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featuring in
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\ LONG
COMPLETE
STORY OF
D? DOOM,
The Ghost Detective
‘ The Case of
The Flaming
Horror* J

Tales of GhostluTenor & Honor

 SIX THRILLING LOVE STORIES

No. 1 Tessa's Mistake

Don’t Love A Sailor
No. 2 Love Tamed Catherine
Tinsel Love
No. 3 Only An Actress
TWO The Twice Postponed OMENS
Wedding
COMPLETE IOVELS

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FROM THE PUBLISHERS

(Doitfaillull §wianni ILit.di

37 3839 BURNE STREET • MARYLEBONE
london-n-w-i
NO. 1 AUGUST 1940

CONTENTS:

DOCTOR DOOM, GHOST DETECTIVE William J. Elliott 2

A Witch’s Charm Against Witchcraft ..... 43

THE VILLAGE IN THE MIST . Basil Herbert 44

THE CHAINED TERROR .... Henry Retlaw 53

Description of a Warlock ....... 60

DENE VERNON, GHOST INVESTIGATOR (Pictures) . . 61

THE DEAD HAND GRIPS .... James Bruce 67

THE LAST WORD........................................W. E. Tillot 83

Witch’s Lullaby - In an Old Graveyard ..... 89

SO THIS IS DEATH .... Leopold J. Wollett 92

The Were-Wolf........................................................................................ 95

Weird Story in Brief ........ 96

The characters depicted in these stories are entirely fictitious and have no reference to any living person
DOCTOR DOOM,
GHOST DETECTIVE
by WILLIAM J. ELLIOTT
HARLIE SLANE, his left fully illuminated only by the glow

