I am doing wisely in

staying here. Yet, if I left, where could I go, and still obtain the solitude, and the sense of her presence, (*)

(*) An apparently unmeaning interpolation. I can find no previous reference in the MS. to this matter. It

"FOR A CONSIDERABLE period after the last incident which I have narrated in my diary, I had serious

thoughts of leaving this house, and might have done so; but for the great and wonderful thing, of which I am

about to write. "How well I was advised, in my heart, when I stayed on herespite of those visions and

sights of unknown and unexplainable things; for, had I not stayed, then I had not seen again the face of her I

loved. Yes, though few know it, none now save my sister Mary, I have loved and, ah! melost.

"I would write down the story of those sweet, old days; but it would be like the tearing of old wounds; yet,

after that which has happened, what need have I to care? For she has come to me out of the unknown.

Strangely, she warned me; warned me passionately against this house; begged me to leave it; but admitted,

when I questioned her, that she could not have come to me, had I been elsewhere. Yet, in spite of this, still

she warned me, earnestly; telling me that it was a place, long ago given over to evil, and under the power of

grim laws, of which none here have knowledge. And II just asked her, again, whether she would come to

"It was thus, that I came to the place of the Sea of Sleepso she termed it, in her dear speech with me. I had

stayed up, in my study, reading; and must have dozed over the book. Suddenly, I awoke and sat upright, with

a start. For a moment, I looked round, with a puzzled sense of something unusual. There was a misty look

about the room, giving a curious softness to each table and chair and furnishing.

"Gradually, the mistiness increased; growing, as it were, out of nothing. Then, slowly, a soft, white light

began to glow in the room. The flames of the candles shone through it, palely. I looked from side to side, and

found that I could still see each piece of furniture; but in a strangely unreal way, more as though the ghost of

"Gradually, as I looked, I saw them fade and fade; until, slowly, they resolved into nothingness. Now, I

looked again at the candles. They shone wanly, and, even as I watched, grew more unreal, and so vanished.

The room was filled, now, with a soft, yet luminous, white twilight, like a gentle mist of light. Beyond this, I

"Presently, I became conscious that a faint, continuous sound, pulsed through the silence that wrapped me. I

listened intently. It grew more distinct, until it appeared to me that I harked to the breathings of some great

sea. I cannot tell how long a space passed thus; but, after a while, it seemed that I could see through the

mistiness; and, slowly, I became aware that I was standing upon the shore of an immense and silent sea. This

shore was smooth and long, vanishing to right and left of me, in extreme distances. In front, swam a still

immensity of sleeping ocean. At times, it seemed to me that I caught a faint glimmer of light, under its

surface; but of this, I could not be sure. Behind me, rose up, to an extraordinary height, gaunt, black cliffs.

Overhead, the sky was of a uniform cold grey colourthe whole place being lit by a stupendous globe of

pale fire, that swam a little above the far horizon, and shed a foamlike light above the quiet waters.

"Beyond the gentle murmur of the sea, an intense stillness prevailed. For a long while, I stayed there, looking

out across its strangeness. Then, as I stared, it seemed that a bubble of white foam floated up out of the

depths, and then, even now I know not how it was, I was looking upon, nay, looking into the face of

Heraye! into her faceinto her soul; and she looked back at me, with such a commingling of joy and

sadness, that I ran towards her, blindly; crying strangely to her, in a very agony of remembrance, of terror,

and of hope, to come to me. Yet, spite of my crying, she stayed out there upon the sea, and only shook her

head, sorrowfully; but, in her eyes was the old earthlight of tenderness, that I had come to know, before all

"At her perverseness, I grew desperate, and essayed to wade out to her; yet, though I would, I could not.

Something, some invisible barrier, held me back, and I was fain to stay where I was, and cry out to her in the

fullness of my soul, 'O, my Darling, my Darling' but could say no more, for very intensity. And, at that,

she came over, swiftly, and touched me, and it was as though heaven had opened. Yet, when I reached out my

NOTE.Here, the writing becomes undecipherable, owing to the damaged condition of this part of the MS.

" . . . . . . through tears . . . . . . noise of eternity in my ears, we parted . . . . . . She whom I love. O, my God! . .

"I was a great time dazed, and then I was alone in the blackness of the night. I knew that I journeyed back,

once more, to the known universe. Presently, I emerged from that enormous darkness. I had come among the

"I entered into the gulf that separates our system from the outer suns. As I sped across the dividing dark, I

watched, steadily, the ever growing brightness and size of our sun. Once, I glanced back to the stars, and saw

them shift, as it were, in my wake, against the mighty background of night, so vast was the speed of my

"I drew nigher to our system, and now I could see the shine of Jupiter. Later, I distinguished the cold, blue

gleam of the earthlight. . . . . . . I had a moment of bewilderment. All about the sun there seemed to be

bright, objects, moving in rapid orbits. Inward, nigh to the savage glory of the sun, there circled two darting

points of light, and, further off, there flew a blue, shining speck, that I knew to be the earth. It circled the sun

". . . . . . nearer with great speed. I saw the radiances of Jupiter and Saturn, spinning, with incredible

swiftness, in huge orbits. And ever I drew more nigh, and looked out upon this strange sightthe visible

circling of the planets about the mother sun. It was as though time had been annihilated for me; so that a year

"The speed of the planets, appeared to increase; and, presently, I was watching the sun, all ringed about with

hairlike circles of different coloured firethe paths of the planets, hurtling at mighty speed, about the

". . . the sun grew vast, as though it leapt to meet me. . . . And now I was within the circling of the outer

planets, and flitting swiftly, towards the place where the earth, glimmering through the blue splendour of its

NOTE.The severest scrutiny has not enabled me to decipher more of the damaged portion of the MS. It

commences to be legible again with the chapter entitled "The Noise in the Night."Ed.

"AND NOW, I come to the strangest of all the strange happenings that have befallen me in this house of

mysteries. It occurred quite latelywithin the month; and I have little doubt, but that, what I saw, was, in

reality, the end of all things. However, to my story. "I do not know how it is; but, up to the present, I have

never been able to write these things down, directly they happened. It is as though I have to wait a time,

recovering my just balance, and digestingas it werethe things I have heard or seen. No doubt, this is as it

should be; for, by waiting, I see the incidents more truly, and write of them in a calmer and more judicial

"It is now the end of November. My story relates to what happened in the first week of the month.

"It was night, about eleven o'clock. Pepper and I kept one another company in the studythat great, old

room of mine, where I read and work. I was reading, curiously enough, the Bible. I have begun, in these later

days, to take a growing interest in that great and ancient book. Suddenly, a distinct tremor shook the house,

and there came a faint and distant, whirring buzz, that grew rapidly into a far, muffled screaming. It reminded

me, in a queer, gigantic way, of the noise that a clock makes, when the catch is released, and it is allowed to

run down. The sound appeared to come from some remote heightsomewhere up in the night. There was no

"All at once, a glow lit up the end window, which protrudes far out from the side of the house, so that, from

it, one may look both East and West. I felt puzzled, and, after a moment's hesitation, walked across the room,

and pulled aside the blind. As I did so, I saw the Sun rise, from behind the horizon. It rose with a steady,

perceptible movement. I could see it travel upwards. In a minute, it seemed, it had reached the tops of the

trees, through which I had watched it. Up, upIt was broad daylight now. Behind me, I was conscious of a

sharp, mosquitolike buzzing. I glanced round, and knew that it came from the clock. Even as I looked, it

marked off an hour. The minutehand was moving round the dial, faster than an ordinary secondhand. The

hourhand moved quickly from space to space. I had a numb sense of astonishment. A moment later, so it

seemed, the two candles went out, almost together. I turned swiftly back to the window; for I had seen the

shadow of the windowframes, travelling along the floor towards me, as though a great lamp had been

"I saw now, that the sun had risen high into the heavens, and was still visibly moving. It passed above the

house, with an extraordinary sailing kind of motion. As the window came into shadow, I saw another

extraordinary thing. The fineweather clouds were not passing, easily, across the skythey were

scampering, as though a hundredmileanhour wind blew. As they passed, they changed their shapes a

thousand times a minute, as though writhing with a strange life; and so were gone. And, presently, others

"To the West, I saw the sun, drop with an incredible, smooth, swift motion. Eastward, the shadows of every

seen thing crept towards the coming greyness. And the movement of the shadows was visible to mea

stealthy, writhing creep of the shadows of the windstirred trees. It was a strange sight.

"Quickly, the room began to darken. The sun slid down to the horizon, and seemed, as it were, to disappear

from my sight, almost with a jerk. Through the greyness of the swift evening, I saw the silver crescent of the

moon, falling out of the Southern sky, towards the West. The evening seemed to merge into an almost instant

night. Above me, the many constellations passed in a strange, 'noiseless' circling, Westwards. The moon fell

through that last thousand fathoms of the nightgulf, and there was only the starlight. . . .

"About this time, the buzzing in the corner ceased; telling me that the clock had run down. A few minutes

passed, and I saw the Eastward sky lighten. A grey, sullen morning spread through all the darkness, and hid

the march of the stars. Overhead, there moved, with a heavy, everlasting rolling, a vast, seamless sky of grey

cloudsa cloudsky that would have seemed motionless, through all the length of an ordinary earthday.

The sun was hidden from me; but, from moment to moment, the world would brighten and darken, brighten

"The light shifted ever Westward, and the night fell upon the earth. A vast rain seemed to come with it, and a

wind of a most extraordinary loudnessas though the howling of a nightlong gale, were packed into the

"This noise passed, almost immediately, and the clouds broke; so that, once more, I could see the sky. The

stars were flying Westward, with astounding speed. It came to me now, for the first time, that, though the

noise of the wind had passed, yet a constant 'blurred' sound was in my ears. Now that I noticed it, I was aware

"And then, even as I grasped at so much comprehension, there came the Eastward light. No more than a few

heartbeats, and the sun rose, swiftly. Through the trees, I saw it, and then it was above the trees. Upup, it

soared and all the world was light. It passed, with a swift, steady swing to its highest altitude, and fell thence,

Westward. I saw the day roll visibly over my head. A few light clouds flittered Northward, and vanished. The

sun went down with one swift, clear plunge, and there was about me, for a few seconds, the darker growing

"Southward and Westward, the moon was sinking rapidly. The night had come, already. A minute it seemed,

and the moon fell those remaining fathoms of dark sky. Another minute, or so, and the Eastward sky glowed

with the coming dawn. The sun leapt upon me with a frightening abruptness, and soared ever more swiftly

towards the zenith. Then, suddenly, a fresh thing came to my sight. A black thundercloud rushed up out of

the South, and seemed to leap all the arc of the sky, in a single instant. As it came, I saw that its advancing

edge flapped, like a monstrous black cloth in the heaven, twirling and undulating rapidly, with a horrid

suggestiveness. In an instant, all the air was full of rain, and a hundred lightning flashes seemed to flood

downwards, as it were in one great shower. In the same second of time, the worldnoise was drowned in the

roar of the wind, and then my ears ached, under the stunning impact of the thunder.

"And, in the midst of this storm, the night came; and then, within the space of another minute, the storm had

passed, and there was only the constant 'blur' of the worldnoise on my hearing. Overhead, the stars were

sliding quickly Westward; and something, mayhaps the particular speed to which they had attained, brought

home to me, for the first time, a keen realisation of the knowledge that it was the world that revolved. I

seemed to see, suddenly, the worlda vast, dark massrevolving visibly against the stars.

"The dawn and the sun seemed to come together, so greatly had the speed of the worldrevolution increased.

The sun drove up, in one long, steady curve; passed its highest point, and swept down into the Western sky,

and disappeared. I was scarcely conscious of evening, so brief was it. Then I was watching the flying

constellations, and the Westward hastening moon. In but a space of seconds, so it seemed, it was sliding

swiftly downward through the nightblue, and then was gone. And, almost directly, came the morning.

"And now there seemed to come a strange acceleration. The sun made one clean, clear sweep through the

sky, and disappeared behind the Westward horizon, and the night came and went with a like haste.