C hand grasping that of the thin

man on his left, his right im­
prisoned in the rather damp one of
from the log fire that burned in the
grate, seemed to display a choice of
only two characteristics—they were
the fat woman who was his other either stupid or evil.
neighbour, glanced furtively round A queer bunch, Charlie thought,
the circle. The faces, faint and fit- that he had dropped into on this
week-end visit to his Aunt Emily’s But the medium had shot a quick,
place. Ue had known she was inter­ rather malignant glance (or so
ested in spiritualism, but hadn’t met Charlie had thought) at her, as he
any of her cronies before. Including answered, smoothly :
himself there were six people present, “ Use all the straps you like,
leaving out the medium—a fat Jew Madam—it will make no difference 1”
and Jewess, a tall, thin man who And now they had been sitting for
looked like an out-of-work actor, a nearly an hour in that big studio­
slim girl, who might have been pretty attic of Pendleton Manor, lit only by
if she hadn’t been so pasty and un­ the log-fire they had been forced to
healthy-looking, his Aunt, and him­ have on account of the cold. They
self. And then there was the medium, would have frozen stiff, otherwise.
who sat fastened to his chair by straps Charlie, though he scoffed at what
with only his hands free, and those he called " spiritualistic nonsense ”
were grasped by the thin man on one had agreed to sit with them because
side, and his Aunt Emily on the he was a journalist by profession,
other. In the full light he had a rather and it might mean “ copy.” But,
unpleasant looking face—hollow­ scoffer as he was, he was very sensi­
cheeked and gaunt; in this light he tive to atmosphere, and now it seemed
looked like a Devil ! to him that he could literally smell
Charlie Slane, who scoffed at this evil in the air. And he had a feeling,
sort of thing, felt a sudden sense of too, that something was going to
uneasiness. There was an atmosphere happen.
of evil in the room, somehow. There came a sound from his right
The medium had promised a —the thin man had caught his breath.
materialisation. Somebody had asked And Charlie felt the hand in his
what form it might take, and the stiffen, and go tense—it was an un­
medium had shrugged his high, bony pleasant-feeling hand, rather remin­
shoulders, and answered : iscent of a spider. Charlie glanced at
" Who knows— Maybe a beauti­ him—he was staring up towards the
ful maiden—maybe a godlike young ceiling. Charlie became aware, too,
man! Or pirhaps an evil old crone that the medium was breathing very
—a witch ! Or possibly even a devil ! quickly—almost panting.
It all depends on the quality of your Charlie followed the thin man’s
thoughts, my friends. And I warn gaze, and was startled to see, sus­
you—there is a risk! There must pended in the air above the centre of
always be a risk when we supplv, the round table at which they were
even for the briefest period, a dis- sitting, a faint luminosity. It den-
carnate entity with bodilv form I scned—grew less luminous, and took
Some of them are evil—malignant— the form of a white mist. It was
dangerous !” shaped like a reversed pear, the thin
“We’ll take the risk I” Aunt Emily end pointing to the ceiling. As
had snapped, in her brisk way. though suspended from an invisible
“ And I hope you’ll agree to the use thread. It was growing larger; more
of the straps, so we may be sure there dense; whiter . . . !
is no hocus-pocus ... !” Opposite him the girl let the breath
After all, she paid the man a fee— out through her teeth with a hissing
there was no need to be polite to him I sound, and exclaimed in a low, half­
frightened voice : Charlie glanced at the others, and
“ Ah, Ectoplasm ... 1" in the dim, reddish glow of the logs
Charlie had a sensation as though he could plainly see that beads of
a tight violin-string had suddenly perspiration stood out on all their
snapped, and the voice of the medium white, tense faces. It was literally run­
low, toneless and mechanical, said : ning down the Jew’s fat face. So they
“ Please do not speak—whatever were all feeling it!
happens. You break the contact if Charlie became aware of a sound.
you do 1” It was the medium breathing. It got
The nebulous, white stuff in the air harder and harder; quicker and
faded away far more quickly than it quicker; louder and louder; until he
had come—it was as though a wind was panting like a dog that has been
had dispersed it. The fat Jewess ex­ running.
claimed, disappointedly : The feeling of heat and the
" There you are, you see !” sense of evil increased together. It
“ Silence, please!” snapped Aunt was a wicked sort of heat—fierce and
Emily. “ We want results—not com­ burning, like the heat from an open
ments !” furnace, and yet at the same time,
Silence reigned once more. It close and fetid, like the hot breath of
might have been a few minutes or some malignant animal. It seemed,
half-an-hour—Charlie was commenc­ somehow, to stink . . . !
ing to lose his sense of time—when Charlie thought: "I shan’t be
again he sensed evil in the air. This able to stand this much longer—'I
time it was more definite. It was as shall faint, or something !"
though something was moving—in­ The medium was making low
visibly and soundlessly—in the room. moaning noises, like a dog in pain.
Hardly that, though, it was as though The Jewess was gripping Charlie’s
the air was quivering. Charlie felt a hand convulsively, and he found that
sense of tremendous repulsion—it he was doing the same thing to the
became almost physical, so that he thin man. . . .
wanted to be physically sick. In spite Surely the room was growing
of himself he felt a shudder go lighter . . . ?
through him, and then he commenced Charlie stretched his neck to look
to sweat. at the fire, and saw at once that some­
“ Good Lord,” he thought to him­ thing was happening there. The fire
self, “ I mustn’t let myself get scared had been burning a little low, but now
by this sort of thing—it’s childish it seemed to be blazing more fiercely
. . . !" than it had ever done. And yet not
Then he realised that he was not exactly blazing—it was more as
actually scared—and that he was though it was boiling, like water.
sweating, not from fear, but because Charlie had never seen anything like
the room, hitherto rather chilly, had it before. Queer globules of fire
suddenly and unexplainably become seemed to be whirling about in it—
very hot, There had been a nasty like the bubbles in boiling water.
draught playing round the back of his And, as steam rises from boiling
neck all the time, and it was still water, so a thick black smoke, greasy
i ere—but now it was hot, almost and evil-looking, was commencing to
like a blast from a furnace ! form above the burning mass. But it
did not go up the chimney—it com­ ball of flame described an arc through
menced to come slowly out into the the smoke straight, as it seemed, at
room, partially obscuring the fire. . . him. No, not at him, at his neigh­
Then Charlie’s attention was dis­ bour. . . .
tracted by the thin man. lie gave a Charlie got a glimpse of Something
convulsive shudder, and started to that clung, with what seemed to be
cough in a queer, bubbling sort of limbs, to the shoulders of the thin
way. Charlie looked at him, and saw man. Something that glowed and
with horror that blood was running flickered like fire, and that illumin­
out of his mouth and down his chin. ated the face and chest of the thin
"Consumptive!” thought Charlie. man in ghastly fashion, showing the
“And this has brought on a hemorr­ blood that was running out of his
hage !” mouth and down his chin. And the
He was about to call for light and fiery thing was sucking and licking
aid for the sick man, but before he at that blood ... I
could do so there tame a sudden, That impression Charlie got in a
terrified shriek from the girl: split second—the next he had leapt
“Christ! Look at the fire—there’s from his chair and reeled back to the
something in it something alivel” terrific blast of heat that he could
Charlie looked at the fire, and feel singeing his hair and eyebrows,
there, behind the veil of smoke, got a and that for an instant rendered him
glimpse of something that moved. blind. . .
Something that glowed red and had Then the thin man started to
some sort of grotesque resemblance scream. Hisscreaming rose high and
to a miniature human being—that is shrill, on the undullating note caused
to say it seemed to have arms and only by the most terrible agony. And
legs, and he thought he caught a in the next second he had burst into
glimpse of a sort of face—pointed flames—his clothes, his hair, his very
ears, slit eyes that glowed a different flesh itself, blazing as though he had
colour from the rest of it. It was no been soaked in petrol. Still screaming
bigger than a small monkey, but he leapt and tore round the room, and
there was something terrifying about Charlie could actually see the flesh
it. burning from his bones as he went.
Then, before he could get a real And after him, leaping and dancing
impression, that thick, greasy smoke as though with fiendish joy, went
suddenly rolled out in a great cloud, that red, burning Thing !
and filled the room so densely that he Pandemonium had broken out
could only just vaguely see his im­ now, and the room was filled with
mediate neighbours, and the fire and screams and yells of pain and terror,
the Thing in it became only a nebu­ the crashing and smashing of furni­
lous sort of glow. The smoke was ture, and the crackling of flames—for
thick and hot as he drew it into his everywhere that squat, unearthly
lungs—it was like swallowing a hot Figure that pursued the burning man
drink. Bit it did not choke one. went, flames broke out—carpet, cur­
Only the thin man was still chok­ tains, even furniture were commenc­
ing and bubbling beside him. Then ing to blaze.
there came a loud hissing and crack­ The thin man, still blazing like a
ling sound, and what seemed to be a resinous torch, fell flat on his face,
and Charlie saw the Thing—which miraculously he kept his feet. The
now seemed to be a little bigger than landing below, and the stairs below
at first—leap on to his back like a that, were burning, and he knew he
beast of prey. couldn’t get further! He swayed to
Hardly knowing what he did, the left, staggered into a room that
Charlie snatched up a heavy chair, was as yet free freai the flames and
and shutting his eyes against the which had french-windows leading
heat, rushed in and smote with all out on to a balcony. He hurled him­
his force at the Horror. There came a self at the windows without trying to
roaring sound, like the roar of angry open them, crashed through, and
flames, and Charlie opened his eyes came up against the railing of the
to see that the chair he held was balcony.
broken and burning like tinder, and And at that instant consciousness
to catch a glimpse of a Flaming left him. His Aunt slid off his shoul­
Thing that rushed through the door­ ders on to the floor of the balcony,
way and disappeared down the stairs. and he collapsed over the railing, his
Now Charlie, almost overcome, head and arms hanging supinely
had only one thought in mind—his downwards, the rest of his body a
Aunt Emily I He groped through the limp heap on the inside of the rail­
smoke, which was commencing to ing. . . .
clear a little, towards where he had Down below the flames roared and
seen her last. Yes, there she was, crackled, and wherever they were hot­
lying still and inert on the floor 1 test and fiercest a keen eye might
There were burning patches in the have detected a strange, grotesque
carpet about her, and close to her the Shape that leapt and whirled amongst
medium was still sitting in his chair, them, and grew slowly bigger and
which was blazing, screaming like a bigger as it did so. . . .
stuck pig, and struggling vainly with
the straps that held him. In spite of When, a little later, the Pendle­
the horror, Charlie got a ridiculous tons Fire Brigade arrived on the
thought of Guy Fawkes, and almost scene, two wings of the three that
laughed. made up the old Manor were almost
Luckily he had a knife in his completely gutted. Of the third, the
pocket, and he took a pride in keep­ outer wall still stood, as yet un­
ing it razor-keen. He whipped it out touched by the fire, and a limp figure
and cut the straps that confined the was seen hanging over the balcony
medium’s arms—no time for more! on the first floor. So the escape was
He left him to fend for himself, run up, the bodies of Charlie Slane
snatched up the limp form of his and his Aunt Emily, without con­
Aunt, tossed it over his shoulder, sciousness and terribly burned, but
and, almost all-in, staggered with her with life still in them, were brought
through the door. safely down.
Only to find that the stairs were Meanwhile, round at the back of
blazing ! the house, Fireman Purvic was rather
But he had to get through it, some­ hopelessly directing a stream of
how ! He literally flung himself at the water from his hose where the flames
flames, and went half-stumbling, burned most fiercely. Then suddenly
half-falling, down the stairs. But it seemed to him that the roar of the
flames grew louder and fiercer, and patience, what time the waning moon
out of them leapt a Something that rose in the cloudless sky. At about
he could not distinguish as being 2.30 a.m. he decided the cow would
human or animal (though he thought be alright, and, yawning and very
of it afterwards as a "great, red-hot tired, he left the byre to go back to
monkey ). As it did so the water from the Farmhouse, still carrying that
the hose struck it full, and it seemed bright lantern.
to hiss "like a thousand snakes.” A The first thing he noticed when he
great cloud of steam rose from it, too, got out of the byre was that the tem­
and for a moment screened it from the perature seemed to have undergone
vision of the flabbergasted fireman. an astonishing change while he had
Then he saw it again, moving at been in there. For whereas when he
incredible speed, in a series of leaps had turned out it had been sharply
and jumps, towards the wooden cold, now it was singularly warm.
fence. A moment later the fence burst “ Well, I reckon we can expect
into flames at one spot, and the darned near anything from this
Thing had disappeared. bloomin’ climate of ours!” said the
Fireman Purvis (he was a house­ Farmer to himself.
painter by trade) was a sensible, prac­ But as he opened the gate and went
tical sort of man. He put out the into the yard that led to his backdoor
burning fence with his hose in a few he suddenly realised that it really was
minutes, and then, thinking over phenomenal, this heat. It was as close
what he had seen—or imagined he as mid-summer!
had seen—he realized that he would And yet, not only close. It was hot
have great difficulty in describing it —the air itself seemed to be charged
to anyone, and that if he did he would with heat!
probably be laughed at. So he " Jest like as though there was a
'decided to say nothing about it. fire somewhere handy !” muttered the
Farmer—and turned to look about
On the night that this happened— him to see if there was any sign of
it was March 25th—the moon was such a thing. But there was no sign
already on the wane. of any such thing—no sparks, no
Two nights later, Farmer Brank- ruddy glow in the sky. Only the
sotne, of Middlemarch Farm—which waning moon riding serenely in the
was about a mile from the gutted middle of it.
manor, of which he was a tenant— The Farmer put down his lamp on
had some trouble with a sick cow. He the bricks, and mopped his sweating
left his warm kitchen at about 11 p.m. brow. As he turned once more to pick
and went across to the byre, carrying up his lamp and go in his eyes swept
with him a bright stable lantern. It over his own five-acre field—and sud­
being War-time, this was dead denly he saw his fire !
against the regulations, but Farmer Not one, but two or three of them.
Branksome didn’t worry much about Little tiny fires, they were, spurting
that—he guessed the local Air Raid up one after another like a chain
Warden and the policeman would along the grass, and rapidly coming
hardly be around at that hour of the nearer to him. A line of little fires,
night. lighting up, one after the other, with
He tended his cow with skill and out fifteen yards between each of
them ! that perched thus momentarily on his
Farmer Branksome stared, in gate. He had a vision of Something
amazement. Then he thought he that had a big, round body, little
could see some sort of a figure short legs—if they tvere legs—and
moving. It seemed to him that it was enormously long, pendulous arms.
leaping, like a frog, and that every­ On the top of it all a tiny little head,
time it touched the ground one of quite round, but with small, pointed
those little fires sprang into being. ears or horns, and little slits of eyes
The figure, too, seemed to have a sort that glowed a baleful .yellow as
of glow about it—as though it carried against the ruddy glow that seemed
some sort of diffused light, or as to illuminate, or perhaps to emanate
though it had a lantern, with a red from, the rest of the creature. . . .
shade, trained upon it. And every The Farmer only got a momentary
moment it was coming nearer. glimpse of this extraordinary thing,
“By gum!” said the Farmer, for almost instantly the gate burst
aloud. “ Someone fooling around, into flames, and with a sort of hissing
eh ? I’ll larn ’em !” crackling noise coming from it the
He left the lantern burning creature leapt down from the gate,
brightly where he had put it down on and towards the Farmer—or towards
the bricks—and thereby sealed his the lantern that stood on the bricks
fate—while he dashed into his kit­ behind him.
chen, snatched down the loaded, Farmer Branksome was no coward.
double-barrel gun from it’s rack over He flinched again in the awful blast
the fireplace, and then ran swiftly out of heat that struck him, but all the
into the yard again. same he took quick aim and lossed
Some of the little fires had gone off both barrels at the Thing as it
out—the wet grass was not very in­ leapt towards him. The range was all-
flammable—others nearer at hand, but point blank, and the Farmer was
were -still smouldering—and after a dead shot. He could have sworn
that his vision was cut off by the high that both charges took the Thing full
tarred wooden fence that shut in his in the body, but it still came on, not
yard. But over the top of the fence he heeding.
could see a distinct glow, ruddy, like Then the Farmer let out a wild yell
that thrown by a biggish bonfire. of sheer, panicky terror, and turned
“Noiv I’ll have ye, my bucko . .!” to run for his own backdoor. But the
breathed the Farmer, and he moved Thing behind him stretched out one
swiftly and on tip-toe towards the of its long arms, and almost touched
yard gate, which was a five-barred him. Instantly his clothing—he him­
affair. self—burst into flames. He let out
Then, suddenly, there came a sort one long, agonised scream of intoler­
of flashing through the air, as some­ able agony, and fell prone by the
thing leapt, and then perched on top backdoor. Then he lay still, burning
of the gate, as a bird might have and spluttering like a joint of meat
done. But, flinching before the that has by mishap fallen into the
terrific blast of heat that suddenly fire !
struck his face and half-blinded him, The Thing paused by the bright
the Farmer could still see that it was lamp on the bricks, and instantly it
neither bird nor beast—nor man— blackened, scorched and then ex­
plotted with a loud report, scattering the doorstep in a dead faint.
the blazing paraffin around. The
Thing dabbled in these flames for a In a comfortable room, which in
moment, then deserted them for the its furnishing looked something be-
brighter and warmer fire—the body between the study of a literary man
of the Farmer. But he, too, was al­ and the workroom of a scientist, two
most consumed ! men sat on opposite sides of the fire,
Hissing and crackling, the Thing which (for May was a singularly cold
went, in a couple of leaps, round the month that year) glowed in the grate.
side of the house, just as Mrs. Brank- Each was equipped with a good, stiff
some, roused by the reports and whiskey-and-soda, and one had a
screams, looked anxiously out of her cigar while the other smoked a cheap
bedroom window. A moment later a gasper with apparent enjoyment.
They were strangely contrasting
types—the one with the cigar, tall,
lean and hatchet-faced, with the high,
slightly receding forehead and
thoughtful eyes of the intellectual,
the other shortish, square-built, with
a rather fat and good-humoured face
which was rather belied by keen,
hard eyes and a determined and pug­
nacious jaw.
Nor did the difference between
them end with their appearance, for
temperamentally they were just as
divergent. Yet they were good
friends, and had been ever since one
night two years before when the
short man, representing the police,
had stood during a raid on a West­
end night-club, by the solitary table
of the tall one, and the tall one,
Then the farmer let out a wild glancing at the open notebook in the
yell of sheer panicky terror. other’s hand, had announced, in a
singularly deep and sonorous, but not
haystack on the other side of the unpleasant voice :
house burst into a mass of flames, and “My name is—Doom ... I”
the Thing, hissing and crackling The other had stared at that, and
with apparent satisfaction, burrowed then said, in harsh, staccato tones:
into the lire like an animal seeking "You don’t say, buddy? Wal, I
sanctuary in its burrow. guess I got you there—and I don’t
Seeing the glow, Mrs. Branksome mean perhaps, either! Mv moniker’s
hurried down and threw open the Death !"
back door-—but at sight of the The other man glanced up at him
charred, smouldering mess that had, with soft, almost luminous brown
a few minutes before, been her living, eyes, that looked amused :
breathing husband, she sank on to hep!” snapped the stout man.
“ Detective-Sergeant Death, that’s “Say, how the hell d’you know I
my label at the Yard ! And now, I’d wanta talk turkey ?” he inquired.
like your Teal name, please!” The other grinned :
The tall man suddenly grinned, al­ “Oh, is it Turkey? I thought it
most boyishly : was American—or, rather, Bowery 1
“Your name really is Death?” Anyway, I smell you’re in trouble—
“Sure ! I’ve just told you !” so out with it. What’s the nature of
“Then why doubt that mine is the alleged crime, for a start ?”
Doom ? After all, it’s hardly more “Murder and arson !”
sinister!” And then he suddenly "Go on. It sounds as though it
chuckled. might be interesting !"
“ What’s biting you ?” asked the “It sure is ! Listen, Despard . . .!”
detective, suspiciously. Death took out his notebook and
"Only I was thinking how pretty flicked the pages. "In Sussex there
it would be if we went into partner­ are three small villages—-or, rather,
ship — say in an undertaker’s one town, one village, and one ham­
business ! Think of the facia sign : let. They are called the Pendletons,
‘DEATH & DOOM. FUNERAL' collectively — Pendleton Magna,
FURNISHERS’ !” Stoke Pendleton, and Little Pendle­
They had, in a way, gone into ton !” It was noticable that Stanley
partnership eventually But not in an Death had, for the moment, dropped
undertaking business. For Detective his American accent, and was speak­
Sergeant—now Detectiv-Inspector— ing as he did in Court—officially.
Death had discovered that Doctor Doom nodded:
Despard Doom was a celebrated psy- "That’s right! Between Lewes and
chist and psychical research-worker— Horsham—charming, old-world little
sometimes he called himself a "Ghost placesI”
Detective.” And on at least two “Hugh 1 I’m not so sure about ’em
occasions he had been of consider­ being so charming, just now. Not
able assistance in solving problems Little Pendleton, at anyrate ! ”
which, owing to their entirely un­ "Indeed ? What has happened ?"
canny nature, had been outside either "Quite a lot!” He referred to his
the scope or the skill of the Yard. notebook. "First, on the night of
And so, as soon as they were settled March 25th, about midnight, Pendle­
down in their respective arm-chairs, ton Manor, belonging to Mrs. Emily
Doom asked, quietly : Slane, widow—a large old manor­
"And what is it this time, Stan­ house of three wings, one modern—
ley ?” caught fire and was burned out. In
They had long since decided to call addition to Mrs. Slane, there seem to
each other by their Christian names have been six visitors, and, for some
as being less startling for other reason, they all seem to have been
people—as the detective had said, gathered in a big old attic-room at
you can’t run about all over the place the top of the house. Mrs. Slane, and
shouting for either "Death” or her nephew, Charles—who is a re­
“Doom" without causing something porter on the Daily Lightning—were
of a sensation ! got out unconscious, and are now in
Now the Yard man looked sharply hospital. The other five guests were
at his host, his keen eyes twinkling : all burned to death. Four of them
have been identified as Rupert weather was wet at the time, these
Snieckel, Jewish financier, his wife, fires could hardly have been either
Rachel, Henry Laidlaw, an author, natural or accidental! But on the
and a Miss Renfrew, daughter of a 27th a far more mysterious and
wealthy shipowner. The fifth—a man serious matter occurred. A Farmer
—has not yet been identified. The Branksome was the tenant of Middle­
servants, who were in the kitchea ®n march Farm, which belonged to the
the ground floor, all escaped safely, Manor. On the night of the 27th he
though some of them were a trifle was tending a sick cow. Early in the
scorched !” morning of the 28th, the local police-
Doom’s acute mind struck the officer, on his beat, saw from a dis­
salient point immediately : tance that one of the hay-stacks on
“They seem to have been a long this farm was well alight. He sum­
time discovering that there was a fire moned the Pendletons Fire Brigade
on !” he commented. —a volunteer concern—and then
“Just so!” agreed Death. "And hurried to the scene on his bicycle.
that’s where the funny business He found the backdoor of the farm
starts. The butler says he crossed the open, and the farmer’s wife lying in
hall a few minutes before they smelt the doorstep unconscious. A yard or
smoke and heard the flames crackling so away lay a charred mass which was
and there was then no sign of fire. later identified as all that was left of
.Yet, when they rushed from the kit­ the farmer. He had been literally
chen. the main staircase was well burned to a cinder ! Near him lay the
alight, and the drawing-room was scorched and broken remains of his
blazing ! How do you account for double-barrelled gun, which had been
that ? And the next thing was that discharged—both barrels. Nearby
the insurance company sent experts was found the remains of a paraffin
down to view the wreckage, and then stable-lamp, which had exploded.
refused to pay because the experts The first thing that struck the con­
found evidence that the house had stable as curious was that the back­
been fired in about a dozen different door was scorched and blistered in a
places, simultaneously, or almost way that could only have happened
simultaneously. They said that it was if it had been exposed to the most in­
as though someone with a torch had tense heat—yet neither the burning
just run around, setting light to one farmer nor the lamp could have
roon' after another!" caused such heat, and the haystack,
He paused. Doom was sitting for­ which might have done so, was on
ward in his chair, and there was a the other side of the house ! To be
light of interest in his queer, brown brief, the other curious features were
eyes : —how did the farmer get burned like
“ Ah!” he murmured. " That that ? The obvious solution, that the
sounds interesting!” lantern exploded in his hand and set
“It is!” snapped Death, rather his clothes alight would not account
grimly. “But that’s only the half of for his body being consumed as
it! Now, it has since been discovered though it had been for some time in
that a number of small fires occurred the heart of a big fire ! Furthermore,
sometime during the following day or the lantern proved to be a Smith
night in some adjacent woods. As the Patent one. I have been to Smith’s
factory, and they have demonstrated farmer—there was a big fire in
to me that it is impossible, in any Pendleton Woods. The woods are
circumstances, for one of their lan­ extensive, covering best part of thirty
terns to explode except under one acres, and that night five of ’em were
condition—that of intense heat, such completely burned out. And it was a
as could only be produced by putting wet night, after a succession of wet
it into a furnace, or something like days lasting for nearly a fortnight,
that 1 When the widow recovered she and everything was sopping wet! So
stated that she had been aroused how the darned stuff burned—big
from sleep by screams, and the sound trees and little trees and undergrowth
of shots. The screams started before —is about as tough a mystery as I’ve
the shots, and continued afterwards. struck yet. Unless someone poured
She went to the window and looked about a thousand gallons of petrol
out. She says the yard was lit up by over the lot!"
what she describes as a sort of “ruddy “I hardly think that happened!”
glow,” too strong to be accounted commented Doom, quietly. “Any­
for bv the light from the remains of thing further?”
the exploded lamp, which she saw “The whole thing was so darned
lying in the middle of the yard. She mysterious that we were called in the
says that she just caught sight of following day and I was given
something like a ball of fire, dis­ charge of the case—worse luck, it’s
appearing round the corner of the putting grey hairs on me ! But noth­
house. She rushed down to the back­ ing more happened until four nights
door, and opening it saw for the first ago. Since then there’s been a fire on
time the remains of her husband, still each night—first a coppice that lies
smouldering. At that she fainted!" between Stoke Pendleton and Little
A curious change had come over Pendleton—burnt right out; then an
Doom. He was leaning forward in his old wooden cottage on the edge of the
chair, his face tense with excitement, Manor estate—been in a state of ruin
and the look in his eyes was that of a for some years; the next night it was
hound on the trail. a petrol station on the road between
“By Jingo !" he murmured, softly. Little and Stoke Pendletons—that
“I fancy you’re on something really exploded without any assignable
big this time, Stanley !” cause. And finally—perhaps queerest
“I don’t know about being big I” of all—the whole of a hedge running
the detective grumbled. “But I know alongside a five-acre field belonging
it's infernally puzzling, and I’m get­ to the dead Farmer Branksome. The
ting my knees caned by the Old Man whole hedge was burned almost from
for not making an arrest—or even end to end, just as though someone
getting a clue. But there just aren’t had gone along it with a torch, delib­
any clues !” erately setting it alight. And all the
Doom smiled : evidence shows that the hedge burned
“Aren’t there ? It seems to me there against the wind ! That’s to say that
are plenty—if you look for them the fire started at the south end of the
from the right angle ! But—has any­ hedge, and progressed to the north
thing else happened?” end, when the wind was blowing
“Quite a lot! On the 28th—29th— dead from the North !”
the night following the death of the Doom nodded, quickly :
 “Very significant I” he commented buddy—but I sure did ask the ser­
shortly. "And so is the fact that vants about that. But they didn’t
nothing happened between the 28th know much—the butler thought
of March and the 30th of April—I they were playing some sort of
think !” game’ !”
“ Is it—why ?” asked Death, curi­ “I shouldn’t be a bit surprised!”
ously. said Doom, grimly. “And a very
Doom had pulled out a pocket­ dangerous sort of game at that, if I’m
diary, and was consulting it: not mistaken ! But haven’t you got
"Yes—as I thought!” he said, as any statements from the two in hos­
though to himself. Then, to Death : pital ?”
"Because on the 28th March the “Not yet 1 Mrs. Slane’s better, but
moon had almost waned, and on the her mind’s gone, west—they’re afraid
30th April it was past its first she’s for the looney-bin when she
quarter again !” leaves the hospital. Young Slane’s
"Meaning that—well, whoever’s not capable of answering questions,
responsible for all this likes to work as yet I”
by moonlight ?” “Another important thing—what’s
"You can put it that way if you the temperature like at Little Pendle­
like,” Doom smiled. Then he asked : ton ?”
“ Have you any clues, theories, or The detective stared :
notions, Stanley ?” “Don’t see what you’re getting at.
The other made a gesture, almost But all the time I was there it was un­
of despair. usually mild—close, even—for the
“Hardly anything ! But there’s one time of the year !”
thing that, seems to me suggestive.” “While,” said Doom, quietly, "all
“And what is that?” the rest of the country was suffering
" Practically all the trouble has from a cold snap ! Doesn’t that strike
occurred on the Manor estate—be­ you as at all significant?”
ginning with the destruction of the The detective stared again :
Manor itself. Looks like some person "Hadn’t thought of it, to tell you
or persons with a grudge against the the truth !”
Slanes ?” Doom said nothing, but leaned
But Doom shook his head : over to his desk and pressed a bell.
“As you would say yourself, better The pale, thoughtful-looking young
forget it, Stanley ! I don’t think there man who was his secretary answered
is any connection; Now, has it it :
occured to ask any questions?” “Simpson, I want you to phone the
"Heavens above, man—I’ve done police stations at Stoke Pendleton,
nothing but ask questions ! But they Little Pendleton, Pendleton Magna,
haven’t got me anywhere!” Lewes and Horsham. Just ask them
"No? Perhaps you haven’t asked what the temperature outside is at the
the right ones. For instance—and this moment, will you ?”
is very important—what was the The secretary looked startle-d :
Slane party doing in the attic room "Won’t they think I’m mad, Sir?”
that night ?” Doom grinned like a schoolboy:
The detective shook his head : "Tell them it’s Detective-Inspector
“Don’t sound important to me, Death, of Scotland Yard, who wants
the information. That will explain it “I thought as much !” he nodded,
to them !” almost sadly. “That’s what those—
The secretary vanished. Stanley fools—were doing up in that attic—<
Death glared : holding a seance ! And this is the
“D’you have to show me up before result of itI”
your underlings ? I’ve a mind to give “You mean that you think they’ve
you a poke in the puss, my son !" —well, sort of conjured, up some­
Before Doom could answer the thing ?”
telephone shrilled. Doom answered it. Doom nodded, with extreme
“Yes, he’s here, alright!” He gravity :
passed the receiver to Death. “For “Like many amateurs—foolish and
you—urgent, from the Yard. Good ignorant dabblers in such matters—
job I’ve got two lines !” they tried a materialisation. And they
Death took the receiver, and as he succeeded only too well!”
listened to the message his face paled Death made a grimace, indicative
and grew very grim : of disgust:
“Alright! I’ll get busy, right “Hells bells ! Is that all ... ? And
away I” I thought I was on to a real good,
He was apparently about to replace juicy murder!” he growled, disgus­
the receiver, but it seemed that who­ tedly.
ever was at the other end had some­ Doom shot a glance at him :
thing more to say. Death’s expres­ “Let me tell you, my friend,” he
sion changed to one of ordinary in- said, slowly, "that you have hit on
terst, and he asked, sharply : something more serious in its results,
“Oh, yes—and who was he ?” both actual and potential, than any
He listened to the reply, and then murder you’ve ever heard of or
asked : thought about! A force has been
“Was he definitely traced to created, and is now abroad, loose and
Pendleton . . . ? Oh, I see—right you untrammelled, which has already
are! G’bye !” been responsible for the loss of six
He hung up, and turned to Doom : lives, has apparently caused the des­
“That was the Yard. They’ve iden­ truction of one mind, and very con­
tified the sixth guest—and the fifth siderable damage to property, and
corpse. He was a man named Felix which, unless it can somehow be
Haan son—at any rate, that’s what he stopped, might easily result in the
called himself. He claimed to be a destruction of the whole of the coun­
clairvoyant—a medium. The Yard try, and the death of every soul in
had their eye on him for fortune-tell­ it!”
ing— he got one conviction. That’s Death stared until it looked as
whv they’ve been so long in report­ though his eyes would pop out of his
ing him missing, I guess. Now our head :
peonle have traced him to Pendleton “Say, what are you trying to pull
Station, where he was picked up by a on me, Despard ?” he managed to
car Font the Manor. He’s not been gasp, at last.
hear ! of since !” Doom looked at him, and his eyes
The expression on Doom’s face were hard and unsmiling :
was ■ ne of interest, not unmixed with “I’m not trying to pull anything
a sori of regret: on you, as you put it!” he replied.
"Answer me this—have you ever “You can can that stuff, Despard !
known me to lie, or even to exager- I’ve brought you into this, and I’m
rate, in such matters as this, in all the seeing it through with you, whatever
time you have known me ?” it means. Got that?”
Death continued to stare, and then, Doom looked at him again, then,
after a moment, slowly shook his and his strangely luminous eyes were
head : smiling approval :
"No, I’d say not!” “Thanks, Stanley I” he responded
“Then you can surely take it that quietly. “I was sure you’d feel like
I’m not doing so now ! It would, m that about it 1 And now, there is no
fact, be impossible to exaggerate or time to be lost ... ! ”
to over-estimate the danger that is “Oh, by the way,” Death’s voice
now facing this country—and not was crisp and matter-of-fact again—
only this country, but humanity in he was plainly relieved that the
general—though, thank goodness, moment of sentiment was over.
this is an island, and I don’t see how "There’s something you don’t know
this Thing could cross the ocean I” about yet—there’s been another hap­
Death went on regarding his com­ pening at Little Pendleton. Tnat's
panion for a moment in sheer amaze­ what they rang me up from the Yard
ment, and realised that it was impos­ about, really . . . !”
sible to disbelieve him. Then he let Doom became tense and anxious :
go his held breath in a long whist’e, “Yes?” he asked, sharply. “What
and ejaculated : it is ? Someone else killed ?”
"And so—what ?” “No, not so bad as that. It only
"We have got to deal with this happened an hour or so ago. The
Thing—hunt it down and destroy it! local police—I’ve had some extra
That’s what I” men drafted in, of course—reported
"And how do we manage that?” it to the Yard. So far as I can gather
Doom shook his head, gravely : there’s an old house not so far from
“I can’t say, as yet. I must make the Manor. The people there were
plans. I must get down to this place startled, an hour or so ago, by
—-have a look at the Thing—and then screams coming from the kitchen.
see what can possibly be done ! It When they went to have a look ihey
won’t be easy—and it won’t be safe !’* found the only maid-servant—a
He paused for a moment, and then middle-aged woman—in a dead faint
went on, this time without looking at on the kitchen floor. The place was
the other: “See here, Stanley—this terrifically hot, and there was a smell
affair is right outside your line of of burning. Then they found that the
business, and right inside mine. And wooden frame of the kitchen window
it’s going to be more than ordinarily was all charred, that the creeper
risky, for here one is dealing with covering that side of the house had
forces that are superhuman, if not all been burned away, and that an
actually supernatural. I should say enamel jug, used in the kitchen, was
the chances of destruction for the in­ lying on the ground outside and
vestigator are—well, at least wenty- looked as though it had been in the
five to one on ! So, if you like to 1 -rive middle of a fire ! The woman na.sn’t
it to me . . . !” come round yet—or hadn’t when they
Death interrupted sharply : reported. The doctor had said she’d
apparently met with a terrible shock.” Editor of the “Times,” one to the
Doom rose from his chair with a Editor of “The British Journal of
quick, decisive motion : Science” one to the Secretary of the
“There’s no time to lose at all !” he Society of Physical Research, and
announced, sharply. “We must get one to the Commissioner of Police.
down there right away, Stanley, or Got that ?”
more lives will be lost—to say noth­ "Yes, sir !”
ing of damage to property. Can you “Shan’t be a minute now, Stan­
get a car ?” ley !” Doom took the sheets of type­
Death, also by this time on his feet, script—one original and three car­
nodded. He felt more at home when bons. He read the top-copy, and then
there was some definite action afoot. signed it, and the three carbons. He
“Sure!” he said. “I haven’t got watched while the secretary slipped
one here—came by taxi. But I shall them into the envelopes and sealed
have to go to headquarters, anyway, them.
to see to one or two things, so I’ll “ Now, you know exactly what to
get one. Shall I get a driver as well ?” do, Simpson ?"
“No, we’ll have Lin Foo, my own “Yes, Sir! By the way—about
man. He may be useful in various those temperature reports . . . ?”
ways, besides just driving. But listen “Jove, I’d forgotten all about
Stanley—get a fast car—a powerful them, in the excitement!”
one—but with an all-metal body, if “Here they are, Sir!”
possible." Doom took the neatly typed sheet,
Death gave him a sharp glance: and glanced it over. Without smiling
“You mean ... ?” he gave a little nod, and then handed
“One that is as little inflammable the sheet to Death :
as possible 1” answered Doom, grim­ There you are !”
ly. "Now—I’ve a few things to do— Death looked at the sheet, which
must make some provisions in case read as follows:
anything happens to us. Can you be Lewes ...40 deg. Fahr.
back in half-an-hour ?” Horsham ••• 38 ,, ,,
"Betcha life I’ll be right here!” Stoke Pendleton ••• 59 ,, „
"Good ! I’ll be ready by then !” Little Pendleton 72 „
Death hurried from the room. Pendleton Magna ...60 ,, ,,
When he got back, Doom was Then he asked :
pacing up and down, dictating at a “And so what ?”
rapid pace to his secretary, who was Doom shrugged :
taking the stuff down direct on a type­ “Doesn’t it strike you as singular
writer. Nearby stood a couple of that in an imaginary circle of, say,
packed suitcases. Doom had just less than twenty miles, there should
concluded as Death came into the be so much difference in the temper­
room : atures? On the outskirts, Horsham
"Right!” he was saying, crisply, with 38 and Lewes with 40 degrees
to the secretary. “Now, give me the about normal. Then Stoke Pendleton
copies to sign while you address the and Pendleton Magna so much
envelopes. Mark them all to be deliv­ warmer—and Little Pendleton with
ered immediately on news of my twelve degrees more than either of its
death or disappearance. One to the neighbours ?”
 Death whistled, long and low : Doom said :
“It sure does seem queer. But I “Now—-watch the snow !”
don’t see what you’re getting at, The moon was sinking—-it was
Despard ! ” near midnight—but there was still
“You will, before long, 1 fancy!” enough light, especially with the
Doom assured him, grimly. “Come reflection of the snow, to see fairly
along !” well by. Death stared out of the win­
He picked up the suitcases and led dow, then he said, suddenly :
the way. Death commented on the "Hullo, what’s happened? It’s got
luggage : darker!”
“Kid yourself you’re going to a Doom chuckled in the darkness of
house-party, or something?” he his corner:
asked. “Not really!" he said. “There’s
“It’s not clothes—munitions of u snow here—that’s all ! It's too
war !” Doom answered, shortly, over warm for it to lay !”
his shoulder. In the hall he shouted : “Great snakes ! That’s queer, isn’t
“Lin Foo . . . I” it ?”
As silently as a shadow a thin “Can’t you feel it’s warmer—even
Chinaman, wearing the conventional in the car ?”
chauffeur’s uniform, appeared as “Now you mention it, I can ! But,
though from nowhere and took the say, what’s it mean, Despard?”
suitcases from his master’s hand : “That apparently—at the moment
“Both inside the car, Lin ! ” Doom —this is a very warm district!” ans­
directed, shortly. “Then we’re going wered Doom, with a queer, almost
to Little Pendleton — near Hor­ apprehensive, note in his voice. Then
sham. We have to go through Hor­ he added : "Which reminds me—
sham—and go as fast as the blackout we’re in the danger zone, now!
will let you !” Better be prepared . . .!”
The Chinaman bowed, and led the He flashed his torch, and by its
way to the car. light opened one of the suitcases.
On the way down Death tried to From it he took a couple of objects,
talk, but Doom cut in with : and handed one to Death :
“Shut up, Stanley I I’ve got to “Here, take this!”
think, and this darkness helps!” “What the devil is it—some sort of
And after that he never said a word gun ?"
but smoked endless cigars, one after "Yes—a kind of super-water-pis­
another, until they reached Horsham. tol. Only it’s charged with a special
Then he indicated the outside, fire-extinguishing chemical. Keep it
where it was snowing slightly, and a on you always—and if anything
thin film of white covered the ground. comes near you that—well, that g/ortw
"That’s interesting !” he commen­ and feels hot, aim for the centre of it
ted. with that—and keep your finger on
"Why?” asked Death, surprised. the trigger !”
“You’ll see!” was the enigmatic Stanley Death drew a long, sigh­
reply. ing breath :
They had to pass through Pendle­ “Okay ! I get you—up to a point!”
ton Magna to get to Lttle Pendleton, He put the pistol away, and a few
and as they approached that town minutes later said : “We’re almost
there. What’s the first move?” five minutes, then pulled up outside
“See if that servant that fainted can a long, low-built, old-fashioned build­
talk!” ing, which might have been classed
“Okay !" He gave some directions as a large cottage or a small house.
to Lin Foo through the speaking- “Pheww-w-w ... 1 But it’s close !”
tube, and shortly after they ran into a growled Death, as he got out of the
small village and pulled up outside car. He pulled off his overcoat as he
what looked like the schoolhouse : spoke. Doom got out, and stood,
“Our temporary police-station !” sniffing the air.
grinned Death. “I’ll go in and see “Can you smell anything, Stan­
what’s doing, shall I ?” ley ?”
“Yes. Don’t forget, if she can The other sniffed also, and then
stand it, I want to see that girl as soon said, hesitatingly :
as possible !” “Yes—and no! No sort of smell I
“Okay 1” could define, but a sort of vague—
In a very few moments Death what shall I call it----- a musty sort
of smell !”
“Yes. Rather like the smell that
comes from a blazing furnace !” sug­
gested Doom.
“By heck, you’re right!”
They were admitted by the lady of
the house, who looked rather white
and shaken, and taken straight up­
stairs to a small bedroom. A middle-
aged man was waiting there, beside
the bed :
“She’s had a nasty shock!” he
whispered, drawing them aside for a
moment. "I understand that a state­
ment from her is important, but make
it as brief as possible. Then I’ll give
her something to send her to sleep !”
“Very well Doctor !” Doom agreed
quietly.
77ig woman started at his touch
Then he turned to look at the figure
and showed the whites of her eyes
in the bed, and was a trifle surprised
like a frightened horse.
to see that it was that of a tall, raw-
emerged from the police-station again boned woman of late middle-age,
accompanied by a young constable in wth a hard, eminently practical face.
uniform, who got up beside Lin Foo. Not the sort to be easily frightened,
Death jumped in beside Doom. he told himself, but he noted the look
"We’re lucky !" he announced. of fear in the quick-moving, restless
“She’s recovered consciousness, and eyes, and the tremulousness of the
the doctor says she may talk—just a mouth.
little! My chap will show us the He took a chair and sat down by
way !” the bed, laying one of his hands over
They drove fairly slowly for about that of the patient, which was rest­
lessly picking at the sheet : I thought we’re going to have a rare
“Now," he said, in a very gentle storm. I put some more hot water in
voice. “Don’t disturb yourself too the washbowl, and then it was too
much, but I want you to tell me, as hot. So I went to the pump and got
briefly as you can, just what it was some cold water in the big enamel
that scared you, will you, please? jug. By then the heat was so bad I
Just how it happened, you know!” felt quite faint. And then, as I passed
The woman had started at his the window on my wav back—I—saw
touch, and showed the whites of her —It . . . Oh ! . . . Oh . . . !”
eyes like a frightened horse. But his The fear had come back into her
touch and his voice seemed to sooth eyes, and her hands clutched wildly
her almost instantly, just as a fright­ at Doom’s sleeves as he bent over her.
ened horse may be soothed in the “Hush !” he adjured her, in that
same manner. same low, level tone. “You are quite
All the same she caught her breath safe—there is nothing to fear ! Noth­
and her eyes looked wildly round the ing at all ! Tell me just what you
room with a fear in them that was not saw . . . ?”
pleasant to see : The woman became calm again,
“It ain’t about, Sir—It can’t get instantly;
at me, can it ?” her voice was no more “I dunno what it was, Mister ! It
than a hoarse croak. warn’t like nothing human, nor yet
Doom held her hand and, leaning like any animal, as I ever heard tell
over her, looked steadily, straight of. It was outside the window, a yard
into her eyes. or two away, and it was looking in,
“You are quite safe,” he said, right at me, Mister. Like a goblin, it
very slowly. “You have nothing to was—or summat in a nightmare.
fear at all. Do you understand?" Round it was, like a globe—like a
Immediately, as though by magic, globe as has got a light inside it—or
the fear went out of her eyes, and the like as though it was red hot. Round,
very lines on her hard face seemed to with no hair on it at all. Just two little
soften. pointed ears, like a cat’s, and a round
" Do you understand ?” hole for a mouth. But it hadn’t got
“Yes, I understand ... !” she no nose and it’s eyes—they was aw­
heaved a great sigh of relief as she ful, Mister! Slits, they was, and all
said that. plain yellow inside—no pupils nor
“Then tell me,” Doom went on, in nothing ! Yellow, like a cat’s—and
the same slow, monotonous tone, yet not like a cat’s, -because they
“just what happened to-night!” seemed to flicker, like yellow flame
Immediately she started to speak : might flicker. And the heat that
“I was in the kitchen. I was doing come from it was like the heat what
some washing. I noticed that it was comes from a great furnace—I could
terribly hot, and it seemed to get hot­ feel it scorching mv face and singeing
ter. Never felt anything like it for my hair. And then I screamed—and
this time o’ year, Mister. So I didn’t not hardly knowing what I was doing
worry about no blackouts, I just run like, I threw the water outer the jug
the blind up and opened the window. right at it. And it hissed and sizzled
But the air what come in seemed to be like red-hot iron, and steam went up
hotter than the air what was inside. from it. And then I yelled out again,
an threw the jug right at it. And then ground.
I fainted, and I never knowed no “No !” he observed. “Eook—there
more ! Mister—it ain’t coming back, are It’s footmarks!”
is it . . . ?” He pointed to marks on the cobbles
"No, it will never come back. Now, as though little fires had been burn­
just close your eyes and go to sleep ing there.
—to sleep—to sle-e-e-ep . . .! ” "Ah!” exclaimed Death, with
Doom fixed his eyes intently on satisfaction—this was in his line !
hers until, in a moment or so, her lids For a few moments he ran around
became heavy and drooped slowly with his nose almost on the ground,
until they were quite closed, and her like a hound on the scent. Then he
breathing became regular. Then exclaimed :
Doom rose and turned to the watch­ "But, by heck, if that’s so,
ing medico : the Thing takes about twelve-foot
“I don’t think your opiate will be strides !”
needed, after all, Doctor!” he whis­ "It doesn’t stride—it leaps!”
pered, with a smile. Suddenly the silence of the night
"Well, I’m damned!” said the was broken by the loud ringing of a
Doctor, staring at the peacefully cracked bell, and Death exclaimed,
sleeping form in the bed. sharply :
“She’ll be alright until well into “Hell’s bells—here’s more trouble.
to-morrow !” said Doom, as they left That’s the local fire alarm ... !”
the room. “Now,” he said to Death, Even as he spoke there sounded
“we’ll just have a look at the along the road the roaring of a motor
outside 1” cycle, coming towards them at high
They went round the outside of speed. They ran round to the front of
the place with their flash-lamps. The the house just as the cycle reached
building was very solidly construc­ the gate, and a uniformed constable
ted of flints, in the good old Sussex saw them and shouted :
style, and looked quite normal until "Inspector Death, Sir—there’s a
they got round to the back, where car blown up and burning on the
they found one window, still open, Horsham Road ! The Sergeant sent
with the wooden frame badly charred. me to tell you . . .!”
And the creeper that had grown up "Right!” snapped Death. "Come
the side of the house was just a ragged on Despard . . . !”
mass of charred tendrils, while the They ran together for the waiting
flint wall was blackened as though a car, and Lin Foo, seeing them
bonfire had been built against it! coming, started his engine.
“Observe the height of that win­
dow !” said Doom. “The Thing was Just about the time when Death
standing a yard or two away, looking had been listening to the servant’s
straight in it. And there’s nothing story, young George Purvis and his
here it could have stood upon. That girl were on the way back from a
means the infernal Thing is about dance at Horsham in his car. At a
seven feet high !” quiet spot on the road between
“Unless It was floating off the Pendleton Magna and Little Pendle­
ground!” suggested Death. ton they stopped for a few moments,
Doom flashed his torch on the as young people will, for a little
dalliance. Young Purvis was a care­ to have a storm, or something!”
ful driver, and with all the police “It certainly feels like that,”
there were about Little Pendleton George responded. “Queer, though,
just then it wasn’t safe to drive while because the sky’s quite clear—not a
he cuddled his Doris, anyway. cloud in it. But we’ll soon get some
So, for a few minutes, they air, if we open the windows and keep
cuddled and kissed. Then Doris drew going !”
away, and pushed the damp hair They lowered the windows, and he
back from her forehead : started up the car. But the air that
"George, how terribly hot it is!” blew in was hot, just like the blast
she exclaimed. "We must be going from a furnace !

The Thing was coining along the road in pursuit of

them al an incredible speed and in a series of leaps.
 Suddenly Doris gave a little cry : ward. As it did so there came a blast
"Look 1 What’s happening—there of air so hot that George felt it scorch
in front!” his face—smelled a strong odour of
George, peering ahead through singeing . . . !
the windscreen, saw a sort of glow Then the little car shot under and
behind the hedge at the top of the past the Thing, and went roaring
high embankment on the left of the along the road, rapidly accelerating
road. Then came a streak of flame, to the very top of its speed.
and suddenly the hedge itself was on And after that the young couple
fire ! might have been safe—but for one
"Now, what the devil caused thing. As has been said, George was
that ?” George asked, as he braked. a careful driver—and he was very
Then Doris gave another cry : proud of his car. Since, in the black­
“George! Look, what’s that—in out, the law would not allow him the
the fire . . . ? It—It’s alive ! George— powerful headlights he loved, he did
It’s coming out—O, God—look at his best by having a very bright rear­
it . . . !” light—and that, as the car rushed
George looked, and was for the along the road, glowed very bright
moment paralysed by what he saw. and very red. The Thing on top of
Emerging from the fire—making the embankment saw it, and leapt
movements as though It was bathing down into the roadway.
in the flames, was an enormous Doris, glancing back through the
Figure that could only be described rear window, screamed :
in a nightmare! It stood seven or “Oh, God—It’s coming after us I"
eight feet high, towering on top of the George snatched a hasty glance
embankment like a gigantic and gro­ over his shoulder, and saw that she
tesque figure in red-hot metal! was right. The Thing was coming
For a glow came from It that was along the road in pursuit of them at
just as though it were red hot, and incredible speed and in a series of
then, as It moved, small sparks flew leaps. As it came it glowed brightly,
from and played around It. George and a mass of sparks flew from it, so
got an impression of a huge, rather that it looked like a ball of living fire,
nebulous-looking body, with short, from the centre of which two yellow
twisted legs, and tremendously long, eyes seemed to glare and flash.
prehensile arms that hung almost to Young George muttered an oath
the ground. And on top a small, (he seldom forgot himself like that in
globular head, with little pointed the presence of ladies!) and trod on
ears, and eyes that were just slits of the gas for all he was worth. The
flaming yellow . . .! little car was going all-out now—
Then Doris screamed again, and must have been nearly seventy to the
clutched at his arm in her terror, and hour—but the ruddy glow that illum­
young George came back to life and inated its interior from through the
action. The Thing seemed to be back window increased, and the heat
staring at them—and crouching . . . grew more terrible with it. George
No room—or time-—to turn the car with the sweat pouring off him, felt
. . . Only one thing to do, then . . . ! that he was liable to faint at any
George trod with all his weight on moment. . . .
the accelerator, and the car shot for­ Then it seemed to him that the
whole car was enveloped in a mass of back, the sweat pouring down his
flame, and Doris started shrieking face.
as though she were mad. They were “They’re there, alright!” he whis­
in a long, straight stretch of road, pered to Doom. “Those foot-marks
now, and George, realising the hope­ —if that’s what they are. Burned
lessness of it, let his foot slip from right into the tar-mac—about fifteen
the accelerator, took his hands from to twenty yards apart!”
the wheel and caught Doris in his With something of a wrench,
arms, determined to protect her, as Doom pulled his gaze away from the
well as he could, to the last witli his interior of the car, and went back to
own body. Death. At the first of the footmarks
The Thing outside stretched out a he stopped, and bent over it. The im­
long terrible arm—and with a roar print was about eighteen inches long
the petrol-tank exploded and the little and resembled no sort of human foot.
car was wrapped in a huge sheet of It was like a round pad, with long
flame. Just for a second the voice of claws sticking out from it.
George joined that of Doris in a long “Interesting . . . !” Doom mut­
drawn-out shriek of agony—and then tered. Then, with an almost nervous
there was silence, except for the roar glance round, he warned: “Don’t
of the flames, in and out of which the flash that torch too much, Stanley—
unnameable Thing danced as though we might bring the accursed Thing
in triumph . . . ! down on us, if you do!”
“Hell!” gasped Death, and hastily
Death pointed to the twisted, glow­ switched off the torch. Then he said,
ing remains of the little car, and with a note of strain in his voice :
whispered : “What the devil is it, Despard? I’ve
"You see, it never hit anything ! got to know, or I’ll go crackers, I
It’s right on the crown of the road, think I”
with the front wheels dead straight! “I’ll explain presently !•" Doom
It just went up . . .!” answered. “Here comes the fire-
Doom nodded. He was staring, brigade !”
with a world of horror and sadness They walked back as the brigade
in his eyes, at the two charred things came dashing up. The engine was a
that had, so short a time ago, been small one, but modern, and the half­
living, breathing, happy people I dozen firemen wore shrapnel-helmets.
Now they were crouched inside the More of them followed in a car.
front of the car, just clear of the As they alighted and commenced
steering wheel, charred out of all to get the hoses out, one of the fire­
recognition, but still clasped in each men caught his breath and then ran
other’s arms. round the back of the car to peer at
“We can’t get ’em out vet!” the number on it. Then he gasped :
breathed one of the constables, in a “Oh, Christ! It’s young George
choked voice. “Too hot!” — and Doris . . . !”
“That’s right!” said the other, Doom, who heard him, asked
tonelessly. gently :
Death, torch in hand, went run­ “Did you know him ?”
ning along the road, his eyes on the The man stared at him, dully :■
ground. In a minute or two he came “He’s—he was—mv son ! And the
other was his girl—Doris Fenton. A accursed Thing, Despard ! Is it a
pretty kid, too I Oh, God ! How’m I man, a beast, or a spook, or what the
going to tell their mothers?” hell . . . ?”
‘‘Hard luck!” murmured Doom, “Actually, it’s none of them!”
his voice soft with sympathy. Doom sat on the edge of the bed and
He was just turning away, when lit a cigar. “It’s an Elemental—if
the fellow stopped him. you know what that is ?”
“You—you anything to do with “I—I thought it was a sort of spook
this business, Sir?” —if there is such a thing !”
Doom gave him a sharp look : “Seems to me you’re getting pretty
“Yes—I’m here to do what I can good proof that there is !” said Doom
about it. Why?” grimly. “Well, to explain it as briefly
“Then I got something I reckon I as possible, an Elemental is a sort of
oughter tell you, Sir. I ain’t said natural—or supernatural — paradox.
nothing about it afore, ’cos I reck­ It is nether animal, nor vegetable,
oned I might get laughed at. But if nor mineral, yet it has life—of a sort!
it’s going to help ’venge my poor Perhaps the best way I can describe
boy, I reckon I don’t care who to you just what it is, is to say that
laughs! It was like this, Sir . . . ! an Elemental is an active force that
And he went on to tell of the night lie behind the element—earth, air,
of the Manor fire, and what he had water—or fire ! And this Thing we
seen—“ . . . the only thing I could are dealing with is a Fire-Elemental.
liken it to at all was a great, red-hot I have said it has life, but it is the
monkey, Sir . . .!” lowest of all living organisms—
“Thanks” said Doom. “That’s very lower even than the jelly-fish. It is
useful information—you did right to without intelligence, but has a sort of
tell me. I wouldn’t mention it to any­ crude instinct. It’s life-force is pre­
one else, though—no need to scare carious, and it has an instinct to
people more than necessary, you preserve that life—that is about all.
know !” I do not think—nay, I am sure—that
“I get you, Sir !” Purvis agreed, it is not intentionally malignant or
dully. dangerous, but that doesn’t make it
They played the hoses on the wreck any the less so, when in pursuit of the
of the car, which hissed and splut­ satisfaction of it’s one instinct—do
tered for a few seconds, then stopped. continue to live and to grow !”
Then they commenced to get the Doorn paused for a moment, and
bodies—or what was left of them— the other asked, quickly:
out. . . . “How do you mean, Despard?”
“Well, as the human or animal
Doom and the detective got a creature lives by gaining sustenance
couple of rooms at the local inn, from food, so these things must have
where they found everyone up and sustenance from the element they
about, for the whole village had been represent. Thus a Water-Elemental
roused by the fire-bell. In Doom’s must have water, and a Fire-Elemen­
room the Yard man, white-faced and tal fire. And, unfortunately, they
nervous as a cat, demanded once possess the power to create the very
more : element that will sustain them. This
"What in hell’s name is this Thing must have fire—and so we have
the various unfortunate events that no real conception of, tried a material­
have happened here in Little Pendle­ isation seance—and they had a fire in
ton during the last few weeks! For the room 1 If they had had a bowl of
example hungry for sustenance—that water, they might have conjured up
is, fire—this creature saw—or sensed a water-elemental; As it is—well,
—the brightness of Farmer Brank- you see for yourself what has hap­
some’s lantern, and came to it, with pened 1”
the awful results we know of! Simi­ Death was thoughtful—and start­
larly, it saw the glow from the open led. Used to such very concrete and
window of that cottage—and in the human things as swindles, robberies
case of the car I suppose it saw the and murders, this kind of thing made
lights, and followed them!” him feel very much at sea—and most
"Cripes:” breathed the detective. unpleasantly helpless! At last he
"But how did the accursed Thing asked :
come here at all, anyway ?” “Why doesn’t the Thing do it’s
“Usually,” Doom explained, “Ele- stuff in daylight—and why only
mentals are deliberately called into when there’s a moon ?”
being by magicians who need to use Doom shook his head :
their terrific powers for their own "As to the first—I don’t know.
ends. How terrific such powers can Possibly for the same reason that
be, when directed by a superior in­ humans don’t do very much at night­
telligence, you can possibly imagine ! time, as a rule. Perhaps it’s senses
Occasionally, however, they have are more acute at night. As to the
been called into being by the ignorant second—well, you know the effect the
fools . . .” here his voice grew harsh moon has on all sorts of natural func­
and bitter “. . . who call themselves tions, such as the weather, the tides,
‘spiritualists’, and, after the manner and so on. If it has an effect on the
of fools, rush in where angels fear to elements—as it undoubtedly does—
tread. Given the right conditions, it then it is likely to have a similar
is possible for such people, at a effect on the active forces behind
seance, to materialise an elemental— those elements, which we call Ele-
and that, I have no doubt, is what has mentals !”
happened in this case. I£ has hap­ Death nodded, gloomily :
pened before—always with disastrous "I see—or don’t I ? Hell, Despard,
results. I may add that, at the present you’ve about got me guessing, this
time, conditions are particularly time !”
favourable to such a materialisation. Death rose, threw away the stub of
There is, to start with, the queer at­ his cigar, and yawned :
mosphere of nervous tension into “Well, go along to bed and try to
which these wretched wars have sleep it off. We must get some sleep
plunged the whole of Europe. Then, —I forsee a busy day to-morrow 1”
again, freshly spilled blood is al­
ways attractive to these creatures— The following morning—or, rather
and there is plenty of it being spilled later on the same one—Doom started
at the moment! I have no doubt— by quietly taking command, and issu­
and I shall confirm it to-morrow— ing his orders to the Scotland Yard
that this Miss Slane and her cretinous man which the latter, used to obey as
friends, dabbling in forces they have well as to command, and fully recog­
nising that only Doom could handle and with constant glances over their
such a matter as this, took like a shoulders. Fear—nameless fear of an
lamb. unknown Thing—held the pretty
“Get your fellows busy to-day. Go little hamlet in thrall ! And that fear
round and warn everyone in the was not lessened by the phenomenal
village that the blackout regulations heat that brooded, like some evil
are going to be inforced very strictly emanation, over the place all day.
for the next few days. Not a light to Stanley Death spent a busy day
be shown in any window, and no carrying out Doom’s instructions, re­
torches to be used outside except in porting to headquarters (that was a
an emergency. Warn all those with tough job, too, in the circumstances
cars not to travel in them after dark. —Stanley did not fancy talking to his
And warn them that it will be better superiors about “spooks” and “Ele-
for everyone to keep indoors after mentals” 1) and drafting in some
ten o-clock, and that, no matter how more police, also getting them armed.
hot it gets, no windows are to be He and Doom did not meet until
opened ! I should also advise every­ they had dinner together at the inn at
one to sleep on the ground floor, in about seven o’clock.
case of lire ! Now, somewhere in this “Well ?” was the detective’s first
district there must be a rocky place, question. “Any progress?”
where there is practically no vegeta­ Doom nodded, but with no great
tion. I want you to find out where satisfaction :
there is any such place or places, and “Quite a lot! I’ve verified my
to warn everyone not to go near them theory—and it’s right! I went to see
for the present. It is in some such young Slane, the reporter, in hos­
place that this Thing will have It’s pital at Horsham. I had a chat with
lair. Might be a good idea to picket the house-surgeon, as one medico to
it—during daylight, but not at night. another, and got permission to see
That would be too dangerous for and question him. He told me about
your fellows. And try to arrange for the seance, and the Thing that came
whoever’s in charge of the fire- out of the fire. He said it was like a
brigade to have a crew on duty all tiny dwarf, or a little monkey. Purvis
night—from ten o’clock till daylight. of the firebrigade, saw it when he was
I think that’s all, for now !” putting out the fire—he described it
“Okay, Chief!” Death responded, as ‘a great monkey’ ! The height of
with a grim smile. that kitchen window at the cottage,
There had been tension in the and the length of It’s jumps, register
village of Little Pendleton for the it as about seven or eight feet high !
past month, but that day it reached Now, what do you gather from that ?”
its climax. Already a number of those Stanley thought hard, but only
who could do so had gone away, and managed to look puzzled. At last he
that day still more went. Many of the shook his head :
men who were more or less forced to “Not a darn thing !" he admitted,
remain there on account of their work at last. “So what . . . ?”
sent their families away. So that the “As I suspected,” Doom answered
place was more than half-deserted, very gravely, “this infernal Thing is
and the few inhabitants who remained gaining in size and power with every
walked about with white, scared faces fire ! It started as a tiny thing, like a
dwarf, or small monkey. After the "My God—do you realise what
first fire—in a few minutes, almost— you’d do then ? You’ve given yourself
it had grown to the size of a big the clue when you say ‘blow it to
monkey. Now it is a giant! If it is f ragments’ 1 I have told you it is the
allowed to go on like this it will be­ lowest possible living organism—
come bigger and bigger—and pres­ well, an earthworm is a low organism.
ently it will go further afield I It will What happens when you cut an
burn up the whole county, piecemeal, earthworm in half ? It becomes two
and in time it will go further than separate earthworms. Here you have
that 1 Now perhaps you can see that one big Elemental—you blow it to
the danger is no less than national, fragments, and instead of the one big
Stanley !” one you get numberless tiny ones.
"Cripes, yes ! And so what—what And each of them starts little fires,
do we do about it . . . ?” and gradually grows bigger and
"That is the great problem ! But bigger . . .I”
there is one comfort—a thing that has "My God !” gasped Death. "We’d
life—everything that has life—can, get a regiment of ’em ... 1”
by some means or other, be deprived “Exactly!” Doom agreed. "No,
of that life ! We’ve got to destroy this that’s not the way, Stanley. But
thing somehow—but the question is there must be a way, and that’s what
how . ..?” I’ve got to think out! But, for the
After a moment’s consideration, moment, we must deal with the
Stanley exclaimed: present and immediate danger. This
"Hell, that ought to be easy—well, moon has another three days to go—
not easy, perhaps, but possible ! If it rises at one o’clock to-morrow
we got a regiment of soldiers and morning; so I calculate that, in three
surrounded it, with rifles and machine days time, the danger will be over
guns and what not . . . ?” until the moon reaches it’s first
But Doom shook his head, wth a quarter again-—practically a month.
rather mirthless smile : That should give us time. But in the
"You can’t do it that way—that meanwhile, we’ve got to stop this
kind of thing is only effective with Thing doing more damage! Now,
something that’s got blood to run, have you located any rocky places?”
and a heart to stop ! This Thing has “Just one—that’s all there is. An
neither—nor any bones to break 1 All old, disused chalk-pit, about a couple
the bullets in the world will not des­ of miles to the left of the Manor !”
troy it. But it would soon burn up "Then that will be where the Thing
your regiment of soldiers—explode has it’s lair, for a certainty. And,
their ammunition — destroy them somehow or other, we’ve got to stop
utterly !” it from leaving that spot for the next
"Hell 1 I hadn’t thought of it that three nights. After that we ought to
way ! Alright, then, I tell you what get a rest until the moon comes again
—bomb it, from the air, if necessary. —which should give us some chance
Or put a mine under it, and blow it to think out a plan to destroy it!”
to fragments ! How’s that . . . ?” Death stared at him :
Doom looked at him, with wide, “But, hell, if the darned Thing’s
luminous eyes that had horror behind as dangerous as you say it is, how the
them : blazes are we going to do that?”
 “I’m not sure we can—but I’ve got and looked over. It was some hun­
an idea. Meanwhile, the first thing to dred feet deep, with the sides ab­
do is to get a notion of the lay of the solutely sheer all round, except for a
land—and we’ve just about got time steep path just where they were stand­
to do that while the daylight still ing, at a gap in the wooden railings
holds. But we must be quick—so which otherwise encircled the place.
come on 1” • The sides were a mixture of chalk
The car, with Lin Loo sitting by and plain rock, and streaks of chalk
the wheel, like a yellow idol disguised could be seen on the rocky floor
as a chauffeur, was standing outside, below, the chalk supply having
and as he got in Stanley noted that petered out when the place had been
the carrier and the interior of the car excavated to that extent. Here and
were loaded up with all sorts of pack­ there, around the lower part of the
ages. sides, holes could be seen like good
"Where the devil did you get all sized caves—evidently test-workings
this?” he asked. dug to see if any more chalk could be
"Oh, I’ve not been idle !” Doom found. Doom indicated these with a
answered. “I took the opportunity of sweep of his arm :
running up to Town and making a "Somewhere down there, he said,
few purchases—more munitions of gravely, “this Horror of ours has it’s
war 1” hide-out. You can see plenty of traces
With Stanley directing Lin Foo, of it, if you look.” And he indicated
they arrived at their destination in where patches of moss and small
less than a quarter of an hour, and bushes wer charred and burned, here
while the daylight was still full. They and there. There were also marks on
approached it by means of a narrow, the path that led up to where they
rutty lane, which finally opened out stood, which looked as though fires
and ended on a bare and obsolete had been lit.
stretch of heath, with a track across Doom examined the rocky walls
it which led to a huge cavity in the carefully with the naked eye. Then he
centre. fetched a pair of binoculars from the
At this point the car was peremp­ car and examined them again through
torily halted by a uniformed con­ these. Finally he drew a big sigh, and
stable with a motor-cycle—who salu­ announced, gravely :
ted as Death stuck his head out of "By the grace of God, there’s only
the window and asked : one way the Thing can get out of this
“Anything to report, Jones?” pit, and that’s by this path !”
“Nothing at all, Sir!” was the “It can’t climb, then?” Stanley
reply. And then they drove on to the asked, interestedly.
edge of the chalk-pit. "It could climb anything that’s
“Notice anything peculiar?” Doom climable, no doubt. But these sides
asked, as they alighted. aren’t—except to a fly ! They’re sheer
"Only that if seems hotter than and smooth—not even a monkey
ever 1” could gel up them ! So all we shall
"Just so!” said Doom, dryly. have to do will be to stop it getting
"We’re closer to the—source of the up this path !”
heat!” “That all ?” There was a trace of
He stepped to the edge of the pit, sarcasm in Death’s tone. “And how
d’you figure we shall do that?” does he know what he’s up against?”
Doom regarded him steadily : Doom smiled in the darkness:
“I’ve got an idea about that, and "Roughly, yes ! But I may tell you
I’m going to try the experiment to­ Lin Foo fears neither God, man nor
night. But it wil be a very dangerous Devil, so you needn’t worry about
experiment, Stanley, so if you’d him !”
rather leave it to me . . . ?” In the light of the cars headlamps,
“Can it!” growled the detective. Doom made the others don complete
“I’ve told you I’m with you in this— overalls and gloves made of fire­
and I didn’t mean perhaps, either!" proof and heat-resisting material,
“Alright!” smiled Doom. "Keep whch he had procured in London on
your shirt on, Stanley !” his visit there. Over their faces they
"Well, what do we do now ?” wore mica masks, with dark eye­
“Nothing—except get a little rest. glasses beneath to guard against
Now, the moon rises at 3.5 to-morrow glare. And each was armed with one
morning. That’s the danger period, of those peculiar liquid-discharging
and we shall have to be back here by pistols, something like a sub-machine
2.45, to get ready. Meanwhile we’d gun in shape, which Doom had pro­
better get some sleep—and a drink or duced the previous day. They looked
two. I fancy we shall need ’em !” a weird, ghoulish trio as they made
"Right!” agreed Stanley, always their way, by a faint glimmer of
the man of action. "Then come on 1" moonlight already showing, and the
light of a single torch, to the edge of
At about twenty minutes to three the chalk-pit.
the following morning the car, with Doom’s directions were terse and
Lin Foo driving and Doom and the to the point.
detective inside, bumped along the "Now, you know what we’ve got
lane and halted on the edge of the to do—keep the Thing from leaving
strip of heath. this pit! I’m counting on you two as
"We’ll leave the car here !” Doom reserves—at the start you will leave
announced. " It’ll be dangerous to me to deal with it alone ! Luckily, as
have it closer, because of the petrol­ the moon is waning the Thing losses
tank—it might explode !” some of it’s strength, but even so the
"But suppose we want it for a great danger is that it will leap right
quick getaway ?” Stanley asked—he over my head. In that case you will
was feeling as nervous as a kitten (as have to tackle it. So I want you,
he would have described it) but was Stanley, to take your position about
trying hard to show no signs. fifteen yards to my rear, and Lin Foo
“We shan’t!" Doom answered. another twenty yards behind you. In
"If that Thing gets us on the run the that way, between us, we ought to
car won’t be any more use to us than effectively stop it—it won’t be able
our legs ! It can move at almost light­ to face these pistols for long. Aim for
ning speed—remember that pctor the centre of its body, and keep your
devil last night! He couldn’t get finger on the trigger all the time. Do
away from it!” you understand ?”
"Pah!” muttered Stanley, and Stanley said : "Okey, Chief!” in a
bravely repressed a shudder. Then voice that he tried to make light and
he said : "What about the Chink— careless. Lin Foo, who was not
loquacious, merely bowed. he became conscious of some sort of
“But look here, Despard,” Death movement in the darkness of the pit
objected. "I want to have a look-see I below. Peering, he saw that a faint
Hell, I may never have a chance to glow of light was emanating from
see another Elemental!" one of those cave-like holes. It in­
"You may never have a chance to creased—and then he caught his
see anything else again—if we’re not breath sharply as a huge, nebulous,
lucky!” retorted Doom, grimly. glowing Thing came crawling into
"Alright, you can stand here by me view.
for the time being. But mark your As It got clear of the hole, It
place, and run back to it as soon as I erected Itself, and then Stanley got
tell you. See?” his first glimpse of the Flaming
“I get you !” was the curt reply. horror—a huge figure, grotesquely
Then Stanley marked his station with shapeless, that must have stood at
a large lump of chalk, and took his least eight feet in height, according
stand by Doom right on the edge of to his estimate. The glow that came
the pit. Lin Foo stood some thirty- from it was dull and ruddy, but he
five yards in the rear, like a carved could see the shapeless, enormous
image. He did not seem to have any body, the squat, mis-shapen legs,
curiosity ! and the tremendously long, prehen­
So, for a while, they waited. Then sile arms. He could distinguish, too,
Doom drew his breath with a sharp the comparatively small, globular
hiss, and indicated by a gesture head with the little pointed ears( (like
the less-than-a-quarter moon, as it those of a huge cat—and then, as it
showed up above a line of distant pine turned, he was able to see quite
trees. There was no wind, and the clearly those yellow, sightless-look­
whole world seemed to be wrapped ing eyes, so incredibly malignant and
in a grim and sinister silence. Not a sinister in their blind glaring.
sound of any sort, could be heard— "Christ . . .1” he muttered, to him­
not even the distant barking of a self, and had to use all his resolution
dog, or the lowing of cattle. The pale to crush a desire to turn and run for
light of the dying moon threw things his life. The Thing down there
into weird relief, and, in spite of him­ seemed to him to be the very incarna­
self, Stanley Death felt little shudders tion of malignant evil itself . . . .'
passing down his spine, and realised, Then It commenced to move, in a
angrily, that his knees were none to sort of crawl on It’s stunted legs,
steadv in their support of him. which was yet amazingly rapid. And
“Hell !” he whispered. “This it was with added horror that Death
silence is getting on my nerves ! Why noted how it did not walk straight
the hell doesn’t something happen !” forward, like a human-being or a
Doom was silent for a moment, monkey, but moved with a horrible
then he said : sideways motion, like that of a great
“It will, in a moment, I think! crab.
Stand by ... I” he added, sharply. "It’s coming . . . !” Death man­
Suddenly it seemed to Stanley that aged to gasp, between his clenched
the heat grew greater, and the sweat teeth. The remark was unnecessary,
commenced to run down his face in­ but it was a relief to say something.
side his mask. At the same moment The Thing reached the bottom of
the path, and the heat came up at out, Stanley—Lin Foo . . . !” and