"As the succeeding day, opened and closed upon the world, I was aware of a sweat of snow, suddenly upon

the earth. The night came, and, almost immediately, the day. In the brief leap of the sun, I saw that the snow

"Thus matters were; and, even after the many incredible things that I have seen, I experienced all the time a

most profound awe. To see the sun rise and set, within a space of time to be measured by seconds; to watch

(after a little) the moon leapa pale, and ever growing orbup into the night sky, and glide, with a strange

swiftness, through the vast arc of blue; and, presently, to see the sun follow, springing out of the Eastern sky,

as though in chase; and then again the night, with the swift and ghostly passing of starry constellations, was

all too much to view believingly. Yet, so it wasthe day slipping from dawn to dusk, and the night sliding

"The last three passages of the sun had shown me a snowcovered earth, which, at night, had seemed, for a

few seconds, incredibly weird under the fastshifting light of the soaring and falling moon. Now, however,

for a little space, the sky was hidden, by a sea of swaying, leadenwhite clouds, which lightened and

"The clouds rippled and vanished, and there was once more before me, the vision of the swiftly leaping sun,

"Faster and faster, spun the world. And now each day and night was completed within the space of but a few

"It was a little later, that I noticed that the sun had begun to have the suspicion of a trail of fire behind it. This

was due, evidently, to the speed at which it, apparently, traversed the heavens. And, as the days sped, each

one quicker than the last, the sun began to assume the appearance of a vast, flaming comet, (*) flaring across

the sky at short, periodic intervals. At night, the moon presented, with much greater truth, a cometlike

aspect; a pale, and singularly clear, fast travelling shape of fire, trailing streaks of cold flame. The stars

"Once, I turned from the window, and glanced at Pepper. In the flash of a day, I saw that he slept, quietly, and

"The sun was now bursting up from the Eastern horizon, like a stupendous rocket, seeming to occupy no

more than a second or two in hurling from East to West. I could no longer perceive the passage of clouds

across the sky, which seemed to have darkened somewhat. The brief nights, appeared to have lost the proper

darkness of night; so that the hairlike fire of the flying stars, showed but dimly. As the speed increased, the

sun began to sway very slowly in the sky, from South to North, and then, slowly again, from North to South.

"All this while had Pepper slept. Presently, feeling lonely and distraught, I called to him, softly; but he took

no notice. Again, I called, raising my voice slightly; still he moved not. I walked over to where he lay, and

touched him with my foot, to rouse him. At the action, gentle though it was, he fell to pieces. That is what

happened; he literally and actually crumbled into a mouldering heap of bones and dust.

"For the space of, perhaps a minute, I stared down at the shapeless heap, that had once been Pepper. I stood,

feeling stunned. What can have happened? I asked myself; not at once grasping the grim significance of that

little hill of ash. Then, as I stirred the heap with my foot, it occurred to me that this could only happen in a

"Outside, the weaving, fluttering light held the world. Inside, I stood, trying to understand what it

meantwhat that little pile of dust and dry bones, on the carpet, meant. But I could not think, coherently.

"I glanced away, round the room, and now, for the first time, noticed how dusty and old the place looked.

Dust and dirt everywhere; piled in little heaps in the corners, and spread about upon the furniture. The very

carpet, itself, was invisible beneath a coating of the same, all pervading, material. As I walked, little clouds of

the stuff rose up from under my footsteps, and assailed my nostrils, with a dry, bitter odour that made me

"Suddenly, as my glance fell again upon Pepper's remains, I stood still, and gave voice to my

confusionquestioning, aloud, whether the years were, indeed, passing; whether this, which I had taken to

be a form of vision, was, in truth, a reality. I paused. A new thought had struck me. Quickly, but with steps

which, for the first time, I noticed, tottered, I went across the room to the great pierglass, and looked in. It

was too covered with grime, to give back any reflection, and, with trembling hands, I began to rub off the

dirt. Presently, I could see myself. The thought that had come to me, was confirmed. Instead of the great, hale

man, who scarcely looked fifty, I was looking at a bent, decrepit man, whose shoulders stooped, and whose

face was wrinkled with the years of a century. The hairwhich a few short hours ago had been nearly coal

blackwas now silvery white. Only the eyes were bright. Gradually, I traced, in that ancient man, a faint

"I turned away, and tottered to the window. I knew, now, that I was old, and the knowledge seemed to

confirm my trembling walk. For a little space, I stared moodily out into the blurred vista of changeful

landscape. Even in that short time, a year passed, and, with a petulant gesture, I left the window. As I did so, I

noticed that my hand shook with the palsy of old age; and a short sob choked its way through my lips.

"For a little while, I paced, tremulously, between the window and the table; my gaze wandering hither and

thither, uneasily. How dilapidated the room was. Everywhere lay the thick dustthick, sleepy and black. The

fender was a shape of rust. The chains that held the brass clockweights, had rusted through long ago, and

"As I glanced about, it seemed to me that I could see the very furniture of the room rotting and decaying

before my eyes. Nor was this fancy, on my part; for, all at once, the bookshelf, along the side wall, collapsed,

with a cracking and rending of rotten wood, precipitating its contents upon the floor, and filling the room

"How tired I felt. As I walked, it seemed that I could hear my dry joints, creak and crack at every step. I

wondered about my sister. Was she dead, as well as Pepper? All had happened so quickly and suddenly. This

must be, indeed, the beginning of the end of all things! It occurred to me, to go to look for her; but I felt too

weary. And then, she had been so queer about these happenings, of late. Of late! I repeated the words, and

laughed, feeblymirthlessly, as the realisation was borne in upon me that I spoke of a time, half a century

"I moved slowly to the window, and looked out once more across the world. I can best describe the passage

of day and night, at this period, as a sort of gigantic, ponderous flicker. Moment by moment, the acceleration

of time continued; so that, at nights now, I saw the moon, only as a swaying trail of palish fire, that varied

from a mere line of light to a nebulous path, and then dwindled again, disappearing periodically.

"The flicker of the days and nights quickened. The days had grown perceptibly darker, and a queer quality of

dusk lay, as it were, in the atmosphere. The nights were so much lighter, that the stars were scarcely to be

seen, saving here and there an occasional hairlike line of fire, that seemed to sway a little, with the moon.

"Quicker, and ever quicker, ran the flicker of day and night; and, suddenly it seemed, I was aware that the

flicker had died out, and, instead, there reigned a comparatively steady light, which was shed upon all the

world, from an eternal river of flame that swung up and down, North and South, in stupendous, mighty

"The sky was now grown very much darker, and there was in the blue of it a heavy gloom, as though a vast

blackness peered through it upon the earth. Yet, there was in it, also, a strange and awful clearness, and

emptiness. Periodically, I had glimpses of a ghostly track of fire that swayed thin and darkly towards the

"Looking out at the landscape, I was conscious again, of a blurring sort of 'flitter,' that came either from the

light of the ponderousswinging sunstream, or was the result of the incredibly rapid changes of the earth's

surface. And every few moments, so it seemed, the snow would lie suddenly upon the world, and vanish as

abruptly, as though an invisible giant 'flitted' a white sheet off and on the earth.

"Time fled, and the weariness that was mine, grew insupportable. I turned from the window, and walked once

across the room, the heavy dust deadening the sound of my footsteps. Each step that I took, seemed a greater

effort than the one before. An intolerable ache, knew me in every joint and limb, as I trod my way, with a

"By the opposite wall, I came to a weak pause, and wondered, dimly, what was my intent. I looked to my left,

and saw my old chair. The thought of sitting in it brought a faint sense of comfort to my bewildered

wretchedness. Yet, because I was so weary and old and tired, I would scarcely brace my mind to do anything

but stand, and wish myself past those few yards. I rocked, as I stood. The floor, even, seemed a place for rest;

but the dust lay so thick and sleepy and black. I turned, with a great effort of will, and made towards my

"Everything about me appeared to be growing dim. It was all so strange and unthought of. Last night, I was a

comparatively strong, though elderly man; and now, only a few hours later! I looked at the little dustheap

that had once been Pepper. Hours! and I laughed, a feeble, bitter laugh; a shrill, cackling laugh, that shocked

"For awhile, I must have dozed. Then I opened my eyes, with a start. Somewhere across the room, there had

been a muffled noise of something falling. I looked, and saw, vaguely, a cloud of dust hovering above a pile

of d�bris. Nearer the door, something else tumbled, with a crash. It was one of the cupboards; but I was tired,

and took little notice. I closed my eyes, and sat there in a state of drowsy, semiunconsciousness. Once or

twiceas though coming through thick mistsI heard noises, faintly. Then I must have slept.

(*) The Recluse uses this as an illustration, evidently in the sense of the popular conception of a comet.Ed.

"I AWOKE, with a start. For a moment, I wondered where I was. Then memory came to me. . . . "The room

was still lit with that strange lighthalfsun, halfmoon, light. I felt refreshed, and the tired, weary ache had

left me. I went slowly across to the window, and looked out. Overhead, the river of flame drove up and down,

North and South, in a dancing semicircle of fire. As a mighty sley in the loom of time it seemedin a

sudden fancy of mineto be beating home the picks of the years. For, so vastly had the passage of time been

accelerated, that there was no longer any sense of the sun passing from East to West. The only apparent

movement was the North and South beat of the sunstream, that had become so swift now, as to be better

"As I peered out, there came to me a sudden, inconsequent memory of that last journey among the Outer

worlds. (*) I remembered the sudden vision that had come to me, as I neared the Solar System, of the fast

whirling planets about the sunas though the governing quality of time had been held in abeyance, and the

Machine of a Universe allowed to run down an eternity, in a few moments or hours. The memory passed,

along with a, but partially comprehended, suggestion that I had been permitted a glimpse into further time

spaces. I stared out again, seemingly, at the quake of the sunstream. The speed seemed to increase, even as I

"Suddenly, it struck me, with a sort of grotesque seriousness, that I was still alive. I thought of Pepper, and

wondered how it was that I had not followed his fate. He had reached the time of his dying, and had passed,

probably through sheer length of years. And here was I, alive, hundreds of thousands of centuries after my

"For, a time, I mused, absently. 'Yesterday' I stopped, suddenly. Yesterday! There was no yesterday. The

yesterday, of which I spoke, had been swallowed up in the abyss of years, ages gone. I grew dazed with much

"Presently, I turned from the window, and glanced round the room. It seemed differentstrangely, utterly

different. Then, I knew what it was that made it appear so strange. It was bare: there was not a piece of

furniture in the room; not even a solitary fitting of any sort. Gradually, my amazement went, as I

remembered, that this was but the inevitable end of that process of decay, which I had witnessed

"Over the floor was spread a deep layer of dust, that reached half way up to the windowseat. It had grown

immeasurably, whilst I slept; and represented the dust of untold ages. Undoubtedly, atoms of the old, decayed

furniture helped to swell its bulk; and, somewhere among it all, mouldered the longagodead Pepper.

"All at once, it occurred to me, that I had no recollection of wading kneedeep through all that dust, after I

awoke. True, an incredible age of years had passed, since I approached the window; but that was evidently as

nothing, compared with the countless spaces of time that, I conceived, had vanished whilst I was sleeping. I

remembered now, that I had fallen asleep, sitting in my old chair. Had it gone . . . ? I glanced towards where

it had stood. Of course, there was no chair to be seen. I could not satisfy myself, whether it had disappeared,

after my waking, or before. If it had mouldered under me, surely, I should have been waked by the collapse.

Then I remembered that the thick dust, which covered the floor, would have been sufficient to soften my fall;

so that it was quite possible, I had slept upon the dust for a million years or more.

"As these thoughts wandered through my brain, I glanced again, casually, to where the chair had stood. Then,

for the first time, I noticed that there were no marks, in the dust, of my footprints, between it and the window.

But then, ages of years had passed, since I had awakedtens of thousands of years!

"My look rested thoughtfully, again upon the place where once had stood my chair. Suddenly, I passed from

abstraction to intentness; for there, in its standing place, I made out a long undulation, rounded off with the

heavy dust. Yet it was not so much hidden, but that I could tell what had caused it. I knewand shivered at

the knowledgethat it was a human body, agesdead, lying there, beneath the place where I had slept. It was

lying on its right side, its back turned towards me. I could make out and trace each curve and outline,

softened, and moulded, as it were, in the black dust. In a vague sort of way, I tried to account for its presence

there. Slowly, I began to grow bewildered, as the thought came to me that it lay just about where I must have

fallen when the chair collapsed. "Gradually, an idea began to form itself within my brain; a thought that

shook my spirit. It seemed hideous and insupportable; yet it grew upon me, steadily, until it became a

conviction. The body under that coating, that shroud of dust, was neither more nor less than my own dead

shell. I did not attempt to prove it. I knew it now, and wondered I had not known it all along. I was a bodyless

"Awhile, I stood, trying to adjust my thoughts to this new problem. In timehow many thousands of years, I

know notI attained to some degree of quietudesufficient to enable me to pay attention to what was

"Now, I saw that the elongated mound had sunk, collapsed, level with the rest of the spreading dust. And

fresh atoms, impalpable, had settled above that mixture of gravepowder, which the aeons had ground. A

long while, I stood, turned from the window. Gradually, I grew more collected, while the world slipped

"Presently, I began a survey of the room. Now, I saw that time was beginning its destructive work, even on

this strange old building. That it had stood through all the years was, it seemed to me, proof that it was

something different from any other house. I do not think, somehow, that I had thought of its decaying.

Though, why, I could not have said. It was not until I had meditated upon the matter, for some considerable

time, that I fully realised that the extraordinary space of time through which it had stood, was sufficient to

have utterly pulverised the very stones of which it was built, had they been taken from any earthly quarry.

Yes, it was undoubtedly mouldering now. All the plaster had gone from the walls; even as the woodwork of

"While I stood, in contemplation, a piece of glass, from one of the small, diamondshaped panes, dropped,

with a dull tap, amid the dust upon the sill behind me, and crumbled into a little heap of powder. As I turned

from contemplating it, I saw light between a couple of the stones that formed the outer wall. Evidently, the

"After awhile, I turned once more to the window, and peered out. I discovered, now, that the speed of time

had become enormous. The lateral quiver of the sunstream, had grown so swift as to cause the dancing

semicircle of flame to merge into, and disappear in, a sheet of fire that covered half the Southern sky from

"From the sky, I glanced down to the gardens. They were just a blur of a palish, dirty green. I had a feeling

that they stood higher, than in the old days; a feeling that they were nearer my window, as though they had

risen, bodily. Yet, they were still a long way below me; for the rock, over the mouth of the pit, on which this

"It was later, that I noticed a change in the constant colour of the gardens. The pale, dirty green was growing

ever paler and paler, towards white. At last, after a great space, they became greyishwhite, and stayed thus

for a very long time. Finally, however, the greyness began to fade, even as had the green, into a dead white.

And this remained, constant and unchanged. And by this I knew that, at last, snow lay upon all the Northern

"And so, by millions of years, time winged onward through eternity, to the endthe end, of which, in the

oldearth days, I had thought remotely, and in hazily speculative fashion. And now, it was approaching in a

"I recollect that, about this time, I began to have a lively; though morbid, curiosity, as to what would happen

"All this while, the steady process of decay was continuing. The few remaining pieces of glass, had long ago

vanished; and, every now and then, a soft thud, and a little cloud of rising dust, would tell of some fragment

"I looked up again, to the fiery sheet that quaked in the heavens above me and far down into the Southern

sky. As I looked, the impression was borne in upon me, that it had lost some of its first brilliancythat it was

"I glanced down, once more, to the blurred white of the worldscape. Sometimes, my look returned to the

burning sheet of dulling flame, that was, and yet hid, the sun. At times, I glanced behind me, into the growing

"So, I watched through the fleeting ages, lost in soulwearing thoughts and wonderings, and possessed with a

(*) Evidently referring to something set forth in the missing and mutilated pages. See Fragments, Chapter

"IT MIGHT have been a million years later, that I perceived, beyond possibility of doubt, that the fiery sheet

that lit the world, was indeed darkening. "Another vast space went by, and the whole enormous flame had

sunk to a deep, copper colour. Gradually, it darkened, from copper to copperred, and from this, at times, to a

"Although the light was decreasing, I could perceive no diminishment in the apparent speed of the sun. It still

"The world, so much of it as I could see, had assumed a dreadful shade of gloom, as though, in very deed, the

"The sun was dying; of that there could be little doubt; and still the earth whirled onward, through space and

all the aeons. At this time, I remember, an extraordinary sense of bewilderment took me. I found myself,

later, wandering, mentally, amid an odd chaos of fragmentary modern theories and the old Biblical story of

"Then, for the first time, there flashed across me, the memory that the sun, with its system of planets, was,

and had been, travelling through space at an incredible speed. Abruptly, the question roseWhere? For a

very great time, I pondered this matter; but, finally, with a certain sense of the futility of my puzzlings, I let

my thoughts wander to other things. I grew to wondering, how much longer the house would stand. Also, I

queried, to myself, whether I should be doomed to stay, bodyless, upon the earth, through the darktime that

I knew was coming. From these thoughts, I fell again to speculations upon the possible direction of the sun's

"Gradually, as time fled, I began to feel the chill of a great winter. Then, I remembered that, with the sun

dying, the cold must be, necessarily, extraordinarily intense. Slowly, slowly, as the aeons slipped into

eternity, the earth sank into a heavier and redder gloom. The dull flame in the firmament took on a deeper

"Then, at last, it was borne upon me that there was a change. The fiery, gloomy curtain of flame that hung

quaking overhead, and down away into the Southern sky, began to thin and contract; and, in it, as one sees

the fast vibrations of a jarred harpstring, I saw once more the sunstream quivering, giddily, North and

"Slowly, the likeness to a sheet of fire, disappeared, and I saw, plainly, the slowing beat of the sunstream.

Yet, even then, the speed of its swing was inconceivably swift. And all the time, the brightness of the fiery

arc grew ever duller. Underneath, the world loomed dimlyan indistinct, ghostly region.

"Overhead, the river of flame swayed slower, and even slower; until, at last, it swung to the North and South

in great, ponderous beats, that lasted through seconds. A long space went by, and now each sway of the great

belt lasted nigh a minute; so that, after a great while, I ceased to distinguish it as a visible movement; and the

streaming fire ran in a steady river of dull flame, across the deadlylooking sky.

"An indefinite period passed, and it seemed that the arc of fire became less sharply defined. It appeared to me

to grow more attenuated, and I thought blackish streaks showed, occasionally. Presently, as I watched, the

smooth onwardflow ceased; and I was able to perceive that there came a momentary, but regular, darkening

of the world. This grew until, once more, night descended, in short, but periodic, intervals upon the wearying

"Longer and longer became the nights, and the days equalled them; so that, at last, the day and the night grew

to the duration of seconds in length, and the sun showed, once more, like an almost invisible, copperyred

coloured ball, within the glowing mistiness of its flight. Corresponding to the dark lines, showing at times in

its trail, there were now distinctly to be seen on the halfvisible sun itself, great, dark belts.

"Year after year flashed into the past, and the days and nights spread into minutes. The sun had ceased to

have the appearance of a tail; and now rose and seta tremendous globe of a glowing copperbronze hue; in

parts ringed with bloodred bands; in others, with the dusky ones, that I have already mentioned. These

circlesboth red and blackwere of varying thicknesses. For a time, I was at a loss to account for their

presence. Then it occurred to me, that it was scarcely likely that the sun would cool evenly all over; and that

these markings were due, probably, to differences in temperature of the various areas; the red representing

those parts where the heat was still fervent, and the black those portions which were already comparatively

"It struck me, as a peculiar thing, that the sun should cool in evenly defined rings; until I remembered that,

possibly, they were but isolated patches, to which the enormous rotatory speed of the sun had imparted a

beltlike appeerance. The sun, itself, was very much greater than the sun I had known in the oldworld days;

"At nights, the moon (*) still showed; but small and remote; and the light she reflected was so dull and weak

that she seemed little more than the small, dim ghost of the olden moon, that I had known.

"Gradually, the days and nights lengthened out, until they equalled a space somewhat less than one of the

oldearth hours; the sun rising and setting like a great, ruddy bronze disk, crossed with inkblack bars. About

this time, I found myself, able once more, to see the gardens, with clearness. For the world had now grown

very still, and changeless. Yet, I am not correct in saying, 'gardens'; for there were no gardensnothing that I

knew or recognised. In place thereof, I looked out upon a vast plain, stretching away into distance. A little to

my left, there was a low range of hills. Everywhere, there was a uniform, white covering of snow, in places

"It was only now, that I recognised how really great had been the snowfall. In places it was vastly deep, as

was witnessed by a great, upleaping, waveshaped hill, away to my right; though it is not impossible, that

this was due, in part, to some rise in the surface of the ground. Strangely enough, the range of low hills to my

leftalready mentionedwas not entirely covered with the universal snow; instead, I could see their bare,

dark sides showing in several places. And everywhere and always there reigned an incredible deathsilence

"All this time, the days and nights were lengthening, perceptibly. Already, each day occupied, maybe, some

two hours from dawn to dusk. At night, I had been surprised to find that there were very few stars overhead,

and these small, though of an extraordinary brightness; which I attributed to the peculiar, but clear, blackness

"Away to the North, I could discern a nebulous sort of mistiness; not unlike, in appearance, a small portion of

the Milky Way. It might have been an extremely remote starcluster; orthe thought came to me

suddenlyperhaps it was the sidereal universe that I had known, and now left far behind, for evera small,

"Still, the days and nights lengthened, slowly. Each time, the sun rose duller than it had set. And the dark

"About this time, there happened a fresh thing. The sun, earth, and sky were suddenly darkened, and,

apparently, blotted out for a brief space. I had a sense, a certain awareness (I could learn little by sight), that

the earth was enduring a very great fall of snow. Then, in an instant, the veil that had obscured everything,

vanished, and I looked out, once more. A marvellous sight met my gaze. The hollow in which this house,

with its gardens, stands, was brimmed with snow. (2) It lipped over the sill of my window. Everywhere, it

lay, a great level stretch of white, which caught and reflected, gloomily, the sombre coppery glows of the

"I glanced up at the sun. It shone with an extraordinary, dull clearness. I saw it, now, as one who, until then,

had seen it, only through a partially obscuring medium. All about it, the sky had become black, with a clear,

deep blackness, frightful in its nearness, and its unmeasured deep, and its utter unfriendliness. For a great

time, I looked into it, newly, and shaken and fearful. It was so near. Had I been a child, I might have

expressed some of my sensation and distress, by saying that the sky had lost its roof.

"Later, I turned, and peered about me, into the room. Everywhere, it was covered with a thin shroud of the

allpervading white. I could see it but dimly, by reason of the sombre light that now lit the world. It appeared

to cling to the ruined walls; and the thick, soft dust of the years, that covered the floor kneedeep, was

nowhere visible. The snow must have blown in through the open framework of the windows. Yet, in no place

had it drifted; but lay everywhere about the great, old room, smooth and level. Moreover, there had been no

"And all the earth was silent. And there was a cold, such as no living man can ever have known.

"The earth was now illuminated, by day, with a most doleful light, beyond my power to describe. It seemed

as though I looked at the great plain, through the medium of a bronzetinted sea.

"The end came, all at once. The night had been the longest yet; and when the dying sun showed, at last, above

the world's edge, I had grown so wearied of the dark, that I greeted it as a friend. It rose steadily, until about

twenty degrees above the horizon. Then, it stopped suddenly, and, after a strange retrograde movement, hung

motionlessa great shield in the sky. (4) Only the circular rim of the sun showed brightonly this, and one

"Gradually, even this thread of light died out; and now, all that was left of our great and glorious sun, was a

(*) No further mention is made of the moon. From what is said here, it is evident that our satellite had greatly

increased its distance from the earth. Possibly, at a later age it may even have broken loose from our

(4) I am confounded, that neither here, nor later on, does the Recluse make any further mention of the

continued north and south movement (apparent, of course,) of the sun from solstice to solstice.Ed.

"THE WORLD was held in a savage gloomcold and intolerable. Outside, all was quietquiet! From the

dark room behind me, came the occasional, soft thud (*) of falling matterfragments of rotting stone. So

time passed, and night grasped the world, wrapping it in wrappings of impenetrable blackness. "There was no

nightsky, as we know it. Even the few straggling stars had vanished, conclusively. I might have been in a

shuttered room, without a light; for all that I could see. Only, in the impalpableness of gloom, opposite, burnt

that vast, encircling hair of dull fire. Beyond this, there was no ray in all the vastitude of night that

surrounded me; save that, far in the North, that soft, mistlike glow still shone.

"Silently, years moved on. What period of time passed, I shall never know. It seemed to me, waiting there,

that eternities came and went, stealthily; and still I watched. I could see only the glow of the sun's edge, at

times; for now, it had commenced to come and golighting up a while, and again becoming extinguished.

"All at once, during one of these periods of life, a sudden flame cut across the nighta quick glare that lit up

the dead earth, shortly; giving me a glimpse of its flat lonesomeness. The light appeared to come from the

sunshooting out from somewhere near its centre, diagonally. A moment, I gazed, startled. Then the leaping

flame sank, and the gloom fell again. But now it was not so dark; and the sun was belted by a thin line of

vivid, white light. I stared, intently. Had a volcano broken out on the sun? Yet, I negatived the thought, as

soon as formed. I felt that the light had been far too intensely white, and large, for such a cause.