them in a terrific wave, like the blast fell back a few paces. It seemed to
from some great furnace. Then, with Stanley that he staggered, and the
incredible rapidity, the Thing com­ detective braced himself and held his
menced to ascend the path, and pistol ready.
Doom ordered, sharply : Then, above the edge of the pit,
“Back to your post—quickly I” that awful head and face came into
Stanley ran back to the place he sight. Surrounded by a dense cloud
had marked, and crouched there, of steam, it was yet vaguely visible,
gripping his pistol at the ready, and and the detective could see the small
striving to control his trembling. ears moving spasmodically, while the
He saw Doom stretch himself at yellow, sightless, slit eyes seemed to
full length on the ground, his head be flickering like lights in a draught.
projecting over the edge of the path Then he saw Doom shift the stream
where it sloped sharply—almost per­ of liquid full onto the centre of that
pendicularly—downward. He could face, and the face seemed to blur and
be quite plainly seen, silhouetted grow shapeless. The hissing rose to
against the glow that was coming up a sound almost like a scream—then
from the pit. And now the glow was the Thing vanished again, and
increasing in intensity, and the heat Doom, with a faint cry of: "See to
increasing with it, until Stanley felt it, Stanley !” suddenly collapsed, and
his senses reeling: "God!” he fell on his face.
thought. “I mustn’t faint, whatever Death ran to the edge of the crater
happensI” and peered cautiously over. The
He became conscous of a low, Thing had reached the bottom of the
crackling sound—like the crackling path, and seemed to be hesitating.
of flames. Around the path, at the The detective guessed that the pistol
edge of the pit, the glow increased to would not carry that far direct, but
a glare, and then he saw the dark a drop-shot . . . though a hundred
figure, silhouetted against it, that feet or so below him the Elemental
was Doom, raise the queer looking was not more than three yards away
pistol, and take aim. on a straight line. . . .
Stanley held his breath—what He pressed the trigger, and in a
would happen now , . . ? moment got the range. As the liquid
There came a sudden terrific hiss­ sprayed over the red-hot Thing
ing, as though an enormous piece of below the steam rose in clouds, and
red-hot metal had been plunged into the hissing was like that of a thou­
water. Against the glow a cloud of sand snakes. . . . Then, finding itself
steam rose. Then the glow itself grew still pursued by this unknown, un­
a trifle dimmer. Then Doom spring seen enemy, the Thing made a bef
agilely to his feet, and against the line for shelter in it’s own cave. It
glow Stanley could see that he was still moved sideways, like a crab, but
Still keeping a steady stream from his it seemed to Death that it moved more
pistol directed at the still invisible slowly. It struck him, also, that it
Elemental. More steam, which seem­ had lost some of it’s stature—grown
ed to have an angry, flickering light smaller. . . . Then it reached the
behind it. mouth of the cave, and was gone.
Suddenly Doom shouted : “Look Only a cloud of steam and a decreas­
ing glow were left, and in a moment the contact. Doom seemed to be im­
or so those also had vanished—that pressed.
deadly quiet brooded over the chalk­ “Lin Foo," he said to Stanley, "is
pit once more. what you might call an adept in
As Stanley, suddenly remember­ matters psychic. At the moment his
ing Doom, turned away, he saw that ego—soul, if you like—has gone on a
Lin Foo was also standing on the journey elsewhere!”
edge of the crater, a few yards away. "The devil it has!” was the Yard
He stood very erect, only his head man’s comment. "And now—what?" .
bent as he peered down into the Doom glanced down into the dark­
depths, and it occurred to the detec­ ness of the pit with anxious eyes :
tive that he did not look a bit like a “I donT imagine our friend down
chaffeur standing there. There was there will venture out again to-night,
something big—a strange, almost and the moon will be gone shortly.
godlike dignity about him. . . . But we’d better wait till it goes, in
"Hell,” he thought, "this darn Ele­ case . . . !”
mental’s giving me the jitters—I’m So they sat down on a convenient
seeing things . . .1” boulder, and waited. Lin Foo contin­
Doom had turned, and was half ued to stand, rigid and immovable,
sitting-up, propped on one elbow. on the edge of the crater. But just as
“It’s alright!” he said, a little the moon sank below the horizon a
faintly, as Stanley ran to his side. sort of tremor shook his body, and
"It was only the heat—my God, I’m he took a couple of deep breaths. He
nearly cooked !” seemed to awake from a sleep—or
The front of his grey fire-proof trance—and gave his body a little
overall was scorched and blackened shake as he turned away from the
as though he had been in the heart edge. Behind the mica mask his
of a fire, and his face behind the mica yellow face was as impassive as ever.
mask was so red that it almost scared Then he turned to Doom, and, for
the detective, who removed the mask, once, spoke:
and then fanned him with it. The heat "The danger is over for to-night,
was still terrible, the air close and Master !” he said, in perfect English.
overpowering. "Shall we go ?”
But Doom soon recovered, and got Doom gave him a curious glance,
onto his feet. It was then that the and responded, quietly :
Detective said, pointing : "If you say so, Lin Foo !”
"Look at that darned Celestial of They took off their overalls, and
yours—what’s he up to?” silently got back into the car. Doom
Lin Foo was still standing on the only spoke once on the way back,
edge of the crater, staring down. He then he said :
was rigid, and again it struck Death “I am not anxious to repeat to- •
that he looked altogether bigger and night’s little experience, Stanley. So
taller than normally. let us pray for rain for the next two
Doom walked across to him, and nights !”
lightly touched his arm. It—and his If they did that their prayer was
whole body—was as rigid as though answered, for the following day it
he had been just a figure carved from commenced to rain, and never stop­
stone, nor did he take any notice of ped for the next 72 hours. The moon
—what was left of it—was completely of War news, excited no newspaper
hidden behind heavy clouds, and the comment, which would probably have
Flaming Thing remained, quiescent, resulted in a publicity that would
in it’s underground lair. have been bound to hinder his efforts.
But for all that his efforts, becom­
The days and the weeks passed, and ing more frantic as the days passed
once more the time of the new moon and the new moon grew nearer, were
approached. And the nearer it came singularly fruitless. Somehow, if
the more worried and harassed was tremendous loss of life and great
Despard Doom. He spent a lot of damage to property was to be
time ranging the country, as though avoided, this infernal Thing that had
he was seeking something, and paid been conjured into being by the
particular attention to rivers, streams, ignorant dabbling of Mrs. Slane and
lakes, ponds, and wells—anywhere her little circle must be destroyed 1
where there was water. He went up to But just how to destroy it seemed a
town continuously—spent hours dig­ problem that even the capable brain
ging into old tomes *in the British of the greatest physic investigator of
Museum, and borrowed rare books in the day could not successfully deal
various languages from scientific with !
friends—to none of whom would he And then, just when the sense of
give any hint as to what it was he was his failure was bringing to his heart
seeking. the icy clutch of despair, he received a
He worked alone. Stanley Death telegram which, somehow, revived
had, for the time being, gone back to his hope, enigmatic though it was. It
attend to other matters at the Yard, read :
assured by Doom that there would be "DOCTOR DOOM PLOUGH
no further trouble until the coming of INN LITTLE PENDLETON.
the new moon, while Lin Foo had DAM RIVER NORTH OF
humbly craved the privilege of three CHALK PIT HAVE READY
weeks leave, saying, when he asked TWO DAYS BEFORE FIRST
for it: QUARTER MOON.—L.F.”
"But I will most certainly be back In the first place this gave Doom a
before the time of the new moon, comforting sense that someone else
Master. And then it may be that I —Lin Foo to wit—was working on
can help, for have you not a fable in the problem besides himself. In the
which the mouse helped the lion?” second it gave him something definite
"If you can, Lin Foo,” Doom had to do just at the moment when he felt
answered, "you will earn great grati­ there was nothing left but to wait for
tude from me, for assuredly I shall the worst-—a condition of mind, it
need all the help I can get!” may be mentioned, that seldom over­
So he worked alone, still using the took Doctor Despard Doom.
police-car, but with an official driver He went straight out to look at the
taking the place of the absent Lin river. Just beyond the chalk-pit, as
Foo. One consolation he found in the one approached it by the only path,
fact that the phenomenal weather the ground took a sudden steep slope,
that was so affecting Little Pendleton which ended in quite a pleasant "ittle
ind, to a lesser degree, the other two valley—a bowl shaped depression, of
•’endletons as well, had, in the press considerable extent, covered with
lush grass and split in the centre by a Chink chauffeur’s got behind his slit
small river—little more than a good- eyes ?”
sized stream, actually—which ran Doom frowned faintly with annoy­
between steep, rocky banks. ance, but replied in his usual even
In the summer, Doom decided, as tones :
he examined it with careful interest, “In your profession, my dear Stan­
it would probably be a clear, linking, ley, you should have learned not to
gentle flow of water, and no doubt judge things quite so much on their
quite shallow. But at the moment it face-value ! It is true that you have
was running rapidly, and the water seen Lin Foo only as a servant—a
was thick .and muddy, so that the chauffeur, in fact. But let me tell you
depth could not be estimated by the that actually he is a great deal more
eye. than this—he is in his own country a
Doom saw at once that to dam the scientist of considerable repute, an
stream wotdd mean flooding the adept, and a magician of considerable
valley, so, he decided, it would have power!”
to be a dam that had a sluice in it, "Sez you ? Well, I guess that don’t
which could be closed at will when mean a lot in my young life 1 A great
necessary. Already he had a faint scientist in China may be just a bum
sort of glimmering as to what Lin in Europe—and as for the rest of it—
Foo was getting at, and he lost no magicians and all that—I guess that’s
time in putting the plan into execu­ just fairy-tale stuff, anyway !”
tion. Luckily he had command of “Very well ! But it’s a fairy-tale,
plenty of money, and was quite pre­ Of sorts—and there are unpleasant!
pared to spend L in a cause of this ones as well as pretty ones, as you’d
sort, taking his chance as to getting know if you’d ever read the Brothers
it back again. Grimm—that we’re up against and so
He was not prepared to trust local perhaps fairy-tale methods are all we
men. He got a contractor from can use against it. In any case, LTn
Brighton, told him exactly what he Foo is our last hope, so we’d better
wanted and when the work was to be make the best of it 1”
completed, and told him that expense And after that there was nothing
was no object. Then he telephoned more to be said ! ।
Death at the Yard and told him to So Stanley Death sulked, and felt
make sure that no local individual or decidedly uncomfortable in his mind
body could interfere with the job. about things—a condition that wa!
After that there was nothing to do not decreased when he noted how
but wait—his only hope now being in worn and anxious his friend looked,
whatever plan it was Lin Foo had in despite his apparent faith in the
his mind. Chinaman.
Two days before the new moon was And then, on the day of the nei
due Stanley Death arrived on the moon, Lin Foo arrived. His rnethd
scene once more, and was aghast of arrival rather startled Stanley, too
when he heard what Doom had to tell For they had just finished dinno
him : when, suddenly, Lin Foo was there­
“But hell, man !” he exclaimed, in the room with them ! It was rathe
disgustedly. “Say, have we gotta as though he had suddenly material,
just depend on what a blooming ised from thin air, for Death, who’/
 senses were always alert had heard no whoever they may happen to be. And
sound of a car, and the nearest station this guard must be set at least a hun­
was three miles away, while Lin Foo dred yards from the pit, and the men
certainly did not look as though he forming it must be instructed not on
had walked, apart from the fact that any account to approach closer than
he was carrying a couple of heavy that to it, on pain of death. Do you
packages It was noticeable, also, that understand ?”
his manner and bearing were hard'y Death would much have liked to
those of a servant, although he still ask this Chink who the hell he
“addressed Doom with great respect. thought lie was giving orders to 1 But
"It is settled, Master!” was his somehow, there was that about the
greeting. “And I think that after a fellow which stopped him from so
few days you need have no more doing. He contented himself with
anxiety. But if we are to be success­ answering, with a slight smile :
ful in the destruction of this Demon, “Yes, 1 understand, and I will see
brought into power by ignorant fools, to it. But you must understand that
there are certain things which must in this country we do not punish such
be carefully carried out. Of these I trivial offences with death !”
will tell you.” Lin Foo gave him a look from his
slit eyes which, somehow, made the
detective feel incredibly small. Then
he answered, contemptuously :
“The offence would not be trivial—•
and the death wotdd not come from
you. But see to it, as I have said :
Then he turned back to Doom :
“Until the moon has reached it’s
first quarter, there is nothing you can
do. But on that night, before the
rising of the moon, you and this man
here had better be on the edge of the
pit, ready. Wear your fire-proof
clothing, and take with you those
weapons you used the last time.
Your business will be to guard the
path, and to see that the Demon does
not mount it and escape from the pit,
though I do not think he will be able
Lin Foo gave him a look which to do so. But there is just a chance,
somehow made him feel incredibly and it must be guarded against.
small. Now, Master, while you are there you
He turned to Death, and spoke will see strange things, it may be—
with an air of commmand : but no matter what you see happen­
"You will see to it that, from to­ ing, on no account must you inter­
morrow morning on, a guard of your fere ! If you do, your lives will be
men is kept all round the chalk-pit, forfeit, and all that I have accomp­
and that no one is allowed to ap­ lished and hope to accomplish will be
proach it, on any pretext whatever, ruined ! And the Demon will stalk
 abroad once more, to the destruction “There are some secrets which can­
of your people and your land ! Is that not be revealed even to you O Master,
clearly understood, Master?” and this is all I can tell you. This
Doom bowed hs head : Demon that has been so thoughtlessly
"I understand, Lin Foo, and all created can only be destroyed by
that you have commanded shall be those other Demons who are his
done, even as you have said ! But in natural enemies. He is the Demon of
the meantime . . . ?” Fire, and his ally is the Demon of
“In the meantime you can only air, who can help him in his work.
wait! For me, I must fast, contem­ But the Demon of Water and the
plate, and make my final prepara­ Demon of Earth—they can drown or
tions. And for that I shall go to the stifle him ! So it is their aid I shall
pit itself 1” invoke ! Farewell, Master—and re­
Here Death broke in : member all I have said !”
“But hell’s bells, man—you can’t And, with that, the Chinaman
go down there ! It—it isn’t safe . . . 1” went as he had come—so swiftly and
Lin Foo answered, with an inscru­ silently that even the quick eyes of
table smile : Stanley Death could not be certain
“It is safe enough—for me ! There whether he had walked through the
are other caves, besides the one that door in the ordinary way, floated up
the Demon occupies. In any case, it through the ceiling, or just dis­
is the only place for my purpose ! appeared into thin air!
Just see that your men do their part, "Well, I’ll be eternally damned!”
and all will be well !” was the detective’s comment, when
Once more he turned and addressed he had gone.
Doom : “Yes,” agreed Doom, quietly.
"It may be, Master, that after this “You probably will be, if you don’t
we shall not speak again together. cultivate a more reverent mind, my
But there is one thing I would that friend I”
you do. If I do not come back from
the pit in my own person, there is a The days that lapsed before the
certain place you have where those coming of the moon’s first quarter
afflicted in the head are cared for. It were, for Death, the most nerve-
is called Bethlehem Hospital. There racking he had yet had to face. Des­
you will find a young Chinaman who pard Doom, too, was restless and
up till now, has had no wits. But inclined to be irritable, although he
when you go you will find him better, differed from Stanley in that he
and you will be able to secure his seemed to have no doubt about the
release. Do this, and he will serve result. He annoyed Stanley, too, by
you as faithfully as I have served resolutely refusing to discuss the
you.” matter. Work on the dam was com-
“That shall be done, Lin Foo!” pleted, and there was nothing what­
Doom answered. “But cannot you ever to do—so Doom played chess
tell me something of what you intend with Stanley, when the latter would
to do—to the advantage possibly of agree, and darts with the yokels in ,
the Great Art we both practice?” On the morning of the .appointed
Lin Foo bowed his head for a day a note lay on the breakfast table .
moment and was silent. Then he said addressed to Doom. When he opened ।
it he found that it had neither address inated by the silver, eerie radiance'.
date nor signature, and read, simply : Then they were able to make out
"At mid-day to-day close the that certain things had happened
sluices of the dam. At n o’clock down there. A few yards from the
to-night take up your positions as bottom of the path a large circle had
directed, and dismiss the guard. been marked out, in boldly painted
Carry out my other instructions to pentagons, triangles, and other cabal­
the letter.” istic symbols. In the centre of the
That was all, but there was, of circle, a few feet apart, were two ob­
course, no doubt as to who it was jects that were difficult to make out
from. in the uncertain light.
At mid-day Doom and the detective Doom trained a pair of night-
went down to the newly constructed glasses on them, and then whispered
dam and Doom closed the sluice with “A heap of earth, and a bowl of
his own hand. Immediately the water ! It looks as though Lin Foo
muddy, turgid water commenced to were going to try a little materialisa­
pile against the dam and to rise tion on his own—as I half expected.”
rapidly. Death stared at it anxiously. There came a movement from be­
"Hell!” he exclaimed. “It’ll flood low, and then into the light there
the whole valley at this rate 1” stalked a figure that Death would
"That is probably what Lin Foo never have suspected to be that of Lin
wants! Doom answered. Foo, had he not known. The China­
A little before eleven the two man was dressed in gorgeous robes of
friends were driven to the chalk pit black silk or satin, with dragons,
by their police-driver, where Stanley snakes, pentagons and all sorts of
dismissed the police picket and, on mystic designs worked upon it in
Doom’s suggestion, sent their driver gold, that shimmered dully In. tire
back with them. Stanley could drive faint moonlight. On his heaa-rre wore
the car back himself. a curiously shaped cap of hat, and in
They then donned their overalls his hands he carried a bowl, which
and masks, took their water-pistols was either of gold or brass. This bowl
and went to their old station on the he set down between the earth and the
path at the edge of the crater. bowl of water, and then, without a
The great hole was only partly glance upwards, he turned his face to
illuminated by the moon—-the bottom the East, his hands tucked out of
was still in complete darkness. sight in his flowing sleeves.
Once again Stanley Death experi­ Doom trained his glasses again,
enced the same nervy sensations as then handed them to Stanley without
before. The dead quiet—the intense a word. Looking through their power­
heat—the sensation of brooding evil ful lenses, Death could make out that
in the air, were all present. But he the bowl was nearly full of some dark
stuck it, and sat there in stolid silence liquid, from which a faint steam was
betraying his nerviness only by the emanating.
continual smoking of cigarettes which “What the devil is that ?” he
he threw away half-consumed. And asked, as he handed the glasses back.
all the time the moonlight crept Doom replied in one single word :
gradually down to the bottom of the "Blood!”
pit, until at last it was faintly illum­ Stanley was startled.
 “ Good God! ” he gasped, They could feel the heat increasing
"Not . . . !” and the sweat commenced to start out
Doom shook his head : on their bodies. Lin Foo’s chant
“Not human, no—that is not grew louder, and now there was a
necessary. I heard a farmer complain-" commanding note in it—as though
ing that he had lost a young sheep he were summoning someone—or
last night, though!” some Thing—to obey his call. . . .
They lapsed into silence again. From somewhere in the distance
Below, Lin Foo stood absolutely they heard a clock chime twelve. . . .
motionless—and again Death got the The heat increased. The glow below
notion that he was much taller than grew stronger and ruddier. But then
he had ever seemed before. He tried came a change. Quite suddenly the
to tell himself that it was the effect of air seemed to stir, though not with a
the robes ! wind, and they both felt it grow cold
The minutes passed. The silence and damp—so damp that drops of
seemed to grow more and more in­ moisture gathered on the vizors of
tense—more and more pregnant with their mica masks. And to their nos­
something that Death could not trils there came a smell—a harsh,
analyse. A feeling of terrific tension raw smell—the smell of earth . . . !
—of waiting for somthing terrific to Unable to speak, Doom gripped
happen, gripped Stanley. It was the other’s arm, and pointed to Lin
rather like the feeling some people Foo. The light was queer and un­
have just before the breaking of a certain, and Stanley Death always
bad thunderstorm—and, as though felt afterwards that he might have
to intensify it, there did suddenly been mistaken, but it seemed to him
occur a brilliant flash of lightning, that on either side of the magician
from what seemed to be a perfectly shadows were collecting, as though
clear sky. from the air, and that they were
As though that had been a signal gradually forming two figures—two
the motionless figure below stirred. gigantic figures, one of which was
Lin Foo slowly raised his arms until black, and the other a sort of opaque
they were spread out like the branches white, and which stood one on either
of a"Y”. And then, curiously enough side of Lin Foo, whose chant grew
Death noticed something that had, louder and louder. The shadow
for some reason, hitherto escaped figures towered on either side of him,
him. The little finger on Lin Foo’s and Doom, peering through his
left hand was missing. glasses, saw what he had expected—
And now the silence was broken by that the contents of that bowl of
the voice of Lin Foo, raised in a sort blood were shrinking as though being
of chant. A thin, eerie, monotonous sucked up by some invisible lips. He
note, that yet had a curious,, thin noted, too, that the dark figure stood
swdetness about it. Doom clutched by the heap of earth, the light one by
his companion’s arm, and pointed— the bowl of water. Then speech
and Stanley saw that a faint, ruddy came back to him, and he whispered-
glow was coming from the cave that to Stanley :
housed the Thing! “My God, man—there are Force!
"It’s coming . . . !’’ Doom whis­ abroad to-night that could shatter thi
pered. world, if they willed to!”
 And Death whispered back, on a make, came from it and sparks played
note that was like the complaining of around head and ears. It approached
a petulant child : the circle, but reeled back from it as
“Heil! But wiiat is it all about— from violent contact with a solid wall.
what does it all mean . . .I” The crackling grew louder. Then
"Do you remember I told you once it crouched, and, with incredible
that Elementals can be materialised force and swiftness, leapt at the
and used for their own ends by certain circle. There was nothing visible
powerful magicians? Well, Lin Foo above the chalked signs on the rocky
is such a magician, and he is sum­ ground, but as the Thing, in It’s leap
moning an Earth and a Water Ele­ through the air, came level with those
mental to destroy this flaming horror signs, the watchers distinctly heard
— about the only powers that can do a great thud, as though It’s enormous
it! Now watch—you are privileged body had hit some solid object, and
to see something that human eyes It fell back in a struggling heap on
have seldom seen before, or will the ground.
again ... !" The crackling sound increased, and
The glow coming from the hole in little tongues of flame flickered from
the pit-side was increasing—the it as it lay there, struggling and
shadows that guarded Lin Foo were threshing the air with It’s legs and
thickening and taking more definite arms. It commenced to get onto It’s
form ; from the skies above the light­ feet—and then a big, black cloud slid
ning continually flickered, like a silently across the moon, and the
hungry, fiery tongue, and dark clouds light went . . . !
were rapidly gathering; the air But down in ti.a black depths of
seemed to alternate in waves of in­ the pit the glowing figure of the Fire
tense heat and damp cold; the raw Elemental gave out a faint light that
smell of earth grew stronger. And the vaguely illumined the figure of Lin
chant of Lin Foo swelled up on an Foo, and the gigantic Shadows that
increasingly high note, while the two guarded it on either side. Again it
men crouched on the edge of the seemed to Stanley that the form of
crater and stared down with fascina­ Lin Foo was increasing in stature,
ted eyes. and growing inhumanly larger and
Out of the hole, like some obscene larger. His weird chant rose higher
fiery crustacean, the Thing came on an insistently monotonous note
crawling. Then it reared itself up, that was almost an agony to hear.
and they could clearly see the twisted, Vaguely they saw the paler Shadow
stunted legs, the grotesquely shape­ move towards the edge of the circle—
less body, the over-long arms, and nearer to the Thing. And instantly
the small, globular head, with the there came a great hissing and a cloud
pointed ears and those horrible of steam or fog, that dulled the red-
yellow, sightless-looking eyes. hot glow of the Thing so that they
Then, for the first time, It seemed could no longer see the other figures.
to sense something wrong. It shrank The darkness was so black that it
back a little, towards the mouth of pressed around them like a blanket—
It’s den—then seemed to recover It­ blinding, muffling, suffocating . . .!
self. Ah, It was angry, now . . .! A Abruptly the chant of Lin Foo ceased
loud crackling sound, such as flames and the silence that gripped them was
like the silence of the grave—or of the path ran down into the pit. Death
Hell . . .! thought: "My God, It’s coming . , !”
The only thing that was visible and wrenched himself out of a sort
was the reduced glow of the Flaming of paralysis to prepare for the attack.
Horror down there in the pit, and Then, a great flash of lightning
that was moving jerkily, wildly, split the sky, and in its prolonged
erratically—as though It was strugg­ glare the two watchers got a glimpse
ling with something. Then It com­ of the scene below. The fiery Thing
menced to move, in a straight line scuttling in It’s horrible, crab-like
and swiftly—towards the spot where fashion, towards the path—Lin Foo