"Another idea there was, that suggested itself to me. It was, that one of the inner planets had fallen into the

sunbecoming incandescent, under that impact. This theory appealed to me, as being more plausible, and

accounting more satisfactorily for the extraordinary size and brilliance of the blaze, that had lit up the dead

"Full of interest and emotion, I stared, across the darkness, at that line of white fire, cutting the night. One

thing it told to me, unmistakably: the sun was yet rotating at an enormous speed. (2) Thus, I knew that the

years were still fleeting at an incalculable rate; though so far as the earth was concerned, life, and light, and

"After that one burst of flame, the light had shown, only as an encircling band of bright fire. Now, however,

as I watched, it began slowly to sink into a ruddy tint, and, later, to a dark, copperred colour; much as the

sun had done. Presently, it sank to a deeper hue; and, in a still further space of time, it began to fluctuate;

having periods of glowing, and anon, dying. Thus, after a great while, it disappeared.

"Long before this, the smouldering edge of the sun had deadened into blackness. And so, in that supremely

future time, the world, dark and intensely silent, rode on its gloomy orbit around the ponderous mass of the

"My thoughts, at this period, can be scarcely described. At first, they were chaotic and wanting in coherence.

But, later, as the ages came and went, my soul seemed to imbibe the very essence of the oppressive solitude

"With this feeling, there came a wonderful clearness of thought, and I realised, despairingly, that the world

might wander for ever, through that enormous night. For awhile, the unwholesome idea filled me, with a

sensation of overbearing desolation; so that I could have cried like a child. In time, however, this feeling

grew, almost insensibly, less, and an unreasoning hope possessed me. Patiently, I waited.

"From time to time, the noise of dropping particles, behind in the room, came dully to my ears. Once, I heard

a loud crash, and turned, instinctively, to look; forgetting, for the moment, the impenetrable night in which

every detail was submerged. In a while, my gaze sought the heavens; turning, unconsciously, towards the

North. Yes, the nebulous glow still showed. Indeed, I could have almost imagined that it looked somewhat

plainer. For a long time, I kept my gaze fixed upon it; feeling, in my lonely soul, that its soft haze was, in

some way, a tie with the past. Strange, the trifles from which one can suck comfort! And yet, had I but

"For a very long space, I watched, without experiencing any of the desire for sleep, that would so soon have

visited me in the oldearth days. How I should have welcomed it; if only to have passed the time, away from

"Several times, the comfortless sound of some great piece of masonry falling, disturbed my meditations; and,

once, it seemed I could hear whispering in the room, behind me. Yet it was utterly useless to try to see

anything. Such blackness, as existed, scarcely can be conceived. It was palpable, and hideously brutal to the

sense; as though something dead, pressed up against mesomething soft, and icily cold.

"Under all this, there grew up within my mind, a great and overwhelming distress of uneasiness, that left me,

but to drop me into an uncomfortable brooding. I felt that I must fight against it; and, presently, hoping to

distract my thoughts, I turned to the window, and looked up towards the North, in search of the nebulous

whiteness, which, still, I believed to be the far and misty glowing of the universe we had left. Even as I raised

my eyes, I was thrilled with a feeling of wonder; for, now, the hazy light had resolved into a single, great star,

"As I stared, astonished, the thought flashed into my mind; that the earth must be travelling towards the star;

not away, as I had imagined. Next, that it could not be the universe the earth had left; but, possibly, an

outlying star, belonging to some vast starcluster, hidden in the enormous depths of space. With a sense of

commingled awe and curiosity, I watched it, wondering what new thing was to be revealed to me.

"For a while, vague thoughts and speculations occupied me, during which my gaze dwelt insatiably upon that

one spot of light, in the otherwise pitlike darkness. Hope grew up within me, banishing the oppression of

despair, that had seemed to stifle me. Wherever the earth was traveling, it was, at least, going once more

towards the realms of light. Light! One must spend an eternity wrapped in soundless night, to understand the

"Slowly, but surely, the star grew upon my vision, until, in time, it shone as brightly as had the planet Jupiter,

in the oldearth days. With increased size, its colour became more impressive; reminding me of a huge

"Years fled away in silence, and the green star grew into a great splash of flame in the sky. A little later, I saw

a thing that filled me with amazement. It was the ghostly outline of a vast crescent, in the night; a gigantic

new moon, seeming to be growing out of the surrounding gloom. Utterly bemused, I stared at it. It appeared

to be quite closecomparatively; and I puzzled to understand how the earth had come so near to it, without

"The light, thrown by the star, grew stronger; and, presently, I was aware that it was possible to see the

earthscape again; though indistinctly. Awhile, I stared, trying to make out whether I could distinguish any

detail of the world's surface, but I found the light insufficient. In a little, I gave up the attempt, and glanced

once more towards the star. Even in the short space, that my attention had been diverted, it had increased

considerably, and seemed now, to my bewildered sight, about a quarter of the size of the full moon. The light

it threw, was extraordinarily powerful; yet its colour was so abominably unfamiliar, that such of the world as

I could see, showed unreal; more as though I looked out upon a landscape of shadow, than aught else.

"All this time, the great crescent was increasing in brightness, and began, now, to shine with a perceptible

shade of green. Steadily, the star increased in size and brilliancy, until it showed, fully as large as half a full

moon; and, as it grew greater and brighter, so did the vast crescent throw out more and more light, though of

an ever deepening hue of green. Under the combined blaze of their radiances, the wilderness that stretched

before me, became steadily more visible. Soon, I seemed able to stare across the whole world, which now

appeared, beneath the strange light, terrible in its cold and awful, flat dreariness.

"It was a little later, that my attention was drawn to the fact, that the great star of green flame, was slowly

sinking out of the North, towards the East. At first, I could scarcely believe that I saw aright; but soon there

could be no doubt that it was so. Gradually, it sank, and, as it fell, the vast crescent of glowing green, began

to dwindle and dwindle, until it became a mere arc of light, against the livid coloured sky. Later it vanished,

"By this time, the star had come to within some thirty degrees of the hidden horizon. In size it could now

have rivalled the moon at its full; though, even yet, I could not distinguish its disk. This fact led me to

conceive that it was, still, an extraordinary distance away; and, this being so, I knew that its size must be

"Suddenly, as I watched, the lower edge of the star vanishedcut by a straight, dark line. A minuteor a

centurypassed, and it dipped lower, until the half of it had disappeared from sight. Far away out on the

great plain, I saw a monstrous shadow blotting it out, and advancing swiftly. Only a third of the star was

visible now. Then, like a flash, the solution of this extraordinary phenomenon revealed itself to me. The star

was sinking behind the enormous mass of the dead sun. Or rather, the sunobedient to its attractionwas

rising towards it, (3) with the earth following in its trail. As these thoughts expanded in my mind, the star

vanished; being completely hidden by the tremendous bulk of the sun. Over the earth there fell, once more,

"With the darkness, came an intolerable feeling of loneliness and dread. For the first time, I thought of the

Pit, and its inmates. After that, there rose in my memory the still more terrible Thing, that had haunted the

shores of the Sea of Sleep, and lurked in the shadows of this old building. Where were they? I

wonderedand shivered with miserable thoughts. For a time, fear held me, and I prayed, wildly and

incoherently, for some ray of light with which to dispel the cold blackness that enveloped the world.

"How long I waited, it is impossible to saycertainly for a very great period. Then, all at once, I saw a loom

of light shine out ahead. Gradually, it became more distinct. Suddenly, a ray of vivid green, flashed across the

darkness. At the same moment, I saw a thin line of livid flame, far in the night. An instant, it seemed, and it

had grown into a great clot of fire; beneath which, the world lay bathed in a blaze of emerald green light.

Steadily it grew, until, presently, the whole of the green star had come into sight again. But now, it could be

scarcely called a star; for it had increased to vast proportions, being incomparably greater than the sun had

"Then, as I stared, I became aware that I could see the edge of the lifeless sun, glowing like a great

crescentmoon. Slowly, its lighted surface, broadened out to me, until half of its diameter was visible; and

the star began to drop away on my right. Time passed, and the earth moved on, slowly traversing the

"Gradually, as the earth travelled forward, the star fell still more to the right; until, at last, it shone on the

back of the house, sending a flood of broken rays, in through the skeletonlike walls. Glancing upwards, I

saw that much of the ceiling had vanished, enabling me to see that the upper storeys were even more decayed.

The roof had, evidently, gone entirely; and I could see the green effulgence of the Starlight shining in,

(*) At this time the soundcarrying atmosphere must have been either incredibly attenuated, ormore

probablynonexistent. In the light of this, it cannot be supposed that these, or any other, noises would have

been apparent to living earsto hearing, as we, in the material body, understand that sense.Ed.

(2) I can only suppose that the time of the earth's yearly journey had ceased to bear its present relative

(3) A careful reading of the MS. suggests that, either the sun is travelling on an orbit of great eccentricity, or

else that it was approaching the green star on a lessening orbit. And at this moment, I conceive it to be finally

torn directly from its oblique course, by the gravitational pull of the immense star.Ed.

(4) It will be noticed here that the earth was "slowly traversing the tremendous face of the dead sun." No

explanation is given of this, and we must conclude, either that the speed of time had slowed, or else that the

earth was actually progressing on its orbit at a rate, slow, when measured by existing standards. A careful

study of the MS. however, leads me to conclude that the speed of time had been steadily decreasing for a very

"FROM THE ABUTMENT, where once had been the windows, through which I had watched that first, fatal

dawn, I could see that the sun was hugely greater, than it had been, when first the Star lit the world. So great

was it, that its lower edge seemed almost to touch the far horizon. Even as I watched, I imagined that it drew

closer. The radiance of green that lit the frozen earth, grew steadily brighter. "Thus, for a long space, things

were. Then, on a sudden, I saw that the sun was changing shape, and growing smaller, just as the moon would

have done in past time. In a while, only a third of the illuminated part was turned towards the earth. The Star

"Gradually, as the world moved on, the Star shone upon the front of the house, once more; while the sun

showed, only as a great bow of green fire. An instant, it seemed, and the sun had vanished. The Star was still

fully visible. Then the earth moved into the black shadow of the sun, and all was nightNight, black,

"Filled with tumultuous thoughts, I watched across the nightwaiting. Years, it may have been, and then, in

the dark house behind me, the clotted stillness of the world was broken. I seemed to hear a soft padding of

many feet, and a faint, inarticulate whisper of sound, grew on my sense. I looked round into the blackness,

and saw a multitude of eyes. As I stared, they increased, and appeared to come towards me. For an instant, I

stood, unable to move. Then a hideous swinenoise (*) rose up into the night; and, at that, I leapt from the

window, out on to the frozen world. I have a confused notion of having run awhile; and, after that, I just

waitedwaited. Several times, I heard shrieks; but always as though from a distance. Except for these

sounds, I had no idea of the whereabouts of the house. Time moved onward. I was conscious of little, save a

"An age, it seemed, and there came a glow, that told of the coming light. It grew, tardily. Thenwith a loom

of unearthly glorythe first ray from the Green Star, struck over the edge of the dark sun, and lit the world.

It fell upon a great, ruined structure, some two hundred yards away. It was the house. Staring, I saw a

fearsome sightover its walls crawled a legion of unholy things, almost covering the old building, from

tottering towers to base. I could see them, plainly; they were the Swinecreatures.

"The world moved out into the light of the Star, and I saw that, now, it seemed to stretch across a quarter of

the heavens. The glory of its livid light was so tremendous, that it appeared to fill the sky with quivering

flames. Then, I saw the sun. It was so close that half of its diameter lay below the horizon; and, as the world

circled across its face, it seemed to tower right up into the sky, a stupendous dome of emerald coloured fire.

From time to time, I glanced towards the house; but the Swinethings seemed unaware of my proximity.

"Years appeared to pass, slowly. The earth had almost reached the centre of the sun's disk. The light from the

Green Sunas now it must be calledshone through the interstices, that gapped the mouldered walls of the

old house, giving them the appearance of being wrapped in green flames. The Swinecreatures still crawled

"Suddenly, there rose a loud roar of swinevoices, and, up from the centre of the roofless house, shot a vast

column of bloodred flame. I saw the little, twisted towers and turrets flash into fire; yet still preserving their

twisted crookedness. The beams of the Green Sun, beat upon the house, and intermingled with its lurid

"Fascinated, I watched, until an overwhelming sense of coming danger, drew my attention. I glanced up, and,

at once, it was borne upon me, that the sun was closer; so close, in fact, that it seemed to overhang the world.