. . . There came a great hissing and a cloud of steam that dulled the red
hot glow of the Thing so that they could no longer see the other figures.
with his arms raised almost straight fading, down, down into the
above his head, and his head thrown depths. . . .
back so that his face showed like a Then, as the lightning flashed and
white patch in the glare. . . . The flickered again, they saw that the
lightning was cut off, and in the en­ mass of water was literally boiling,
suing blackness the voice of Lin Foo, and sending up great clouds of scald­
loud and terrible, rang out in what ing steam which sent them reeling
sounded like a command. The Thing back from the edge. . . .
was on the path, now, and ascend­ “My God !” Death’s voice sounded
ing. . . . in a scream. "That poor devil Lin
As though in answer to the magi­ Foo—boiled alive . . . !”
cian, the whole air seemed, for an And then the rain came—came in a
instant, to be full of voices—shrill and solid mass like the outpouring of
shrieking, deep and roaring. Then some colossal bucket up there in the
came a terrific crash of thunder, and skies, beating them to their knees
another flash of lightning which and. finally flinging them, flat and
showed them the whole further side gasping, prostrate to the ground.
of the pit splitting, from top to bot­ In a few seconds it passed. There
tom, and a colossal mass of water, came a great sweep of wind, cool and
black as the night itself but with sweet-smelling, and then the young
huge flecks of white foam topping it, moon came out again, gentle and
which came roaring and rushing, serene, and once more mistress of the
gurgling and splashing, into the pit. skies.
With it came an earth-shock that The two men struggled to their
rocked the ground, and almost flung feet, and moved back to the pit-edge.
the two men from their feet—but not It was half-filled with black water,
quite. . . . quiet now, but with steam still rising
Great, black waves leapt '-e the from it. On the further side they
sides of the pit almost to the edge, could see that the ground between
and masses of spray burst over them. the pit and the flooded valley showed
Then they saw the huge, burning a great rift, through which the water
Thing picked up and tossed about by flowed, gently now, to the slightly
the waters, as though it had been a lower level of that in the pit itself. It
toy, and there came a hissing and was as though some giant hand had
spluterring that was almost deafen­ cleft the.earth asunder . . . !
ing. They saw It, for an instant, “It is over !” said Doom, solemnly,
struggling madly with the flood— in a hoarse, croaking voice, that
threshing wildly with It’s long arms, seemed to come from a long distance.
It’s ruddy glow still faintly illumina­ “And all is well—thanks to Lin Foo I
ting the foaming waters, which, in He alone knew the only wav to deal
their anger, seemed almost as though with it—and he has done so. We can
they were alive. -. . . And then they go and sleep !”
got one shuddering glimpse of those Weakly, like men just arisen from
flaming, yellow, sightless eyes, a long illness, they staggered rather
glaring up at them through the veil­ than walked back to the car. . . .
ing water, as It sank slowly, It’s
struggles growing less and less, and The papers devoted a few columns
the red-hot glow of It gradually to an account of the strange cloud­
burst and earthquake that had visited haps you would like to see the young
the South of England, and even pub­ man ?”
lished photographs of the flooded Doom said he would, and the
pit, and the curious rift in the earth Superintendant gave the necessary
between it and the litle valley. But instructions through the house­
it was soon forgotten in the press of phone. Then Doom said :
War news. “By the way, what is his name?”
One morning, a few days after "Curiously enough,”'the Superin­
their terrific experience, Doom called tendant answered, “we have only just
at Scotland Yard. Stanley Death had discovered that. He has never had
not yet recovered from his amaze­ any notion of it, and, for some reason
ment, and was still a trifle dazed by has always been called ‘Archie.” But
it. the other night—the night of the
“I’m just going down to the thunderstorm, you know—he seems
Bethlehem Hospital, to carry out to have had a sort of seizure, and the
Lin Foo’s last request,” Doom in­ first thing he said when he came to
formed him, when he was shown in­ was that his name was Lin Foo ... 1
to his office. “I thought you’d like to I beg your pardon ? Did you say
come too—you might find it rather something ?”
interesting !" This to Death, who had made some
Death sighed heavily : sort of exclamation, and who now
“I’ll come, he agreed. “But I’m a said, rather hastily, that it was noth­
bit chary of going to a place like ing—he had just thought of some­
Bedlam. AJfter what I’ve seen—or thing, that was all. Doom smiled,
think I’ve seen—in the last few days, quietly, to himself!
I feel they might want to keep me Then the young man was brought
there 1” in, and Stanley stared at him hard.
The Medical Superintendant was But one Chinaman looks much like
greatly interested when he heard the another, to the uninitiated.
purpose of Doom’s visit. Yes, they Only the young man turned im­
had such a young man there. He had mediately to Doom, and said, calmly
be<n found wandering in the streets, “Greetings, O Master ! I have been
apparently suffering from loss of expecting you would come 1”
memory—did not know who he was, And the voice was certainly the
or where he came from—about twelve voice of Lin Foo !
months previously, and eventually, Rather feverishly, Stanley assured
at the instigation and charge of a himself that the voice of one Celestial
Chinese charitable organisation, had was very much like that of another—
found his way to Bethlehem Hospi­ but then he noticed that the left hand
tal . of this young man, who called him­
“He is entirely docile and harm­ self Lin Foo, who looked like a voung
less,” the Superintendant explained, edition of Lin Foo, and who spoke
"and if you, as a qualified medical like Lin Foo, had the little finger
man, wish to take him in your charge missing ... 1
and are prepared to make yourself For the rest of that interview, dur­
responsible for him, I am sure it can ing which arrangements were put in
be arranged. It will, of course, take a train for the early release of the
little time. In the meanwhile, per­ young man, Stanley Death neither
looked nor behaved like the tough, Heaven and earth than can be
wide-awake sleuth he undoubtedly properly recorded at Scotland Yard !
was, and when they found themselves And also that the Chinese believe in
back in the car, and once more out on re-incarnation . . . I”
the open road he heaved a-big, big Stanley groaned :
sigh, and said : “And, talking of records, what’s
“Gosh 1 But I guess I’m real glad getting me all het up is—how the
to be clear of that place ! I don’t feel, tarnation hell am I going to make my
somehow, that I just fit in with the report to the Commissioner about
interior arrangements of a looney­ this darned affair?”
bin, these days. Or perhaps I do fir “That, thank God,” said Doom,
in—a bit too well . . . !” with due reverence, "is entirely yon-
Doom smiled, dreamily : pigeon 1”
“I thought it might shake you, a
trifle I But you must remember,
Stanley, that there are more things in THE END

A WITCH'S CHARM AGAINST WITCHCRAFT

The following “ charme ” was taken down verbatim as it was given by

the alleged Lancashire witch Ann Wittie, alias Chattox, known as “ Old
Chattox ” on the occasion of her trial on Monday, August 17th, 1612. She
gave it as testimony that as a witch she had at times done good, and having
been sent for by the wife of one John Moore to help drink that was forespoken
or bewitched, she made use of this “ charme ” to undo the spell cast by
another, and more malevolent witch :

“ Three biters hast thou bitten,

Ill Hart, ill Eye, ill Tonge,
Three bitter shall be thy Boote,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost
a God’s name.

Five Pater-nosters, five Avies, and a Creede,

In worship of five wounds of our Lord.”

{Old Chattox was convicted and sentenced, but was afterwards pardoned by
the special intervention of the King.)
The Village in the Mist
by BASIL HERBERT

HEY say I am mad, for that arranged the plane should take-off

T reason, they have shut me away

in an asylum—or a “mental
hospital" as they insist on calling it.
from Croydon Aerodrome, and fly
over the grounds, into which I should
in due course, descend. In order to
As a matter of fact it is neither—there make the thing as certain as possible,
is no hospitality for insanity here, I arranged to make a trial descent
and certainly there is not, in the true very early on the morning of the day
sense of the word, an "asylum” in question.
about it 1
However, that is beside the point. I had made arrangements to make
They have shut me up here, not, it my trial descent at about 6.30 a.m.,
seems, because I have had an experi­ the plane to take off from the Croy­
ence which no other living man has don Aerodrome at about 6 o’clock.
ever had, but simply because I in­ Not relishing such a very early start
sisted on talking about it. Nothing as would be necessary from my home
mad about that—any man who had in Brighton, I decided to travel up
been through what I have been to Croydon the previous evening,
through -would have talked about it and spend the night there. As it hap­
—and, besides, there is a duty one pened, an old friend of mine, whom
owes to others. I had not seen for a long time, turned
However, you shall judge for your­ up on this particular day, and, as a
selves. result of talking to him, I did not
I am not, in the ordinary sense of leave Brighton until a little after
the word, a fool. I am a man of forty­ eleven at night. I remember it was
eight, well experienced in the ways of just eleven-five as I drove through
the world, and normally intelligent. Preston village in my car—an open
Also I follow a business which is apt (thank God) Morris tourer.
to make a man deliberate, nerve­ It was a glorious night in June,
steady, and quick in action. I am a with a million stars twinkling in a
professional parachutist. Once, at the cloudless sky, like golden jewels in
beginning of my career, I used to a mantle of blue velvet. I did not
drop from balloons—to-day, of hurry, but drove at a good average
course, I descend from air-planes. speed. I glanced at my watch as I
On a certain day, not very long approached Merstham, and noticed
ago, I was engaged to make a descent that it was within a few minutes of
at a charity-fete given by a lady of midnight.
title. As the grounds were not big I accelerated a little. That particu­
enough, or clear enough, for a plane lar part of the world contained un­
to go up from them, so it was pleasant memories for me, for not so
very long before I had run down and road had dropped into a cutting, and
killed a motor-cyclist there. It had there were now steep banks on either
been his own fault, but it had been a side. Plainly, the only thing to do
beastly business, and had got on my was to push ahead, until I found
nerves somewhat. I do not like kill­ room to turn in—or, perhaps, it
ing people, even with my car! might be possible to find a way back
It was just beyond the actual spot to the main road without turning.
where this had happened that I came Anyway, the road was so excellently
to the fork in the road. It did not made up and kept that it was evident
strike me, then, for I was thinking it must lead to somewhere !
about the accident, but there should So I proceeded to push forward,
not have been a fork there at all. I very slowly because of the mist,
have traversed that road some hun­ w'hich was so dense that I could not
dreds of times, and knew quite well see a yard ahead, even with all my
that there is no fork there. As it was, lights on.
I just took the left, and wider, road I am not—or was not then—a
automatically. nervous man, yet that blind progress
It was an unusually wide road, well through the mist was distinctly nerve-
metalled and with a low, even hedge' racking to me. Apart from the fear
on either side. There were no houses of something running head-on into
on it at all. me. On that single-track road, the
As a matter of fact I was just mist itself was very trying. I would
coming back to earth, and realising not then have admitted that it fright­
that the road was strange to me, ened me, but the fact was that it did.
when it suddenly narrowed. The It seemed, somehow, to be isolating
hedges seemed to come in at me, until me—cutting me off from my fellow
I was running along a narrow lane— creatures. It struck me, for some
so narrow that there was not room reason, that being dead must be very
for another vehicle to pass me. much the same—a sort of feeling
It had just struck me that I had, in one’s way through a mist, in com­
some mysterious manner, missed my plete loneliness and isolation, towards
way, when I ran into the mist. I call the new and unknown World. The
it a mist, for want of a better term, utter silence increased this sugges­
but, actually, it was neither mist nor tion. The way that mist shrouded
fog. In colour it might have been the everything, and shut out sound as
latter, for it was a sort of dull grey well as sight was nothing short of
(not white, like a field-mist in sum­ uncanny ! The screech of my horn,
mer but it had none of the smell of which I sounded continually, was
fog about it. Nevertheless, it was flung back at me as though from
very dense, and deadened all sound stone walls!
in a most peculiar manner—even the I don’t know how long I pushed
noise of my own car engine seemed my way, at funeral speed, through
strangely distant and muffled in it. I that grey shroud, I cannot say. It
realised that I should have to turn seemed hours. The mist seemed to
back, but I could not do that in the increase in density, too, and my
narrow gut of the road, or lane, I personal discomfort increased with it.
tried it, but there was definitely no I was becoming definitely scared,
room. To make it more difficult the when, to my intense relief, I saw that
the visibility was improving ! frighten anybody, without anything
The mist grew thinner. I could now else. I have known the silence of the
see the sides of the road, and ob­ plains, the deserts and the sea—but
served that they were further apart. never experienced anything like that.
The road was widening again. An­ With a desperate effort I threw off
other hundred yards or so and I had a feeling of scare, and, although the
room to turn, but a glance back at mist was still dense enough to pre­
that dense grey wall behind me vent me seeing more than a hundred
decided me to keep on. I wouldn’t yards or so ahead, I accelerated.
have gone back through that mist for Presently the road curved, fop the
a hundred pounds! first time, and then I found myself
Presently I saw houses ahead— driving into a big, open space, where
dim, grey shapes through the mist. four roads converged. I could see
I accelerated a little, and found my­ that—and I could also see that all
self in a street, with houses on either the other roads were exactly like the
side. They were queer houses, one I had just traversed. Houses and
though ! I could not see what they all were precisely the same.
were made of—some kind of stone Right in the centre of the square
apparently—but they were of a in which I now found myself, on a
curious grey colour, almost the sort of island, stood a solitary build­
colour of the mist itself. Also they ing. In shape and colour it was
were all of exactly the same shape, exactly like the other houses in this
dead square' with flat roofs, and with strange place, but I observed a sign­
four windows and a door to each of post and sign outside it. Plainly,
them. They were exactly even dis­ then, it was an inn, and, with a sense
tances apart, and there was not a of relief, I decided to knock up the
light to be seen in any one of them— landlord and ask where on earth I’d
the latter fact, of course, not being got to. And then, even as this
surprising since it was now well thought crossed my mind, I saw that
after midnight. it would not be necessary to knock
All the same there was something them up, for behind every one of the
weird, uncanny and unreal about that closely shrouded windows a light
street. Not a living thing was stirring sprang up—the first lights I had seen
—not even a dog or a cat, let alone since I entered the village, or what­
the policeman whose blue-clad, ever it was. It was as though they
leisurely figure I should have wel­ had been expecting me I
comed with delight for once ! I drove up to the door and, as I
Then another curious thing struck alighted from the car, I looked up at
me. Although the road was very the sign on the post. It was blank.
wide, and magnificently made—quite For some reason, this startled me for
the best road I had yet seen in Eng­ the moment. Then I realised that they
land, there were no pavements, and were probably having it re-painted.
no lamp-posts. The front doors of I turned to the door, and saw that
those strange houses opened right it was standing ajar, showing a
slap onto the road itself! glimpse of a lighted room within.
There seemed to be something Without hesitation I pushed it
wrong about the whole place ! The further open, and walked in.
dead silence of it was enough to It was a strange room in whiefa
found myself. The walls, quite bare nor sorry, surprised or disappointed,
and without ornament, were presum­ to see me. For a moment I had a
ably distempered in that same dull, horrible feeling that he was not a man
grey colour which distinguished the at all, but just some peculiarly beastly
whole place. The furniture consisted mechanical figure 1
of a plain deal form, two or three' To prove this, I spoke to him—not
equally plain wooden chairs, and a altogether steadily, for my nerves
square, wooden table. At one end were becoming shaken.
there was a door, showing beyond it "Good evening!” I said. "Can
a flight of steep carpetless stairs; at you tell me, please, what village is
the other a counter, but with nothing this ”
on it at all. The shelves of bottles and He continued to regard me, for a
things, usually associated with an moment, in the same utterly expres­
inn, were also missing, and there was sionless manner, and when at last he
not a mirror or an advertisement to replied, his tone was just as expres­
be seen. sionless as his features:
Truly, a strange place ! “We call it the Village-in-the-
But stranger than the room was Mist! ” he said.
the single individual who occupied “The deuce you do ! Well, what do
it, sitting behind the counter. I say other people call it ” I spoke sharply
he was strange, but, when I come to —mainly, I think, because the fellow
it, it is difficult to describe in just frightened me 1
what way he was strange. He startled He shook his head :
me when I first saw him sitting there, “I don’t know !"
but he startled me still more when he I decided not to ask any more
raised his head and looked at me. I questions, my one desire was to get
have never, in my life, seen anything away from this place as quickly as
so utterly expressionless as was his possible.
face—not even in a statue 1 Also it “I’ve got a car outside,” I ex­
was colourless—there was no sort of plained, “and I seem to have lost my
colour about him at all. The skin was way. Can you tell me the nearest
a dull, grey monetone, and, further­ route to Croydon ?”
more, it was drawn so tightly that Once more he shook his head :
every bone, almost every tooth, was “You won’t get there to-night.
clearly defined beneath it. The lips You'll never get through the mist
were narrow, and quite bloodless; I cannot hope to describe to you
the eyes deep set and entirely without the utter tonelessness of the man’s
colour or expression—horribly like voice. It was like the voice of one who
those of a dead fish ! The hair, too, is hypnotised, or in a trance. He was
was entirely colourless—neither dark looking at me all the time he was
nor fair—long, lank and completely speaking, but I had a horrible idea
dead in appearance. He was dressed, that he could not really see me. His
neither well nor badly, in a suit of eyes were like those of a blind man.
grey flannel, which looked, somehow, Then it struck me that he might
curiously like a uniform. actually be blind, ami I drew some
He sat there, regarding me strange sort of comfort from that.
steadily, but entirely without expres­ “Why?” I asked. "Is the mist all
sion.. He appeared to be neither glad round the place, then ?” •
And. then ... he took my hand.
 He nodded. I paused at the bottom of the staris.
"Yes !” he answered. "It always is "Call me not later than five!” I
—at night-tme. You’ll have to stop ordered, curtly. “I have to be in
here the night!” Croydon by six-thirty. Good-night I”
I was tired enough, but the notion “Good-nght!” was the entirely
of stopping in that strangely sinister toneless reply.
place did not appeal to me at all. Yet The bedroom on top 'of the stairs
—it was better than facing that un­ was no more inviting, and scarcely
canny mist again ! After all, I could less strange than the room below.
easily get to Croydon in time for my Again the walls were quite without
start, once the daylight came. And I ornament, and were of that same dull,
suddenly had a longing for daylight grey colour. I examined them, later,
such as I have never experienced and found that they were made of
before or since. some sort of stone, which was un­
"You can put me up, then ?” I familiar to me.
asked the strange landlord—and the The furniture consisted of a bed
shakiness of my tone annoyed me. only—and this, for some reason, bore
“There is no garage!” he said. such a resemblance to a death-bed
“It will be alright where it is. No one that I almost expected to find a corpse
will touch it!" hidden in it. I decided I could not
“Very well !” I agreed, trying des­ possibly sleep in that. The light, as
perately to assume a confident, even in the case of the room downstairs,
a dictatorial tone. "I shall hold you came from an opaque globe, let into
responsible for it! I’ll just bring my the ceiling. There was no sort of
things in.” switch visible, which struck me as
He did not answer, but continued peculiar. I was glad I had brought
to regard me in that blank, unseeing my electric torch with me I
manner. I wondered again if he really I closed the door, which had no
was blind. lock, and, having pulled up the blind
I went outside and got my bags. —which was of coarse grey canvas—
One contained my pyjamas and I put my bag down by the window,
shaving tackle, the other my air-suit and sat down on it, prepared to pass
and parachute. I opened one of the the night in such comfort as was
bags and slipped in an electric torch possible !
and a heavy spanner. I did not by any For some time I waited for some
means trust my sinister host, and if sound of my strange host retiring,
he tried any funny games . . .! but I heard nothing. It was then that
I noted, as I re-entered, that his the deathly silence of the place struck
eyes met me, and followed me as I me fully for the first time. There was
walked across towards the stairs. In literally not a sound to be heard—not
order to do this he turned his head, the bark of a dog, the mew of a cat or
with a strangely mechanical motion. the crowing of a cock. For even the
He was certainly not blind, then—but sound of a mouse scratching I would,
I still had a strange notion that he at that time, have given untold gold
, was not alive at all, but was merely —but there was nothing ! The silence
• an automaton! that brooded over that place was like
; I decided that I would not come the silence of the grave itself.
t down again! And then I became conscious of the
smell. I realised that that smell had were all empty. On the impulse of the
been in my nostrils since I first struck moment I tried one of the doors. It
the mist—but that it had increased was fastened, so I gave a thundering
considerably since I had been in the knock on it. At least, under ordinary
village. It was a queer, close smell conditions it would have been a
which was vaguely familiar to me, thundering knock, but as it was it
but for a long time I could not piece came back on me like an echo. It was
it. When I did, at last, I sprang to as though no sound would penetrate
my feet as though galvanised, and a that accursed mist! Then from in­
cold, clammy sweat broke out on my side there came a noise, as of some
forehead. It was the smell of corpses heavy thing being dragged along the
—dead bodies ... 1 floor, and then a low sound which I
Could it be possible that there was • can only describe as a chuckle, and
a corpse somewhere in that cursed which yet was so utterly unnatural,
inn, .and the smell permeating the so inhuman, that I was seized with a
place . . . ? sudden panic-fear, and fled as for my
1 suddenly felt I could not stop in life. I did not stop until I was once
that room a single moment longer, I again in my room, for I had a fear of
opened the door and walked down the something (I knew not what) that
stairs without troubling to silence my might come at me from behind!
footsteps. Downstairs the light was Back in my room, calmer, and
still on, but the “bar” was empty. thinking things over, another curious
The sinister landlord had «bs- thing struck me. Not only had that
appeared—and I heaved a sigh of strange village no animal life and no
relief for that! policeman or lamp-posts, but it had
I walked outside, into the brooding also no shops, no pillar-boxes and,
silence (the door was still ajar). apparently, no gutters or drains 1 In;
My car was still there, and un­ Heaven’s name, then, what sort ofi
touched. The mist, curiously enough, people were they who lived there . . .S
for there was not a breath of air, I must have dozed off then, for I
hung around in queer little spirals, awoke with a start to find, to my irw|
and in the distance I could see it like tense relief, that it was daylight. I|
a thick wall, cutting me off from the you could call it daylight! A thinfl
outside world. I shuddered—I was grey light, sunless and airless. la
afraid of that mist 1 struck me that it was just dawn, anal
Then I started 'to explore the that there were no birds singing-1
streets. I went a little distance up and then I looked at my watch and fotinl
down each of the four of them—there it was five minutes after six! Andi
seemed to be no more. Every house had to be at the aerodrome befoal
was exactly the same—dead-square, six-thirty!
flat-roofed, and standing stark and To save time I hastily undid ml
grey—a grey that was only a little bag and put on my air-suit, strati
deeper than the shrouding mist. It ping the parachute to my back,
struck me that they looked horribly that I was all ready to go up. Then®
like tombstones! clattered down the stairs, slung nK
Nowhere was there a sign or bags into the car, and called for ®
sound of life of any sort—and a sud­ landlord. There was no answer, s-r
den fancy seized me that the places went back and put a pound notejj*.
the counter—quite enough pay for sightless eyes.
such a cursed night’s lodging ! And then, pushing his way
When I came out again I saw that through the crowd, came one I had
my noise had, apparently, aroused seen before. I stared at the face I
the whole of the population of this knew (and, God knows, had reason
strange place. They were coming out to) and, instinctively I put out my
of their houses—one to each house— hand, as one does on seeing an
and hurrying towards me, with acquaintance.
curiously gliding steps which were "Why, it’s James Mason !” I cried
quite noiseless except for a soft pad­ —and even as I did so I remembered
padding such as animals make. I that James Mason was the man I had
run down in the car and killed ! I
added, hastily: “Then you’re not
! >>
He did not speak, but he—smiled.
That is to say the tightly drawn skin
drew tighter about the mouth, and
the lips curled upwards to show' the
dull, discoloured teeth. . . . And
then ... he took my hand !
God I The hand I gripped ... 1
There was no mistaking it—it was
stiff, cold and . . . dead . . . ! I was
shaking hands with a corpse ! And
suddenly it came to me ,the ghastly
truth ! AU those Things were dead—
every one of them . . . !
With a yell of fear and unutterable
horror, I pushed the Thing away
from me and took a blind leap into
the car, trod on the accelerator, and
bodies! shot straight at, and through, the
crowd—and, as I went, there came
started up my engine, I stared aghast after me a wild howl of rasping
in horror at them. Except for differ­ laughter—like the laughter of lost
ences in features and stature, they souls on the brink of Hell !
■were all exactly the same as that land­ Mad with fear, I sent the car tear­
lord fellow ! They all had the lank, ing down that road at something over
•dead hair, the dull, fish-like eyes, and sixty to the hour. Like a grev wall
the colourless, tight-drawn skin. And the mist confronted me, and I shot,
they all wore the same loose suits of heedlessly, straight into it—and into
grey stuff—evidently, as I had imag­ Nothingness . . . !
ined, a sort of uniform. Down—dowrn—down—the car and
Through the whirling spirals of I ! With the wind roaring madly in
jmist these creatures came padding, my ears, and the demons of fear still
••and gathered around me, not sneak- clutching at my heart . . . !
,ing a word but just staring at (or But remember, falling is mv busi­
through) me with those seemingly ness ! More by instinct than anything
else, I got myself clear of the car, and yards away from his car in the centre
saw it (being far heavier' go whirling of Salisbury Plain—a long distance
past me as I dropped. Then, clear of from any road.
it’s danger, I pulled the string of my In each of these cases both car and
parachute ... I body were smashed almost beyond
The headlong fall was checked, recognition, and in no case was there
and after descending gently for about any wheel-tracks to be seen, nor any
five hundred feet, I landed safely in sign of a collision. But there was
a field—within a few yards of the every appearance that they had fallen
Merstham Road I from a great height! Furthermore,
The first thing I did was to look each of these men had, at some time,
up—'there was nothing to be sben run down and killed a pedestrian
above, save a cloud, of a curiously wthin a mile or so of the place where
square shape, just sailing across the their bodies were eventually found !
moon. And then I realised that it was After that, what could I do? I did
still night! I looked at my watch and all I could—-and nicely they have
saw it was—just five minutes after thanked me for it!
twelve ! I went to the polce and the R.A.C.
I got my parachute folded and —and none of them would believe
stowed away, and walked to the road me. Anxious to save further loss of
—and there I found my car, smashed life, I persisted—until they decided
to smithereens, on the side of the that I was mad, and shut me up here.
road and, as near as I could judge, Mad! The dolts! Just Because I
just about the spot where I had taken believe what I have just written, and
the road into the mist! because, naturally enough, I cannot
After I had made my parachute bear the dark, and scream at the sight
descent the same day, I made some of anything grey, they say I am
careful inquiries, and elicited these mad !
startling facts: Mad, indeed ? Isn’t the above state­
In February, Alfred Myatt, of ment perfectly clear, consist and
Clapham, was found dead beside his lucid? Is there any sign of wildness
smashed car on a lonely road in in the writing of it? The fools—the
Northumberland. idiots—it is they who are mad, not
Early in March, Thomas Foley, of I . . .!
Grosvener Place, W., was found But there, I must not allow myself
dead in the wreckage of his car just to get excited, or I shall never get
off the road, not far from Elstree, out of this place. They have told me
Hants. that several times !
Later in the same month Felix Jay,
of Manchester, was found dead a few THE END
The Chained Terror
by HENRY RETLAW