ThenI know not howI was caught up into strange heightsfloating like a bubble in the awful

"Far below me, I saw the earth, with the burning house leaping into an ever growing mountain of flame.

Round about it, the ground appeared to be glowing; and, in places, heavy wreaths of yellow smoke ascended

from the earth. It seemed as though the world were becoming ignited from that one plaguespot of fire.

Faintly, I could see the Swinethings. They appeared quite unharmed. Then the ground seemed to cave in,

suddenly, and the house, with its load of foul creatures, disappeared into the depths of the earth, sending a

strange, blood coloured cloud into the heights. I remembered the hell Pit under the house.

"In a while, I looked round. The huge bulk of the sun, rose high above me. The distance between it and the

earth, grew rapidly less. Suddenly, the earth appeared to shoot forward. In a moment, it had traversed the

space between it and the sun. I heard no sound; but, out from the sun's face, gushed an ever growing tongue

of dazzling flame. It seemed to leap, almost to the distant Green Sunshearing through the emerald light, a

very cataract of blinding fire. It reached its limit, and sank; and, on the sun, glowed a vast splash of burning

"The sun was very close to me, now. Presently, I found that I was rising higher; until, at last, I rode above it,

in the emptiness. The Green Sun was now so huge that its breadth seemed to fill up all the sky, ahead. I

"A year may have gone byor a centuryand I was left, suspended, alone. The sun showed far in fronta

black, circular mass, against the molten splendour of the great, Green Orb. Near one edge, I observed that a

lurid glow had appeared, marking the place where the earth had fallen. By this, I knew that the longdead sun

"Afar to my right, I seemed to catch, at times, a faint glow of whitish light. For a great time, I was uncertain

whether to put this down to fancy or not. Thus, for a while, I stared, with fresh wonderings; until, at last, I

knew that it was no imaginary thing; but a reality. It grew brighter; and, presently, there slid out of the green,

a pale globe of softest white. It came nearer, and I saw that it was apparently surrounded by a robe of gently

"I glanced towards the diminishing sun. It showed, only as a dark blot on the face of the Green Sun. As I

watched, I saw it grow smaller, steadily, as though rushing towards the superior orb, at an immense speed.

Intently, I stared. What would happen? I was conscious of extraordinary emotions, as I realised that it would

strike the Green Sun. It grew no bigger than a pea, and I looked, with my whole soul, to witness the final end

of our Systemthat system which had borne the world through so many aeons, with its multitudinous

"Suddenly, something crossed my vision, cutting from sight all vestige of the spectacle I watched with such

soulinterest. What happened to the dead sun, I did not see; but I have no reasonin the light of that which I

saw afterwardsto disbelieve that it fell into the strange fire of the Green Sun, and so perished.

"And then, suddenly, an extraordinary question rose in my mind, whether this stupendous globe of green fire

might not be the vast Central Sunthe great sun, round which our universe and countless others revolve. I

felt confused. I thought of the probable end of the dead sun, and another suggestion came, dumblyDo the

dead stars make the Green Sun their grave? The idea appealed to me with no sense of grotesqueness; but

"FOR AWHILE, many thoughts crowded my mind, so that I was unable to do aught, save stare, blindly,

before me. I seemed whelmed in a sea of doubt and wonder and sorrowful remembrance. "It was later, that I

came out of my bewilderment. I looked about, dazedly. Thus, I saw so extraordinary a sight that, for awhile, I

could scarcely believe I was not still wrapped in the visionary tumult of my own thoughts. Out of the reigning

green, had grown a boundless river of softly shimmering globeseach one enfolded in a wondrous fleece of

pure cloud. They reached, both above and below me, to an unknown distance; and, not only hid the shining of

the Green Sun; but supplied, in place thereof, a tender glow of light, that suffused itself around me, like unto

"In a little, I noticed that there was about these spheres, a sort of transparency, almost as though they were

formed of clouded crystal, within which burned a radiancegentle and subdued. They moved on, past me,

continually, floating onward at no great speed; but rather as though they had eternity before them. A great

while, I watched, and could perceive no end to them. At times, I seemed to distinguish faces, amid the

cloudiness; but strangely indistinct, as though partly real, and partly formed of the mistiness through which

"For a long time, I waited, passively, with a sense of growing content. I had no longer that feeling of

unutterable loneliness; but felt, rather, that I was less alone, than I had been for kalpas of years. This feeling

of contentment, increased, so that I would have been satisfied to float in company with those celestial

"Ages slipped by, and I saw the shadowy faces, with increased frequency, also with greater plainness.

Whether this was due to my soul having become more attuned to its surroundings, I cannot tellprobably it

was so. But, however this may be, I am assured now, only of the fact that I became steadily more conscious

of a new mystery about me, telling me that I had, indeed, penetrated within the borderland of some

"The enormous stream of luminous spheres continued to pass me, at an unvarying ratecountless millions;

"Then, as I was borne, silently, upon the unbuoying ether, I felt a sudden, irresistible, forward movement,

towards one of the passing globes. An instant, and I was beside it. Then, I slid through, into the interior,

without experiencing the least resistance, of any description. For a short while, I could see nothing; and

"All at once, I became aware that a sound broke the inconceivable stillness. It was like the murmur of a great

sea at calma sea breathing in its sleep. Gradually, the mist that obscured my sight, began to thin away; and

so, in time, my vision dwelt once again upon the silent surface of the Sea of Sleep.

"For a little, I gazed, and could scarcely believe I saw aright. I glanced round. There was the great globe of

pale fire, swimming, as I had seen it before, a short distance above the dim horizon. To my left, far across the

sea, I discovered, presently, a faint line, as of thin haze, which I guessed to be the shore, where my Love and

I had met, during those wonderful periods of soulwandering, that had been granted to me in the old earth

"Another, a troubled, memory came to meof the Formless Thing that had haunted the shores of the Sea of

Sleep. The guardian of that silent, echoless place. These, and other, details, I remembered, and knew, without

doubt that I was looking out upon that same sea. With the assurance, I was filled with an overwhelming

feeling of surprise, and joy, and shaken expectancy, conceiving it possible that I was about to see my Love,

again. Intently, I gazed around; but could catch no sight of her. At that, for a little, I felt hopeless. Fervently, I

"Down, far beneath me, I could see the many trails of changeful fire, that had drawn my attention, formerly.

Vaguely, I wondered what caused them; also, I remembered that I had intended to ask my dear One about

them, as well as many other mattersand I had been forced to leave her, before the half that I had wished to

"My thoughts came back with a leap. I was conscious that something had touched me. I turned quickly. God,

Thou wert indeed graciousit was She! She looked up into my eyes, with an eager longing, and I looked

down to her, with all my soul. I should like to have held her; but the glorious purity of her face, kept me afar.

Then, out of the winding mist, she put her dear arms. Her whisper came to me, soft as the rustle of a passing

cloud. 'Dearest!' she said. That was all; but I had heard, and, in a moment I held her to meas I prayedfor

"In a little, she spoke of many things, and I listened. Willingly, would I have done so through all the ages that

are to come. At times, I whispered back, and my whispers brought to her spirit face, once more, an

indescribably delicate tintthe bloom of love. Later, I spoke more freely, and to each word she listened, and

"She and I; and nothing, save the silent, spacious void to see us; and only the quiet waters of the Sea of Sleep

"Long before, the floating multitude of cloudenfolded spheres had vanished into nothingness. Thus, we

looked upon the face of the slumberous deeps, and were alone. Alone, God, I would be thus alone in the

hereafter, and yet be never lonely! I had her, and, greater than this, she had me. Aye, aeonaged me; and on

this thought, and some others, I hope to exist through the few remaining years that may yet lie between us.

"HOW LONG our souls lay in the arms of joy, I cannot say; but, all at once, I was waked from my happiness,

by a diminution of the pale and gentle light that lit the Sea of Sleep. I turned towards the huge, white orb,

with a premonition of coming trouble. One side of it was curving inward, as though a convex, black shadow

were sweeping across it. My memory went back. It was thus, that the darkness had come, before our last

parting. I turned towards my Love, inquiringly. With a sudden knowledge of woe, I noticed how wan and

unreal she had grown, even in that brief space. Her voice seemed to come to me from a distance. The touch of

her hands was no more than the gentle pressure of a summer wind, and grew less perceptible. "Already, quite

half of the immense globe was shrouded. A feeling of desperation seized me. Was she about to leave me?

Would she have to go, as she had gone before? I questioned her, anxiously, frightenedly; and she, nestling

closer, explained, in that strange, faraway voice, that it was imperative she should leave me, before the Sun of

Darknessas she termed itblotted out the light. At this confirmation of my fears, I was overcome with

despair; and could only look, voicelessly, across the quiet plains of the silent sea.

"How swiftly the darkness spread across the face of the White Orb. Yet, in reality, the time must have been

"At last, only a crescent of pale fire, lit the, now dim, Sea of Sleep. All this while, she had held me; but, with

so soft a caress, that I had been scarcely conscious of it. We waited there, together, she and I; speechless, for

very sorrow. In the dimming light, her face showed, shadowyblending into the dusky mistiness that

"Then, when a thin, curved line of soft light was all that lit the sea, she released mepushing me from her,

tenderly. Her voice sounded in my ears, 'I may not stay longer, Dear One.' It ended in a sob.

"She seemed to float away from me, and became invisible. Her voice came to me, out of the shadows, faintly;

" 'A little while' It died away, remotely. In a breath, the Sea of Sleep darkened into night. Far to my left, I

seemed to see, for a brief instant, a soft glow. It vanished, and, in the same moment, I became aware that I

was no longer above the still sea; but once more suspended in infinite space, with the Green Sunnow

"Utterly bewildered, I stared, almost unseeingly, at the ring of green flames, leaping above the dark edge.

Even in the chaos of my thoughts, I wondered, dully, at their extraordinary shapes. A multitude of questions

assailed me. I thought more of her, I had so lately seen, than of the sight before me. My grief, and thoughts of

the future, filled me. Was I doomed to be separated from her, always? Even in the old earthdays, she had

been mine, only for a little while; then she had left me, as I thought, for ever. Since then, I had seen her but

"A feeling of fierce resentment filled me, and miserable questionings. Why could I not have gone with my

Love? What reason to keep us apart? Why had I to wait alone, while she slumbered through the years, on the

still bosom of the Sea of Sleep? The Sea of Sleep! My thoughts turned, inconsequently, out of their channel

of bitterness, to fresh, desperate questionings. Where was it? Where was it? I seemed to have but just parted

from my Love, upon its quiet surface, and it had gone, utterly. It could not be far away! And the White Orb

which I had seen hidden in the shadow of the Sun of Darkness! My sight dwelt upon the Green

Suneclipsed. What had eclipsed it? Was there a vast, dead star circling it? Was the Central Sunas I had

come to regard ita double star? The thought had come, almost unbidden; yet why should it not be so?

"My thoughts went back to the White Orb. Strange, that it should have been. I stopped. An idea had come,

suddenly. The White Orb and the Green Sun! Were they one and the same? My imagination wandered

backwards, and I remembered the luminous globe to which I had been so unaccountably attracted. It was

curious that I should have forgotten it, even momentarily. Where were the others? I reverted again to the

globe I had entered. I thought, for a time, and matters became clearer. I conceived that, by entering that

impalpable globule, I had passed, at once, into some further, and, until then, invisible dimension; There, the

Green Sun was still visible; but as a stupendous sphere of pale, white lightalmost as though its ghost

"A long time, I mused on the subject. I remembered how, on entering the sphere, I had, immediately, lost all

sight of the others. For a still further period, I continued to revolve the different details in my mind.

"In a while, my thoughts turned to other things. I came more into the present, and began to look about me,

seeingly. For the first time, I perceived that innumerable rays, of a subtle, violet hue, pierced the strange

semidarkness, in all directions. They radiated from the fiery rim of the Green Sun. They seemed to grow

upon my vision, so that, in a little, I saw that they were countless. The night was filled with themspreading

outwards from the Green Sun, fanwise. I concluded that I was enabled to see them, by reason of the Sun's

glory being cut off by the eclipse. They reached right out into space, and vanished.

"Gradually, as I looked, I became aware that fine points of intensely brilliant light, traversed the rays. Many

of them seemed to travel from the Green Sun, into distance. Others came out of the void, towards the Sun; but

one and all, each kept strictly to the ray in which it travelled. Their speed was inconceivably great; and it was

only when they neared the Green Sun, or as they left it, that I could see them as separate specks of light.

"The discovery of these rays, and the moving sparks, interested me, extraordinarily. To where did they lead,

in such countless profusion? I thought of the worlds in space. . . . And those sparks! Messengers! Possibly,

the idea was fantastic; but I was not conscious of its being so. Messengers! Messengers from the Central Sun!

"An idea evolved itself, slowly. Was the Green Sun the abode of some vast Intelligence? The thought was

bewildering. Visions of the Unnamable rose, vaguely. Had I, indeed, come upon the dwellingplace of the

Eternal? For a time, I repelled the thought, dumbly. It was too stupendous. Yet. . . .

"Huge, vague thoughts had birth within me. I felt, suddenly, terribly naked. And an awful Nearness, shook

"My thoughts came and went, erratically. The Sea of Sleepand she! Heaven. . . . I came back, with a

bound, to the present. Somewhere, out of the void behind me, there rushed an immense, dark bodyhuge

and silent. It was a dead star, hurling onwards to the burying place of the stars. It drove between me and the

Central Sunsblotting them out from my vision, and plunging me into an impenetrable night.

"An age, and I saw again the violet rays. A great while lateraeons it must have beena circular glow grew

in the sky, ahead, and I saw the edge of the receding star, show darkly against it. Thus, I knew that it was

nearing the Central Suns. Presently, I saw the bright ring of the Green Sun, show plainly against the night.

The star had passed into the shadow of the Dead Sun. After that, I just waited. The strange years went slowly,

"'The thing I had expected, came at lastsuddenly, awfully. A vast flare of dazzling light. A streaming burst

of white flame across the dark void. For an indefinite while, it soared outwardsa gigantic mushroom of

fire. It ceased to grow. Then, as time went by, it began to sink backwards, slowly. I saw, now, that it came

from a huge, glowing spot near the centre of the Dark Sun. Mighty flames, still soared outwards from this.

Yet, spite of its size, the grave of the star was no more than the shining of Jupiter upon the face of an ocean,

"I may remark here, once more, that no words will ever convey to the imagination, the enormous bulk of the

"YEARS MELTED into the past, centuries, aeons. The light of the incandescent star, sank to a furious red. "It

was later, that I saw the dark nebulaat first, an impalpable cloud, away to my right. It grew, steadily, to a

clot of blackness in the night. How long I watched, it is impossible to say; for time, as we count it, was a

thing of the past. It came closer, a shapeless monstrosity of darknesstremendous. It seemed to slip across

the night, sleepilya very hellfog. Slowly, it slid nearer, and passed into the void, between me and the

Central Suns. It was as though a curtain had been drawn before my vision. A strange tremor of fear took me,

"The green twilight that had reigned for so many millions of years, had now given place to impenetrable

gloom. Motionless, I peered about me. A century fled, and it seemed to me that I detected occasional dull

"Earnestly, I gazed, and, presently, seemed to see circular masses, that showed muddily red, within the

clouded blackness. They appeared to be growing out of the nebulous murk. Awhile, and they became plainer

to my accustomed vision. I could see them, now, with a fair amount of distinctnessruddytinged spheres,

"They floated past me, continually. Gradually, a peculiar uneasiness seized me. I became aware of a growing

feeling of repugnance and dread. It was directed against those passing orbs, and seemed born of intuitive

"Some of the passing globes were brighter than others; and, it was from one of these, that a face looked,

suddenly. A face, human in its outline; but so tortured with woe, that I stared, aghast. I had not thought there

was such sorrow, as I saw there. I was conscious of an added sense of pain, on perceiving that the eyes, which

glared so wildly, were sightless. A while longer, I saw it; then it had passed on, into the surrounding gloom.

"A long time went by, and I became aware that I was nearer to the orbs, than I had been. At this, I grew

uneasy; though I was less in fear of those strange globules, than I had been, before seeing their sorrowful

"Later, there was no doubt but that I was being carried closer to the red spheres, and, presently, I floated

among them. In awhile, I perceived one bearing down upon me. I was helpless to move from its path. In a

minute, it seemed, it was upon me, and I was submerged in a deep red mist. This cleared, and I stared,

confusedly, across the immense breadth of the Plain of Silence. It appeared just as I had first seen it. I was

moving forward, steadily, across its surface. Away ahead, shone the vast, bloodred ring (*) that lit the place.

All around, was spread the extraordinary desolation of stillness, that had so impressed me during my previous

"Presently, I saw, rising up into the ruddy gloom, the distant peaks of the mighty amphitheatre of mountains,

where, untold ages before, I had been shown my first glimpse of the terrors that underlie many things; and

where, vast and silent, watched by a thousand mute gods, stands the replica of this house of mysteriesthis

house that I had seen swallowed up in that hellfire, ere the earth had kissed the sun, and vanished for ever.

"Though I could see the crests of the mountainamphitheatre, yet it was a great while before their lower

portions became visible. Possibly, this was due to the strange, ruddy haze, that seemed to cling to the surface

"In a still further space of time, I had come so close to the mountains, that they appeared to overhang me.

Presently, I saw the great rift, open before me, and I drifted into it; without volition on my part.

"Later, I came out upon the breadth of the enormous arena. There, at an apparent distance of some five miles,

stood the House, huge, monstrous and silentlying in the very centre of that stupendous amphitheatre. So

far as I could see, it had not altered in any way; but looked as though it were only yesterday that I had seen it.

Around, the grim, dark mountains frowned down upon me from their lofty silences.

"Far to my right, away up among inaccessible peaks, loomed the enormous bulk of the great Beastgod.

Higher, I saw the hideous form of the dread goddess, rising up through the red gloom, thousands of fathoms

above me. To the left, I made out the monstrous EyelessThing, grey and inscrutable. Further off, reclining

on its lofty ledge, the livid GhoulShape showeda splash of sinister colour, among the dark mountains.

"Slowly, I moved out across the great arenafloating. As I went, I made out the dim forms of many of the

"Gradually, I neared the House, and my thoughts flashed back across the abyss of years. I remembered the

dread Spectre of the Place. A short while passed, and I saw that I was being wafted directly towards the

"About this time, I became aware, in an indifferent sort of way, of a growing sense of numbness, that robbed

me of the fear, which I should otherwise have felt, on approaching that awesome Pile. As it was, I viewed it,

"In a little while, I had come so close to the House, as to be able to distinguish many of the details about it.

The longer I looked, the more was I confirmed in my longago impressions of its entire similitude to this

"Suddenly, as I stared, a great feeling of amazement filled me. I had come opposite to that part, where the

outer door, leading into the study, is situated. There, lying right across the threshold, lay a great length of

coping stone, identicalsave in size and colourwith the piece I had dislodged in my fight with the

"I floated nearer, and my astonishment increased, as I noted that the door was broken partly from its hinges,

precisely in the manner that my study door had been forced inwards, by the assaults of the Swinethings. The

sight started a train of thoughts, and I began to trace, dimly, that the attack on this house, might have a far

deeper significance than I had, hitherto, imagined. I remembered how, long ago, in the old earthdays, I had

half suspected that, in some unexplainable manner, this house, in which I live, was en rapportto use a

recognised termwith that other tremendous structure, away in the midst of that incomparable Plain.

"Now, however, it began to be borne upon me, that I had but vaguely conceived what the realisation of my

suspicion meant. I began to understand, with a more than human clearness, that the attack I had repelled, was,

in some extraordinary manner, connected with an attack upon that strange edifice.

"With a curious inconsequence, my thoughts abruptly left the matter; to dwell, wonderingly, upon the

peculiar material, out of which the House was constructed. It wasas I have mentioned, earlierof a deep,

green colour. Yet, now that I had come so close to it, I perceived that it fluctuated at times, though

slightlyglowing and fading, much as do the fumes of phosphorus, when rubbed upon the hand, in the dark.

"Presently, my attention was distracted from this, by coming to the great entrance. Here, for the first time, I

was afraid; for, all in a moment, the huge doors swung back, and I drifted in between them, helplessly. Inside,

all was blackness, impalpable. In an instant, I had crossed the threshold, and the great doors closed, silently,

"For awhile, I seemed to hang, motionless; suspended amid the darkness. Then, I became conscious that I

was moving again; where, I could not tell. Suddenly, far down beneath me, I seemed to hear a murmurous

noise of Swinelaughter. It sank away, and the succeeding silence appeared clogged with horror.

"Then a door opened somewhere ahead; a white haze of light filtered through, and I floated slowly into a

room, that seemed strangely familiar. All at once, there came a bewildering, screaming noise, that deafened

me. I saw a blurred vista of visions, flaming before my sight. My senses were dazed, through the space of an

eternal moment. Then, my power of seeing, came back to me. The dizzy, hazy feeling passed, and I saw,

(*) Without doubt, the flameedged mass of the Dead Central Sun, seen from another dimension.Ed.

"I WAS SEATED in my chair, back again in this old study. My glance wandered round the room. For a

minute, it had a strange, quivery appearanceunreal and unsubstantial. This disappeared, and I saw that

nothing was altered in any way. I looked towards the end windowthe blind was up. "I rose to my feet,

shakily. As I did so, a slight noise, in the direction of the door, attracted my attention. I glanced towards it.

For a short instant, it appeared to me that it was being closed, gently. I stared, and saw that I must have been

"With a succession of efforts, I trod my way to the window, and looked out. The sun was just rising, lighting

up the tangled wilderness of gardens. For, perhaps, a minute, I stood, and stared. I passed my hand,

"Presently, amid the chaos of my senses, a sudden thought came to me; I turned, quickly, and called to

Pepper. There was no answer, and I stumbled across the room, in a quick access of fear. As I went, I tried to

frame his name; but my lips were numb. I reached the table, and stooped down to him, with a catching at my

heart. He was lying in the shadow of the table, and I had not been able to see him, distinctly, from the

window. Now, as I stooped, I took my breath, shortly. There was no Pepper; instead, I was reaching towards

"I must have remained, in that halfstooped position, for some minutes. I was dazedstunned. Pepper had

"PEPPER IS DEAD! Even now, at times, I seem scarcely able to realise that this is so. It is many weeks,

since I came back from that strange and terrible journey through space and time. Sometimes, in my sleep, I

dream about it, and go through, in imagination, the whole of that fearsome happening. When I wake, my

thoughts dwell upon it. That Sunthose Suns, were they indeed the great Central Suns, round which the

whole universe, of the unknown heavens, revolves? Who shall say? And the bright globules, floating forever

in the light of the Green Sun! And the Sea of Sleep on which they float! How unbelievable it all is. If it were

not for Pepper, I should, even after the many extraordinary things that I have witnessed, be inclined to

imagine that it was but a gigantic dream. Then, there is that dreadful, dark nebula (with its multitudes of red

spheres) moving always within the shadow of the Dark Sun, sweeping along on its stupendous orbit, wrapped

eternally in gloom. And the faces that peered out at me! God, do they, and does such a thing really exist? . . . .

. . There is still that little heap of grey ash, on my study floor. I will not have it touched. "At times, when I am

calmer, I have wondered what became of the outer planets of the Solar System. It has occurred to me, that

they may have broken loose from the sun's attraction, and whirled away into space. This is, of course, only a

"Now that I am writing, let me record that I am certain, there is something horrible about to happen. Last

night, a thing occurred, which has filled me with an even greater terror, than did the Pit fear. I will write it

down now, and, if anything more happens, endeavour to make a note of it, at once. I have a feeling, that there

is more in this last affair, than in all those others. I am shaky and nervous, even now, as I write. Somehow, I

think death is not very far away. Not that I fear deathas death is understood. Yet, there is that in the air,

which bids me fearan intangible, cold horror. I felt it last night. It was thus:

"Last night, I was sitting here in my study, writing. The door, leading into the garden, was half open. At

times, the metallic rattle of a dog's chain, sounded faintly. It belongs to the dog I have bought, since Pepper's

death. I will not have him in the housenot after Pepper. Still, I have felt it better to have a dog about the

"I was much engrossed in my work, and the time passed, quickly. Suddenly, I heard a soft noise on the path,

outside in the gardenpad, pad, pad, it went, with a stealthy, curious sound. I sat upright, with a quick

movement, and looked out through the opened door. Again the noise camepad, pad, pad. It appeared to be

approaching. With a slight feeling of nervousness, I stared into the gardens; but the night hid everything.