OLLY’S gay little face puck­ forming the walls, with a roof hang­

M ered into a pitying smile as

she saw the rooks flap lazily
overhead and alight in the maize
ing lopsidedly over the forbidding
looking porch of rough hewn timber.
Even in the warm sun of that beauti­
field. ful August af ternoon the place looked
She knew my gun would take ugly and forlorn, and as I approached
heavy toll of them later, and stub­ the ramshackle door I felt again that
bornly as she tried to force herself to spasm of nameless dread and horror
become a good sportswoman, her reaching to my very soul. Again I
kindly heart went out in remorse as I felt the urge to turn about and run
relentlessly thinned them out day by from the horrible place, and yet again
day. I fought down the stark fear within
“Oh . . . those poor birds,” she ex­ me and reached up to rap the huge
claimed, “It seems such a shame that knocker ... as I did so the reverbra­
they have to be killed.” tions sounded like a clap of thunder
“Shame it may be,” I replied. "But in my ears and I jumped involun­
the damage they do to our crops plays tarily in sheer terror.
Old Harry with our profits, so killed For a seemingly endless period
they must be.” there was no answer and I was about
I grinned as I pulled up my old to knock again when I heard a
mare outside my neighbours farm, shuffling footstep approaching the
remembering my lovely wife’s habit door from upstairs, and a creaking
of missing nearly everything she shot squeal as rusty bolts were withdrawn
at, when 1 suddenly paused as I was and the heavy door was slowly
alighting from the cart, a queer dragged open.
premonition of pending calamity in The sight of my neighbours homely
my heart. face dispelled for a brief moment the
The weird old farm house had fear pervading me and I breathed
always had a depressing effect on me, freely in relief as I grasped his huge
but to-day T could sense something hand in greeting.
evil in the very air about the place. Homely in appearance he certainly
So strong was the feeling that I was was, but in my frame of mind his
stung by an almost irresistible urge huge slowly rolling head, and mass­
to get back into the cart and drive ive shoulders with low hung arms,
on. So, ot course, I did the exact and peculiar deformed legs took on a
opposite . . . and got out. new significance. I had known him
The house was a bleak looking for perhaps a little over a year and
squarely-built building, huge con­ our transactions had always been
crete blocks irregularly spaced out rapidly attended to. "Come inside,"
he said. “And bring your wife in, when I saw no trace of her. ... I
too.” This as he noticed her standing heard myself snarling noises that
quietly by the old mare’s head. A weren’t human words. I lunged at
prettv picture she made as she stood the ropes. I fought them till my arms
there, the sun glinting on her were slimed with blood that ran from
shining gold hair, trim figure shown the lacerated flesh. Perspiration
io rare advantage by her snug fitting bathed me from head to foot, and I
riding breeches and wTtite silk blouse. felt my stomach turning over sicken-
She walked up to the door with the ingly as I writhed and twisted to get
free swinging stride 1 had grown to clear of the strong ropes that bound
love, shook hands with the ungainly me. All to no avail as the great brute
farmer and passed in with me to the had done his job only too well.
interior of the old farm house, “’v/ell, Realising the utter futility of my
Garson,” 1 said. “I’ve called in to struggles, I slowly mastered my
settle up for last month’s supplies.” blind rage and set myself to think
He slowly turned his shaggy great out why my apparently harmless
head towards me and I caught a neighbour had calmly knocked me
glimpse of his eyes as he momentarily out and left me so thoroughly trussed
looked at Molly, and what I read into up on the dank cellar floor. Light
his glance brought that nameless coming from a small crack in the rot­
fear back into my heart. ting shutters of the window, high up
“That can,jvait for a bit,” he said. in the stone wall, revealed overhead
“Come on into the kitchen for a grey beams festooned with cobwebs.
minute 1” Could I only get free of the madden­
I beckoned to Molly and we ing ropes there would be little or no
followed him into the huge rambling difficulty in crashing open the shut­
room he called the kitchen. Humping ters to freedom and the chance to dis­
himself into a massive rocking chair cover what had happened to Molly.
by the old fire place he gestured to Suddenly I stiffened from head to
us to seat ourselves on a rough bench foot as I heard a queer snuffling
up against the opposite wall. whine at the door of the cellar, a
We had scarcely settled down harsh croaking sound like that of a
when he lumberingly got up out of huge frog, then a scratching and
his chair, leaned over almost casually thumping as some enormous weight
and like lightning his huge hairy fist lunged against the door. More snuff­
thudded against my jaw. ling and whining and a dragging
A bomb burst in my brain. Every­ pad pad of some animal-like
thing flooded out in an avalanche of creature’s movements making away.
rushing black. How long I was out As the sounds receded farther and
I never knew. Eventually I groaned farther from the door I breathed
and opened my eyes. For a moment easily again, and set myself to wait
I lay throbbing to the agony of my on events. No need to exhaust my
aching head before I was aware that strength in futile efforts to loose my
1 lay trussed hand and foot, on a dirtv bonds. A little later I drifted off into
floor. troubled sleep, and awoke with a
Slowly my head cleared and I pain­ jerk as 1 heard movements at the door
fully turned my head to see if Molly of the cellar, the creaking of the old
•was near. I was filled with blind rage lock as it was turned, and the slow
opening of the old oaken door. chains that secured it to the stone
Framed in the entrance was the wall. A gulteral bark of command
looming figure of Garson, lolling from Garson and the horror cowered
head bent down until his great craggy glibbering into the corner, pale eyes
chin reached his enormous chest. I blinking with fear. . . .
still could not bring myself to under­ I saw that it was fastened by
stand his reasons for laying me out massive chains clamped on each of
so unconcernedly, and it looked as if the gnarled legs so that movement
my surmising might soon be ended was restricted to a few feet from the
for he walked over to me in the crab­ wall. Bent over almost double I
like gait I knew so well, yet had not should estimate its height at over
feared. seven feet, straightened out to its full
Bending over me he surprisingly height probably nine feet of name­
loosed the ropes and hauled me less dread. . . . What it was I had no
effortlessly to my feet with one means as yet of discovering.
powerful heave of his great hands, Garson yanked me up from the
and still silent, and holding me floor with a single powerful jerk, but
powerless in the grasp of his mighty by til is time I had recovered some of
hands, propelled me out through the my own vast strength and my fist
door and up the slimy stone steps to crashed into his heavy face . . . again
the comparative light of the kitchen. and again. Times without number,
Stiff and sore after lying for many driving him back, battering him,
hours trussed like a fowl I could offer pounding away endlessly, until that
no resistance. He dumped me down rugged homely face was a mess of
on the old bench and I slid helplessly blood and dirt. The shock of my
to the floor, the intense agony of the sudden mad attack took him by utter
returning circulation of blood to my surprise for a few brief moments, but
tortured limbs being almost unbear­ with a heave of his vast shoulders he
able. barged me crazily over to the corner
A sharp rattling as of chains jerked of the room where the thing was
me out of my coma of pain and I chained up, and an animal snarl
looked up to see where the clatter sounded close to my ears . . . two
came from, and then I saw the huge claw-like hands clamped on my
horror. . . . throat and the great cavern of a
I sat there speechless, paralysed mouth with fetid breath stinking in
with revulsion and terror, staring at my nostrils, teeth gnashing with
that goggled eyed thing with an fury, hovered menacinglv . . . when
almost human face, with loose slob­ ■ gain that gutteral bark of command
bering lips; its flattened snout-like and the thing released me, half dead
nose. After a moment the head with fear and partial strangulation.
wobbled back, until the pallid eyes I dropped limply to the floor and
were fixed on my face with a pale must have passed out, for the next
glare that sent chills of horror run­ thing I knew was that f was again
ning up and down my spine. trussed up and Garson was bending
Again the sharp staccato rattling over me waiting for the first signs of
of chains and the grotesque thing returning consciousness. ... I
plunged madly towards me, jerked weakly twisted in the torturing ropes
up short by the immensely strong and rolled partiallv over to face him,
his face still livid from the hammer­ sheer terror .... then the lumbering
ing I had given him. steps of Garson approaching the door
“What have you done with and a muffled sobbing and moaning
Molly,” I gasped at him. “What .... and he rolled through the door
have you done with her?” with Molly, a helpless pitiful bundle,
He slowly turned his massive, humped over his shoulder.
battered head towards me, his split With the sight of Molly the thing
lips oozing blood and froth. leapt into action, terrific lunges of
“She be alright,” he growled, "so the powerful legs wrenching at the
far.” chains in ever stronger effort, gibber­
Then he waddled clumsily out, and ing face again transformed into
I heard his heavy footsteps clumping something inhuman. Garson dumped
through the old farmhouse to the Molly on to the floor, his face show­
yard, where the sound of a pump ing no feeling of any kind, spat out
working soon indicating he was a gruff word and stooped to heave me
cleaning up his badly smashed face. over his shoulder as he would a sack
As soon as his back was turned the of grain. I hung limply over li is back
horror in the corner got up off it’s as he heaved me through the door and
haunches and began shuffling up and passed on into the room beyond the
down within the limits of its chains, hall, where he slung me heavily on
emitting weird whining noises with to the floor.
a strange resemblance to human I lay for some time in an agony of
speed;. ... I listened intently, my fear for Molly’s safety and started to
heart bounding with fear that the work my way slowly over to the old
gigantic freak might work itself up hearth. Inch by inch I wormed along
into a rage and break free from the the floor until I backed against the
stout chains .... full exertion of the heavy table, rolled helplesslv against
enormous strength simmering in that the stout leg with a jolt. The rattle
grotesque heap of mighty muscle of cutlery renewed hope in my heart
would render the steel chains impo­ and I plunged myself recklessly
tent .... the twisted bestial face against the table time after time until
slowly straightened out in lines of the clatter of falling crockery made
blank questioning wonder when I music in mv ears.
very quietly started to talk .... utter The broken fragments of razor-
nonsense, but the mere sound of my edged crockerv were likelv to be mv
voice caused the thing to stop it’s salvation, and I frenziedly worked
ceaseless shuffling up and down, over on to my back where I could get
while the feeble brain behind the to work on the ropes on mv wrists. A
queerly wrinkled forehead tried to few minutes of searing pain as the
wrestle with the problem of a quiet jagged ee-r? gashed and lacerated
friendly voice. ... I had exultant my har.A- & d wrists and I felt one
hopes of getting some kind of con­ hand a‘ .Cz.it free, a few more minutes
trol over the thing when the faint of agonising effort and the ropes slid
sound of a scream from the yard sent from mv bloodstained hands. I was
it into paroxyms of violent action. free. . . .
I tore and wrenched at the ropes, I crept cautiously to the door and
writhing about the floor in impotent listened intently for movements, but
frenzy .... again that faint wail of heard nothng except the clank of the
Molly lay laxly in the Monster’s grip.
monster’s chains .... then a mumble strength I possessed and the solid oak
of the gutteral tones of Garson in the panels shook, quivered and finally
old kitchen. ... I silently made my gave way with a rending crash.
way towards the kitchen door, reel­ Garson was laying inert on the
ing a slow return of strength in my floor, his face smashed to pulp, his
muscular body and the urge to run hairy chest and shoulders slimed with
amuck against Garson and the weird blood from the clawing terror’s rend­
horror he kept in captivity. Without ing grip. With a snarl of animal rage
any sort of a weapon my chance was the hulking brute abandoned the
negligible and I looked keenly about beautiful body of my wife and threw
me for anything which might serve. himself towards me to the full
An old scythe caught my eye propped distance the chains allowed him,
up against the dank waTT, and the wrenching powerfully with his enor­
comfortable feel of the thing in my mous legs at the staple and chains
strong hands gave me courage. . . . the thing had the strength of an
Creeping towards the old kitchen elephant and the staple had to go . . .
I barged clumsily against a pile of and it did so with such suddenness
loose timber and the din I raised was that the great hulking shape was
enough to raise the dead ... a hoarse catapulted across the kitchen to come
shout from the kitchen from Garson, up suddenly against the rough stone
a leap from me to the door, a harsh wall with a tremendous crash that
crash as the door was slammed shut dazed even that vast head ... I saw
in my face ... I flung myself bodily my chance and leapt forward,
at the door, fifteen stones of bone and hammer in hand to crash it down on
muscle keyed up to violent action. the misshapen skull, the wary brute
How long I raged helplessly in sensed the danger and thrust out a
front of that door before I regained huge paw-like hand to wrench the
some measure of common sense I do hammer from my hand as if I was a
not know. But at last I realised the child, leaving me weaponless . . . like
futility of battering my body against lightning I leapt for the door out into
the stout panels and catching sight the rambling passage, snatched up
of an old sledge hammer through the old scythe, tore back into the
the open door that led to the yard, room of terror.
I tore madly out after it and lunged What followed was frightful, ap­
hack to shower terrific blows at the palling, like animals we leapt at each
panels . . . my efforts were quickly other, tearing, biting, gouging,
rewarded and the top panels splin­ pounding. I, hacking at the thing
tered into jagged splinters of wood. with the murderous scythe, taking
The sight that met my eyes I shall the clawing terror’s slashes until my
never forget . . . Molly lay laxly in face and chest dripped blood from a
the monster’s grip . . . his gloating score of deep gaslies. I saw one of its
bestial face muzzled over her white arms drop off, blood gushing in
neck. I knew then that I must smash streams from the severed arteries. As
my way through that door or it would I hacked a shrill piercing scream of
be soon over, his clawing paws would pain came from the writhing lips and
soon mangle the life out of her. I I swept the scythe around in a wide
brought the hammer smashing down circle, this time with deadly effect as
•on the door with every ounce of the keen edge cut through neck and
vertebrae to sever the head almost saw the almost headless horror
entirely from the body, the frightful heaped up on the dirt floor, shuddered
sight of the hanging head on sagging in utter loathing and buried her head
trunk with the blood gushing turned in my breast, recking little of the
my stomach over in sickening agony. blood that smothered it in the stress
I felt on the verge of passing out from of her emotion and relief.
the effects of the loss of blood from W'e slowlv rose and, bidding her
my many gaping wounds and leaned sit down on the bench, I went over to
against the wall to recover my the silent distorted figure of Garson
strength in some measure. sprawled out on the floor and turned
Throughout the terrible events of over the grisly head. As I did so a
the last few minutes, Molly had groan burst from the shapeless lips,
mercifully remained unconscious, and and 1 saw that there was yet an oppor­
I staggered weakly over to her and tunity of discovering the explanation
gently raised her blonde head on to of the mad happenings of the last
my knee ... as I did so she stirred few hours, so I rushed out into the
and moaned, slowly the heavy lids of yard and quickly returned with a
her eyes were raised and the ready pail brimming with water. I scooped
copious quantities over his smashed
features with but little thought of the
probable pain it would give him, and
was soon rewarded by the faint
mutter of words from the shapeless
gash of a mouth. I bent low to hear
and the mutter faded and strength­
ened with irritating cadences of inco­
herence, but after I had trickled some
of the water through the agony-
clenched teeth the words came with
greater clearness.
Halting frequently- to recover a
little of his fast vanishing strength,
Garson disjointedly told t-he whole
Strange story, and while we listened,
for Molly had joined me when she
Saw what was happening, we could
ilmost feel a little sorry for him.
The shapeless, shambling, yet
His huge hairy fist thudded gigantic thing which might have
against my jaw. been a gorilla, moron or almost a
prehistoric monster, was his son by
scream which leapt to her lips as his long dead wife, born a tiny pig­
recollections flooded back into her mylike gnome, yet rapidly growing
mind was stopped by the sight of me physically into an enormously power*
gazing down at her . . . she weakly zul yet frightfully deformed shape,
sat up and catching full sight of the yith the mentality of a mad ape. In
havoc wrought by the thing on my nis broken words Garson told of the
battered face and body . . . and then queer regard and affection he had for
this thing that was his son, and his stretched out hands to reclaim Molly
lifelong efforts to keep his secret so before harm came to her . . . the sud­
that his son should not be taken from den howl of rage from his mad soil
aim and put under rigorous control . . the dropping of Molly to the
in a madhouse . . . the delight the floor and the murderous attack which
thing showed when it caught sight ot had left him almost lifeless . . . the
a woman through the narrow crack weary voice droned on with it’s
Of the shutters as she passed in front monotony of pain getting weaker
if the old farmhouse . . . the tempi?. - every second until at last it faded,
fion to pander to that delight when and was suddenly still . . . Garson
xtlolly stood outside by the old mare's was dead.
/lead . . . the insensate impulse which The rest is soon told . . . the police,
fed him to lay me oilt in the kitchen inquests, explanations, and what was
. . the crazy antics of utter delight left was the memory of a horror which
Khen he took Molly in to the room will stay in our minds while life
where the freak was chained . . . the lasts. . . .
Snatching of Molly from him by thi
human horror . . . his carelessly THE END