"Then the dog gave a long howl, and I started. For a minute, perhaps, I peered, intently; but could hear

nothing. After a little, I picked up the pen, which I had laid down, and recommenced my work. The nervous

feeling had gone; for I imagined that the sound I had heard, was nothing more than the dog walking round his

"A quarter of an hour may have passed; then, all at once, the dog howled again, and with such a plaintively

sorrowful note, that I jumped to my feet, dropping my pen, and inking the page on which I was at work.

" 'Curse that dog!' I muttered, noting what I had done. Then, even as I said the words, there sounded again

that queerpad, pad, pad. It was horribly closealmost by the door, I thought. I knew, now, that it could

"The dog's growl came again, and I noted, subconsciously, the taint of fear in it.

"Outside, on the windowsill, I could see Tip, my sister's pet cat. As I looked, it sprang to its feet, its tail

swelling, visibly. For an instant it stood thus; seeming to stare, fixedly, at something, in the direction of the

door. Then, quickly, it began to back along the sill; until, reaching the wall at the end, it could go no further.

"Frightened, and puzzled, I seized a stick from the corner, and went towards the door, silently; taking one of

the candles with me. I had come to within a few paces of it, when, suddenly, a peculiar sense of fear thrilled

through mea fear, palpitant and real; whence, I knew not, nor why. So great was the feeling of terror, that I

wasted no time; but retreated straightwaywalking backwards, and keeping my gaze, fearfully, on the door.

I would have given much, to rush at it, fling it to, and shoot the bolts; for I have had it repaired and

strengthened, so that, now, it is far stronger than ever it has been. Like Tip, I continued my, almost

unconscious, progress backwards, until the wall brought me up. At that, I started, nervously, and glanced

round, apprehensively. As I did so, my eyes dwelt, momentarily, on the rack of firearms, and I took a step

towards them; but stopped, with a curious feeling that they would be needless. Outside, in the gardens, the

"Suddenly, from the cat, there came a fierce, long screech. I glanced, jerkily, in its directionSomething,

luminous and ghostly, encircled it, and grew upon my vision. It resolved into a glowing hand, transparent,

with a lambent, greenish flame flickering over it. The cat gave a last, awful caterwaul, and I saw it smoke and

blaze. My breath came with a gasp, and I leant against the wall. Over that part of the window there spread a

smudge, green and fantastic. It hid the thing from me, though the glare of fire shone through, dully. A stench

"Pad, pad, padSomething passed down the garden path, and a faint, mouldy odour seemed to come in

"The dog had been silent for a few moments. Now, I heard him yowl, sharply, as though in pain. Then, he

"A minute went by; then the gate on the West side of the gardens, slammed, distantly. After that, nothing; not

"I must have stood there some minutes. Then a fragment of courage stole into my heart, and I made a

frightened rush at the door, dashed it to, and bolted it. After that, for a full halfhour, I sat, helplessstaring

"Slowly, my life came back into me, and I made my way, shakily, upstairs to bed.

"THIS MORNING, early, I went through the gardens; but found everything as usual. Near the door, I

examined the path, for footprints; yet, here again, there was nothing to tell me whether, or not, I dreamed last

night. "It was only when I came to speak to the dog, that I discovered tangible proof, that something did

happen. When I went to his kennel, he kept inside, crouching up in one corner, and I had to coax him, to get

him out. When, finally, he consented to come, it was in a strangely cowed and subdued manner. As I patted

him, my attention was attracted to a greenish patch, on his left flank. On examining it, I found, that the fur

and skin had been apparently, burnt off; for the flesh showed, raw and scorched. The shape of the mark was

"I stood up, thoughtful. My gaze wandered towards the study window. The rays of the rising sun, shimmered

on the smoky patch in the lower corner, causing it to fluctuate from green to red, oddly. Ah! that was

undoubtedly another proof; and, suddenly, the horrible Thing I saw last night, rose in my mind. I looked at

the dog, again. I knew the cause, now, of that hateful looking wound on his sideI knew, also, that, what I

had seen last night, had been a real happening. And a great discomfort filled me. Pepper! Tip! And now this

poor animal! . . . I glanced at the dog again, and noticed that he was licking at his wound.

" 'Poor brute!' I muttered, and bent to pat his head. At that, he got upon his feet, nosing and licking my hand,

"After dinner, I went to see him, again. He seemed quiet, and disinclined to leave his kennel. From my sister,

I have learnt that he has refused all food today. She appeared a little puzzled, when she told me; though

"The day has passed, uneventfully enough. After tea, I went, again, to have a look at the dog. He seemed

moody, and somewhat restless; yet persisted in remaining in his kennel. Before locking up, for the night, I

moved his kennel out, away from the wall, so that I shall be able to watch it from the small window, tonight.

The thought came to me, to bring him into the house for the night; but consideration has decided me, to let

him remain out. I cannot say that the house is, in any degree, less to be feared than the gardens. Pepper was in

"It is now two o'clock. Since eight, I have watched the kennel, from the small, side window in my study. Yet,

nothing has occurred, and I am too tired to watch longer. I will go to bed. . . .

"During the night, I was restless. This is unusual for me; but, towards morning, I obtained a few hours' sleep.

"I rose early, and, after breakfast, visited the dog. He was quiet; but morose, and refused to leave his kennel. I

wish there was some horse doctor near here; I would have the poor brute looked to. All day, he has taken no

food; but has shown an evident desire for waterlapping it up, greedily. I was relieved to observe this.

"The evening has come, and I am in my study. I intend to follow my plan of last night, and watch the kennel.

The door, leading into the garden, is bolted, securely. I am consciously glad there are bars to the windows. . .

"Night:Midnight has gone. The dog has been silent, up to the present. Through the side window, on my

left, I can make out, dimly, the outlines of the kennel. For the first time, the dog moves, and I hear the rattle

of his chain. I look out, quickly. As I stare, the dog moves again, restlessly, and I see a small patch of

luminous light, shine from the interior of the kennel. It vanishes; then the dog stirs again, and, once more, the

gleam comes. I am puzzled. The dog is quiet, and I can see the luminous thing, plainly. It shows distinctly.

There is something familiar about the shape of it. For a moment, I wonder; then it comes to me, that it is not

unlike the four fingers and thumb of a hand. Like a hand! And I remember the contour of that fearsome

wound on the dog's side. It must be the wound I see. It is luminous at nightWhy? The minutes pass. My

"Suddenly, I hear a sound, out in the gardens. How it thrills through me. It is approaching. Pad, pad, pad. A

prickly sensation traverses my spine, and seems to creep across my scalp. The dog moves in his kennel, and

whimpers, frightenedly. He must have turned round; for, now, I can no longer see the outline of his shining

"Outside, the gardens are silent, once more, and I listen, fearfully. A minute passes, and another; then I hear

the padding sound, again. It is quite close, and appears to be coming down the gravelled path. The noise is

curiously measured and deliberate. It ceases outside the door; and I rise to my feet, and stand motionless.

From the door, comes a slight soundthe latch is being slowly raised. A singing noise is in my ears, and I

"The latch drops, with a sharp click, into the catch. The noise startles me afresh; jarring, horribly, on my tense

nerves. After that, I stand, for a long while, amid an ever growing quietness. All at once, my knees begin to

"An uncertain period of time passes, and, gradually, I begin to shake off the feeling of terror, that has

possessed me. Yet, still I sit. I seem to have lost the power of movement. I am strangely tired, and inclined to

doze. My eyes open and close, and, presently, I find myself falling asleep, and waking, in fits and starts.

"It is some time later, that I am sleepily aware that one of the candles is guttering. When I wake again, it has

gone out, and the room is very dim, under the light of the one remaining flame. The semidarkness troubles

me little. I have lost that awful sense of dread, and my only desire seems to be to sleepsleep.

"Suddenly, although there is no noise, I am awakewide awake. I am acutely conscious of the nearness of

some mystery, of some overwhelming Presence. The very air seems pregnant with terror. I sit huddled, and

just listen, intently. Still, there is no sound. Nature, herself, seems dead. Then, the oppressive stillness is

broken by a little eldritch scream of wind, that sweeps round the house, and dies away, remotely.

"I let my gaze wander across the halflighted room. By the great clock in the far corner, is a dark, tall

shadow. For a short instant, I stare, frightenedly. Then, I see that it is nothing, and am, momentarily, relieved.

"In the time that follows, the thought flashes through my brain, why not leave this housethis house of

mystery and terror? Then, as though in answer, there sweeps up, across my sight, a vision of the wondrous

Sea of Sleep, the Sea of Sleep where she and I have been allowed to meet, after the years of separation and

"Through the side window, I note the sombre blackness of the night. My glance wanders away, and round the

room; resting on one shadowy object and another. Suddenly, I turn, and look at the window on my right; as I

do so, I breathe quickly, and bend forward, with a frightened gaze at something outside the window, but close

to the bars. I am looking at a vast, misty swineface, over which fluctuates a flamboyant flame, of a greenish

hue. It is the Thing from the arena. The quivering mouth seems to drip with a continual, phosphorescent

slaver. The eyes are staring straight into the room, with an inscrutable expression. Thus, I sit rigidlyfrozen.

"The Thing has begun to move. It is turning, slowly, in my direction. Its face is coming round towards me. It

sees me. Two huge, inhumanly human, eyes are looking through the dimness at me. I am cold with fear; yet,

even now, I am keenly conscious, and note, in an irrelevant way, that the distant stars are blotted out by the

"A fresh horror has come to me. I am rising from my chair, without the least intention. I am on my feet, and

something is impelling me towards the door that leads out into the gardens. I wish to stop; but cannot. Some

immutable power is opposed to my will, and I go slowly forward, unwilling and resistant. My glance flies

round the room, helplessly, and stops at the window. The great swineface has disappeared, and I hear, again,

that stealthy pad, pad, pad. It stops outside the doorthe door towards which I am being compelled. . . .

"There succeeds a short, intense silence; then there comes a sound. It is the rattle of the latch, being slowly

lifted. At that, I am filled with desperation. I will not go forward another step. I make a vast effort to return;

but it is, as though I press back, upon an invisible wall. I groan out loud, in the agony of my fear, and the

sound of my voice is frightening. Again comes that rattle, and I shiver, clammily. I tryaye, fight and

"I am at the door, and, in a mechanical way, I watch my hand go forward, to undo the topmost bolt. It does

so, entirely without my volition. Even as I reach up towards the bolt, the door is violently shaken, and I get a

sickly whiff of mouldy air, which seems to drive in through the interstices of the doorway. I draw the bolt

back, slowly, fighting, dumbly, the while. It comes out of its socket, with a click, and I begin to shake,

aguishly. There are two more; one at the bottom of the door; the other, a massive affair, is placed about the

"For, perhaps a minute, I stand, with my arms hanging slackly, by my sides. The influence to meddle with the

fastenings of the door, seems to have gone. All at once, there comes the sudden rattle of iron, at my feet. I

glance down, quickly, and realise, with an unspeakable terror, that my foot is pushing back the lower bolt. An

awful sense of helplessness assails me. . . . The bolt comes out of its hold, with a slight, ringing sound and I

stagger on my feet, grasping at the great, central bolt, for support. A minute passes, an eternity; then another.

. . . My God, help me! I am being forced to work upon the last fastening. I will not! Better to die, than open to

the Terror, that is on the other side of the door. Is there no escape? . . . God help me, I have jerked the bolt

half out of its socket! My lips emit a hoarse scream of terror, the bolt is three parts drawn, now, and still my

unconscious hands work towards my doom. Only a fraction of steel, between my soul and That. Twice, I

scream out in the supreme agony of my fear; then, with a mad effort, I tear my hands away. My eyes seem

blinded. A great blackness is falling upon me. Nature has come to my rescue. I feel my knees giving. There is

"I must have lain there, at least a couple of hours. As I recover, I am aware that the other candle has burnt

out, and the room is in an almost total darkness. I cannot rise to my feet, for I am cold, and filled with a

terrible cramp. Yet my brain is clear, and there is no longer the strain of that unholy influence.

"Cautiously, I get upon my knees, and feel for the central bolt. I find it, and push it securely back into its

socket; then the one at the bottom of the door. By this time, I am able to rise to my feet, and so manage to

secure the fastening at the top. After that, I go down upon my knees, again, and creep away among the

furniture, in the direction of the stairs. By doing this, I am safe from observation from the window.

"I reach the opposite door, and, as I leave the study, cast one nervous glance over my shoulder, towards the

window. Out in the night, I seem to catch a glimpse of something impalpable; but it may be only a fancy.

"Reaching my bedroom, I clamber into bed, all clothed as I am, and pull the bedclothes over me. There, after

awhile, I begin to regain a little confidence. It is impossible to sleep; but I am grateful for the added warmth

of the bedclothes. Presently, I try to think over the happenings of the past night; but, though I cannot sleep, I

find that it is useless, to attempt consecutive thought. My brain seems curiously blank.

"Towards morning, I begin to toss, uneasily. I cannot rest, and, after awhile, I get out of bed, and pace the

floor. The wintry dawn is beginning to creep through the windows, and shows the bare discomfort of the old

room. Strange, that, through all these years, it has never occurred to me how dismal the place really is. And

"From somewhere down stairs, a sound comes up to me. I go to the bedroom door, and listen. It is Mary,

bustling about the great, old kitchen, getting the breakfast ready. I feel little interest. I am not hungry. My

thoughts, however; continue to dwell upon her. How little the weird happenings in this house seem to trouble

her. Except in the incident of the Pit creatures, she has seemed unconscious of anything unusual occurring.

She is old, like myself; yet how little we have to do with one another. Is it because we have nothing in

common; or only that, being old, we care less for society, than quietness? These and other matters pass

through my mind, as I meditate; and help to distract my attention, for awhile, from the oppressive thoughts of

"After a time, I go to the window, and, opening it, look out. The sun is now above the horizon, and the air,

though cold, is sweet and crisp. Gradually, my brain clears, and a sense of security, for the time being, comes

to me. Somewhat happier, I go down stairs, and out into the garden, to have a look at the dog.

"As I approach the kennel, I am greeted by the same mouldy stench that assailed me at the door last night.

Shaking off a momentary sense of fear, I call to the dog; but he takes no heed, and, after calling once more, I

throw a small stone into the kennel. At this, he moves, uneasily, and I shout his name, again; but do not go

closer. Presently, my sister comes out, and joins me, in trying to coax him from the kennel.

"In a little the poor beast rises, and shambles out lurching queerly. In the daylight he stands swaying from

side to side, and blinking stupidly. I look and note that the horrid wound is larger, much larger, and seems to

have a whitish, fungoid appearance. My sister moves to fondle him; but I detain her, and explain that I think

it will be better not to go too near him for a few days; as it is impossible to tell what may be the matter with

"A minute later, she leaves me; coming back with a basin of odd scraps of food. This she places on the

ground, near the dog, and I push it into his reach, with the aid of a branch, broken from one of the shrubs.

Yet, though the meat should be tempting, he takes no notice of it; but retires to his kennel. There is still water

in his drinking vessel, so, after a few moments' talk, we go back to the house. I can see that my sister is much

puzzled as to what is the matter with the animal; yet it would be madness, even to hint the truth to her.

"The day slips away, uneventfully; and night comes on. I have determined to repeat my experiment of last

night. I cannot say that it is wisdom; yet my mind is made up. Still, however, I have taken precautions; for I

have driven stout nails in at the back of each of the three bolts, that secure the door, opening from the study

into the gardens. This will, at least, prevent a recurrence of the danger I ran last night.

"From ten to about twothirty, I watch; but nothing occcurs; and, finally, I stumble off to bed, where I am

"I AWAKE suddenly. It is still dark. I turn over, once or twice, in my endeavours to sleep again; but I cannot

sleep. My head is aching, slightly; and, by turns I am, hot and cold. In a little, I give up the attempt, and

stretch out my hand, for the matches. I will light my candle, and read, awhile; perhaps, I shall be able to

sleep, after a time. For a few moments, I grope; then my hand touches the box; but, as I open it, I am startled,

to see a phosphorescent speck of fire, shining amid the darkness. I put out my other hand, and touch it. It is

on my wrist. With a feeling of vague alarm, I strike a light, hurriedly, and look; but can see nothing, save a

tiny scratch. " 'Fancy!' I mutter, with a half sigh of relief. Then the match burns my finger, and I drop it,

quickly. As I fumble for another, the thing shines out again. I know, now, that it is no fancy. This time, I light

the candle, and examine the place, more closely. There is a slight, greenish discoloration round the scratch. I

am puzzled and worried. Then a thought comes to me. I remember the morning after the Thing appeared. I

remember that the dog licked my hand. It was this one, with the scratch on it; though I have not been even

conscious of the abrasement, until now. A horrible fear has come to me. It creeps into my brainthe dog's

wound, shines at night. With a dazed feeling, I sit down on the side of the bed, and try to think; but cannot.

"Time moves on, unheeded. Once, I rouse up, and try to persuade myself that I am mistaken; but it is no use.

"Hour after hour, I sit in the darkness and silence, and shiver, hopelessly. . . . . . .

"This morning, early, I shot the dog, and buried it, away among the bushes. My sister is startled and

frightened; but I am desperate. Besides, it is better so. The foul growth had almost hidden its left side. And

Ithe place on my wrist has enlarged, perceptibly. Several times, I have caught myself muttering

prayerslittle things learnt as a child. God, Almighty God, help me! I shall go mad.

"Six days, and I have eaten nothing. It is night. I am sitting in my chair. Ah, God! I wonder have any ever felt

the horror of life that I have come to know? I am swathed in terror. I feel ever the burning of this dread

growth. It has covered all my right arm and side, and is beginning to creep up my neck. Tomorrow, it will

eat into my face. I shall become a terrible mass of living corruption. There is no escape. Yet, a thought has

come to me, born of a sight of the gunrack, on the other side of the room. I have looked againwith the

strangest of feelings. The thought grows upon me. God, Thou knowest, Thou must know, that death is better,

aye, better a thousand times than This. This! Jesus, forgive me, but I cannot live, cannot, cannot! I dare not! I

am beyond all helpthere is nothing else left. It will, at least, spare me that final horror. . . . . . .

"I think I must have been dozing. I am very weak, and oh! so miserable, so miserable and tiredtired. The

rustle of the paper, tries my brain. My hearing seems preternaturally sharp. I will sit awhile and think. . . . . . .

"Hush! I hear something, downdown in the cellars. It is a creaking sound. My God, it is the opening of the

great, oak trap. What can be doing that? The scratching of my pen deafens me. . . . . . . I must listen. . . . . . .

There are steps on the stairs; strange padding steps, that come up and nearer. . . . Jesus, be merciful to me, an

old man. There is something fumbling at the doorhandle. O God, help me now! JesusThe door is

NOTE.From the unfinished word, it is possible, on the MS., to trace a faint line of ink, which suggests that

the pen has trailed away over the paper; possibly, through fright and weakness.Ed.

I PUT DOWN the Manuscript, and glanced across at Tonnison: he was sitting, staring out into the dark. I

He turned, slowly, and looked at me. His thoughts seemed to have gone out of him into a great distance.

Tonnison stared at me, unseeingly, a moment; then, his wits came back to him, and, suddenly, he

I opened my lips, to offer a contradictory opinion; for my sense of the saneness of things, would not allow me

to take the story literally; then I shut them again, without saying anything. Somehow, the certainty in

Tonnison's voice affected my doubts. I felt, all at once, less assured; though I was by no means convinced as

After a few moments' silence, Tonnison rose, stiffly, and began to undress. He seemed disinclined to talk; so I

said nothing; but followed his example. I was weary; though still full of the story I had just read.

Somehow, as I rolled into my blankets, there crept into my mind a memory of the old gardens, as we had seen

them. I remembered the odd fear that the place had conjured up in our hearts; and it grew upon me, with

It was very late when we rosenearly midday; for the greater part of the night had been spent in reading the

Tonnison was grumpy, and I felt out of sorts. It was a somewhat dismal day, and there was a touch of

chilliness in the air. There was no mention of going out fishing on either of our parts. We got dinner, and,

Presently, Tonnison asked for the Manuscript: I handed it to him, and he spent most of the afternoon in

Tonnison looked up. "Nothing!" he said, abruptly; and, somehow, I was less annoyed, than relieved, at his

"Sorry, old chap, if I was a bit short with you just now;" (just now, indeed! he had not spoken for the last

three hours) "but I would not go there again," and he indicated with his head, "for anything that you could

offer me. Ugh!" and he put down that history of a man's terror and hope and despair.

The next morning, we rose early, and went for our accustomed swim: we had partly shaken off the depression

of the previous day; and so, took our rods when we had finished breakfast, and spent the day at our favourite

After that day, we enjoyed our holiday to the utmost; though both of us looked forward to the time when our

driver should come; for we were tremendously anxious to inquire of him, and through him among the people

of the tiny hamlet, whether any of them could give us information about that strange garden, lying away by

At last, the day came, on which we expected the driver to come across for us. He arrived early, while we were

still abed; and, the first thing we knew, he was at the opening of the tent, inquiring whether we had had good

sport. We replied in the affirmative; and then, both together, almost in the same breath, we asked the question

that was uppermost in our minds:Did he know anything about an old garden, and a great pit, and a lake,

situated some miles away, down the river; also, had he ever heard of a great house thereabouts?

No, he did not, and had not; yet, stay, he had heard a rumour, once upon a time, of a great, old house standing

alone out in the wilderness; but, if he remembered rightly it was a place given over to the fairies; or, if that

had not been so, he was certain that there had been something "quare" about it; and, anyway, he had heard

nothing of it for a very long whilenot since he was quite a gossoon. No, he could not remember anything

particular about it; indeed, he did not know he remembered anything "at all, at all" until we questioned him.

"Look here," said Tonnison, finding that this was about all that he could tell us, "just take a walk round the

With a nondescript salute, the man departed on his errand; while we made haste to get into our clothes; after

"It's all in bed the lazy divvils is, sor," he said, with a repetition of the salute, and an appreciative eye to the

"Oh, well, sit down," replied my friend, "and have something to eat with us." Which the man did without

After breakfast, Tonnison sent him off again on the same errand, while we sat and smoked. He was away

some threequarters of an hour, and, when he returned, it was evident that he had found out something. It

appeared that he had got into conversation with an ancient man of the village, who, probably, knew

morethough it was little enoughof the strange house, than any other person living.

The substance of this knowledge was, that, in the "ancient man's" youthand goodness knows how long

back that wasthere had stood a great house in the centre of the gardens, where now was left only that

fragment of ruin. This house had been empty for a great while; years before histhe ancient man'sbirth. It

was a place shunned by the people of the village, as it had been shunned by their fathers before them. There

were many things said about it, and all were of evil. No one ever went near it, either by day or night. In the

And then, one day, a man, a stranger, had ridden through the village, and turned off down the river, in the

direction of the House, as it was always termed by the villagers. Some hours afterwards, he had ridden back,

taking the track by which he had come, towards Ardrahan. Then, for three months or so, nothing was heard.

At the end of that time, he reappeared; but now, he was accompanied by an elderly woman, and a large

number of donkeys, laden with various articles. They had passed through the village without stopping, and

Since that time, no one, save the man whom they had chartered to bring over monthly supplies of necessaries

from Ardrahan, had ever seen either of them: and him, none had ever induced to talk; evidently, he had been

The years had moved onwards, uneventfully enough, in that little hamlet; the man making his monthly

One day, he had appeared as usual on his customary errand. He had passed through the village without

exchanging more than a surly nod with the inhabitants and gone on towards the House. Usually, it was

evening before he made the return journey. On this occasion, however, he had reappeared in the village, a

few hours later, in an extraordinary state of excitement, and with the astounding information, that the House

had disappeared bodily, and that a stupendous pit now yawned in the place where it had stood.

This news, it appears, so excited the curiosity of the villagers, that they overcame their fears, and marched en

masse to the place. There, they found everything, just as described by the carrier.

This was all that we could learn. Of the author of the MS., who he was, and whence he came, we shall never

That same day, we left the lonely village of Kraighten. We have never been there since.

Sometimes, in my dreams, I see that enormous pit, surrounded, as it is, on all sides by wild trees and bushes.

And the noise of the water rises upwards, and blendsin my sleepwith other and lower noises; while,

"Fierce hunger reigns within my breast, I had not dreamt that this whole world, Crushed in the hand of God,

Touch hands with thee, who now art naught! "Through the whole void of night I search, So dumbly crying

(*) These stanzas I found, in pencil, upon a piece of foolscap gummed in behind the flyleaf of the MS. They

have all the appearance of having been written at an earlier date than the Manuscript.Ed.