DESCRIPTION OF A WARLOCK

(Taken from on old book on Witchcraft—1589—and altered only

in so far as the spelling has been modernised.)

j . This Warlock was a terrific thing to look upon. For his eyes were
great and like discs of fire but having no pupils thereto. His nose was thin
and sharp, and covered with warts and the nostrils thereof were scarlet, and
from them fire did spurt when he breathed. His mouth was huge, and when
opened showed sight of great teeth like unto the yellow fangs of a ravenous
beast of prey, only that they were all broken and yellow with age, and from
his mouth when it was open worms and serpents did crawl, and fall to the
floor about his feet. And the colour of this face was green, and green, too,
were his ears which were vast and did flap like the wings of a bat, only slowly.
His hair was long and lank and grey, but did rise about his head and writhe
and twist as though it were in itself alive. And on his hands, which were each
of six fingers, there were great claws, on which the blood of his victims was
dried. And the stench of him was as the stench of old graves, so that no man
could bear it long and hold his senses. . . .
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The Dead Hand Grips
by JAMES BRUCE

N spite of the tremendous glare of quoted :

I the day outside, down there in the

sunshine and the burning heat of
bowels of the earth it was both dark
"In the dark, where the dead lie
stark—
Where the grave lies grim
and cold. In a place accurs’d ... !”
But for all that, Travers was sweat­ “For God’s sake shut up !” Travers
ing—only it was the sweat of fear voice rose to a high, hysterical note.
rather than of heat. For it seemed to “Or I’ll go back and leave you to it!"
him tiiat he was wrapped around with That dry chuckle came again :
ihe very cloak of Death itself. The “I’ll bet a pound you won't, my
darkness was that of the tomb; the friend ! You’d never go aloe. : that
stillness was that of the tomb; the passage alone—with all the I ogies
Aery air he breathed, not without around you ! But all the same,
difficulty, was that of the tomb. you’re right, and we’d better get on
Down there it seemed that every­ with it. Only this accursed dryness
thing was dead—the air was dead; gets at my bronchial tubes sO . . . !"
the silence was dead ; the very dust A beam of wiiite light from an
that so thickly covered everything electric torch cut through the black­
was the dust of Death. . . . He was ness like a knife, and showed the
rapidlv commencing to feel that he yellow walls, with the crude carving
was dead himself. . . . on them, the low, tunnel-like roof,
Ue spoke sharply, and his voice and the floor thick with grev dust.
seemed to startle the darkness: Then it was turned downwards to
"For God’s sake let’s get on with show a thin, long-fingered band, in
it, Granville 1 This place is too much which lay a small bottle of tabloids :
like a tomb to be comfortable !” “Here, Travers, you’d better take
From the blackness beside him a couple of these, they’ll steady you.
there came a hoarse chuckle : Hold out your hand.”
“Hardly surprising, seeing that it Travers obeyed, and Granville
A a tomb, vou fool !” The voice was shook a couple of the tiny tabloids
so dry in quality, and with such a into the open palm—and noted how
detached, superior note in it, that the hand was trembling.
Travers thought, with a shudder, how "Swallow them down with a swig
it sounded like Death speaking. from your flask,” directed Grapville.
“I mean our tomb!’’ be said, "Then we’ll get on—after all, we may
sulkily. be disturbed at anytime!”
“Oh 1 Yes—quite. Well, so it may He had snapped off his torch again
be, if we’re unlucky !” The thin, dry —necessary to conserve their batter­
voice paused for a moment, and then ies. They were running short, and to
 be without light in those regions of staring eagerly at the door. But
utter blackness was no joke at the Travers was looking at the dust.
best! “What I’d like to know,” the
There came a faint, gurgling sound latter said, in a tense voice, “is how
and then Travers said: —since there’s no draught or wind in
“O.K., Granville—and thanks!” this place—that dust got piled up like
“Then forward—allons . . . I” that. If the door’s never opened . . . 1”
Granville snapped his torch on “Oh, ask me another!” his com­
again, and led the way. The dust they panion answered, without interest.
walked on muffled their footsteps, so “We know it’s been opened at least
that no sound came from them, but once in the last three thousand years
it arose in a grey, choking cloud with or so, though !”
every movement. Granville coughed "Oh, damn !” Travers shuddered,
and spluttered, then swore softly : for some reason. “Anyway, don’t
“Hell, one ought to bring a gas­ stand there gaping, let’s get on . . !”
mask on a job like this . . .!” Granville pushed at the door. It
They came to the end of the remained immovable.
passage, where it ran into another “Stiff, of course !” he commented.
one, going left and right. But the “Put your shoulder to it, Travers—
beam of the torch was long enough you’re the strong man of the party !”
to show them that the left hand turn­ Travers obeyed, but all his
ing was just a dead end, after about strength would hardly move it. With
fifteen yards. Granville pushing as well, they man­
"To the right !” wheezed Gran­ aged to get it open wide enough to
ville, and they turned and went on. let them in, one at a time. Granville
The floor was sloping, which meant went in first, with Travers nervously
that they were going deeper and almost treading on his heels.
deeper under the ground. Travers He put on his own torch as well as
didn’t like that, .although the tablets they got into the space beyond, but
he bad taken had already steadied at a glance they could see it was only
him. But he was still very jumpy. the ante-chamber. Another heavy
He had a feeling, somehow, that stone door, covered with cuniform
evil, dangerous things were cluster­ writing, faced them.
ing around them—things that would Granville hurried across to it.
not easily let them go! Travers still at his heels, and gave it
Then Granville gave a sharp cry : a push. To the amazement of both of
“By Gad, there it is! The fellow them it opened as easily and noise­
was right, then !” lessly as one that was used every day.
His torch—the beam trembling Travers shrank back, seized by a
slightly now from the tensity of his horrible feeling that there was Some­
grip—picked out and held a break in thing behind that door, but Granville
the wall on their right—a heavy stone stood for a moment on the threshold
doorway, open about six inches, and and flashed his lamp around. Then
with the dust piled around it like a he drew a deep breath and went inside
mowdrift. Cuniform writing on the the inner chamber. Travers, afraid to
door. be left, followed him.
Granville hurried forward, making A great, square chamber hollowed
the dust swirl as he went. He was out of the solid rock, and as Travers
entered it his nostirls were assailed "What d’you mean — Some­
by a sickly-sweet smell—the smell of thing . . Travers almost yelped,
embalming oils, perfumes and spices. in his nervousness. “For Heaven’s
In the centre of the room stood the sake do what’s got to be done, and
great sarcophagus, on a low plinth of let’s get out of this . . . !”
black marble, so highly polished that Granville took no notice of him. He
the beams of their lamps were flung stepped onto the marble plinth, and
back at them like stars. In the various stood looking down at the recumbent
corners little groups of queer-looking figure with a deeply reflective, almost
things—earthenware pitchers, metal reverent expression on his hatchet
caskets, images, dolls, weapons. . . . face.
Granville waved his hands.at them. Then he said, very softly :
“The old Egyptians looked after “The great Princess of Egypt,
their dead better than we do!” he Nefexerxes . . . ! She lived—and died
commented. "There is food, tools, —more than a thousand years before
weapons, slaves—and wealth. All Christ! And, after over three thou­
that a soul can need on it’s journey sand years, she is still lovely to-day !
to the new world. And they say the And then fools tell us that beauty is
priests and magicians raised up but ephemeral stuff . . . I”
powerful demons and spirits to guard His voice trailed off, but his reflec­
the dead from destruction, too . . . !” tion continued, until a low sort of
“Oh, shut up . . . !” snapped growl of impatience from his com­
Travers, and Granville grinned. He panion brought him back to earth.
rather enjoyed putting the wind up Then he bent lower over the coffin,
his more nervous companion. and exclaimed :
" Well,” he said. "Let’s have a look “It would seem that our prede­
at her . . . !” Then he pointed to cessors started to unwrap her—or
something : “The tomb has already some, of the wrappings have given
been desecrated, you will observe, way with age. Or, more probably, a
my friend !” bit of both ! Anyway, there’s a hand
He pointed to the heavy lid of the here, bared. And, for some reason, it
great stone coffin, which lay propped hasn’t turned to dust, either, and
against the marble plinth on the dried as it is, it is still a superlatively
further side of the sarcophagus, and lovely hand, let me tell you ! Come
then to a sort of metal coffer, which, up here and have a look at it,
■with the hinges broken and the lid Travers ! ”
twisted off, lay on its side and dis­ “No, thanks—I don’t want to look
played its yawning emptiness to at her—It . . . ! Get on with what you
them. want to do, and let’s get out of it as
“That swine told me one lie!” soon as possible, man !"
Granville almost hissed, in his anger. Granville chuckled again :
"The treasure—the jewels and adorn­ "Still nervous, eh? Well, I don’t
ments of this lovely Egyptian Prin­ blame you, entirely! This doesn’t
cess—were taken by him and his strike me as being a place to hang
comrades. Or some of them, at any- about in. There’s something about
rate. ... It would seem that they were it . . .Tell you what, Travers—there’s
—disturbed ... by ... er .. . Some­ a scarab ring on the third finger of
thing . . . !” this left hand that’s worth a packet,
I guess !” “Come on, then, man!” cried
But Travers gave a sudden violent Travers.
start, and cried, quickly : “Just a second—I must have this
“Hell—what’s that . . .?” ring, at least 1 But the damned thing
It was the distant sound of a shout­ won’t come off ... ! Oh, curse it, the
ing voice ! whole hand’s come away, at the
They listened—tense. It was wrist . . . ! Well, that’ll have to do !”
coming nearer! Travers dropped his With horrified eyes Travers saw
right hand to the bulge in his jacket him lift up a small brown hand, with
pocket which indicated the presence the yellowed mummy wrappings still
of a revolver. . . . attaching it to the arm it had once
Then the words became audible,— belonged to. He caught his breath at
shouted as they were in the high- the sight. Then, with a quick move­
pitched tone of a native, and one who ment and a muffled oath, Granville
was much afraid: broke the wrappings and thrust the
‘‘Excellency . . .! Excellency ... 1 hand into his side pocket.
Where are you . . . ?” “Come on, then !” he shouted, and
“It’s Ahmed!” said Granville, the two of them ran from the Cham­
sharply, but with a note of relief in ber of Death and out through the
his voice. "You answer him, Travers. ante-chamber into the tunnel. The
My voice won’t carry—this accursed grey dust rose around them in a
bronchial-catarrh . . . ! Go to the swirling, choking cloud as they ran,
door, man . . .!" so that soon they were half-stifled by
Travers ran to the door and it. Granville was going first, and
shouted : presently he commenced to slacken
"We’re here, Ahmed ! What is it? speed, gasping and choking for
What’s the matter . . . ?” breath.
Echoing weirdly through the pass­ “Must—slack—up . .!" he gasped.
ages of the tomb, the voice of their “Can’t—breathe . . .!”
dragoman came back to them : But, behind him, Travers gave a
“Excellency ! It is the patrol ! They sudden sharp cry :
are coming here to inspect! One of “Come on—come on . . . !” he
my scouts has just come in with the yelled. "There’s Something behind—
news—we must get away at once, or coming after us . . . ! I’ll swear there
they will capture us!” is . . . !”
Granville heard the words, and said He put on a spurt, and dashed past
quickly, with fear in his voce for the his companion, who, momentarily
first time: affected by his terror, miraculously
"My God, he’s right! We’re for it, pulled himself together and staggered
if we’re caught here—been too much after him. A few moments later,
of this tomb-desecration lately, and sweating, gasping for breath, and
we’ll be the scapegoats if they catch covered with dust, they reached the
us. Tell him to go on and get all open air, where Ahmed waited with
ready—we’re coming right away!” the horses. They scrambled into their
Travers passed on the message, saddles, and rode off at speed, just in
and then turned to Granville, who time to avoid the sharp eyes of the
had not as yet moved. He was bend­ patrol which, shortly after, appeared
ing over the coffin, doing something. on the scene.
 me, man ! Keep the ring, if you must
It was some time later, when they —though I wouldn’t even do that my­
were camping by a small oasis for the self—but get rid of that hand. Bury
night, that Granville showed the it, or something ! There’s something
Hand to his companion : sinister—dangerous—about it, I’ll
“There you are!” he said, with swear there is! And as you know, it
some pride. “Look at it—the Hand wouldn’t be the first time that bad
of an Egyptian Princess ! See it as it luck—aye, and death—have followed
is now-—still beautiful after all these in the pathway of things taken from
centuries—and conceive how lovely desecrated tombs like this! Remem­
it’s owner must haA-e been, more than ber the case of the mummy of
three thousand years ago ! And, inci­ Princess . . . !”
dentally, that ring is no cheap bauble But Granville interrupted him,
either . . . !” scornfully :
As Travers bent to look at it, there “Rats, my lad! I’ll keep it—just
came to his nostrils once more a whiff as it is! The trouble with you is that
of that uncanny smell that had met you are just neurotic . . . !”
him in the Death Chamber—the com­ But in his turn he was interrupted,
bined scent of embalming oils, per­ and turned quickly to see the face of
fumes and spices. A sickly-sweet Ahmed, the Dragoman, staring at the
smell, with the mustiness of Death Hand with fear and horror in his
still clinging to it. eyes:
“The Excellency is right!” he said
slowly. “I do not think I am a coward
but I would rather go to certain death
than have that hand in my posses­
sion. The certain death might be
easier . . . !”
"Nonsense!” scoffed Granville.
“You’re both as superstitious as kids
and you croak like a pair of bull­
frogs ! I tell you I’m keeping it!”
He wrapped the Hand carefully in
a silk handkerchief, and put it away
in his haversack.

Ten years later, Granville, a

wealthy man, gave up his wanderings
and settled down in a large, old-fash­
ioned house near Lingfield, in
Surrey, where he lived the life of a
And that dreadful Hand fixed country-squire, and occasionally
threw house-parties for the entertain­
to the back of his neck.
ment of his many friends.
Travers drew back, with a sudden And five years after that, when one
shiver: of these parties of his was in progress,
"Look here, Granville,” he ex­ he sat up late in his study, drinking
claimed, quickly. "Take a tip from whiskey and yarning with a number
of the men. They got him onto telling laughed, and said :
stories of his adventures abroad, and, “Three thousand years old, eh ?
after spinning a couple of quite ex­ My God, times don’t change much,
citing yarns, he gave a sudden ex­ ieallv 1 Look how perfectly those
clamation and glanced at the almanac nails are manicured! And they were
on the wall. Then he said : stained, too—you can still see traces
“Excuse me, you chaps, for just a ;f it ! Just like our modern women !"
moment!” "Only I don’t suppose they’ll look
Lie unlocked- a small cupboard, so well in three thousand years time.”
which, when opened, revealed a num­ said Granville, sardonically.
ber of volumes, neatly bound in One of the younger men made some
leather, and each marked on the back sort of joke about the ancient Prin­
with a number, stamped in gold. His cess, and someone else gave a sharp
intimates knew that these were his exclamation. They asked him what
diaries, or log-books, as he called was the matter, and he answered :
them, in which all his adventures and “I’ll swear I saw that Hand move,
experiences were carefullv set out in then. The fingers twitched!”
his own neat, copperplate hand­ “Hey! You’ve ben drinking too
writing. Now he selected a volume, much Scotch, old man . . . !”
the number on which indicated a year Another member of the party, who
fifteen back from the one they were really was half-drunk, made a bawdy
then in. After consulting it for a few joke about what would happen if the
moments he put it away, relocked the rest of the Princess were there as well
cupboard, and then turned to his ex­ as her hand, and Granville, with un­
pectant audience : usual gravity, said :
"Of course,” he observed. "We all “I don’t somehow think I’d make
know about what are called travel­ jokes of that sort, if I were you,
ler’s talcs’,—and I daresay you all Haynes—not about this Hand, anv-
think I’ve just been giving von1* a wav !”
couple of tvpical examples. Well, And, even as he spoke, a peculiar
now I’ll tell you one to which I can thing happened. Al! present after­
add a bit of proof . . . !” wards agreed that thev felt a rush of
Ho unlocked the door of a larger cold air enter the room, and with it
cupboard, which was full of curios the light failed for a second. In that
and relics of his travels, and from it second there came the unmistakable
he took a small stone casket, of sound of a slap, followed by a crash
Egyptian workmanship, which he and a curse. And then the lights came
placed on the desk at which he sat. on again. And Haynes was half-
And then, the glasses having been lying, half-sitting in a chair, as
replenished, he told his guests the though he’d been thrown there, with
story of the Princess’s Hand—and at one hand to his cheek and cursing
the end of it was able to show them like a trooper.
the Eland itself. He lifted it carefullv “Who the hH! did that?” lie de­
from it’s box, and Eid it on the edge mand'd, furiously. “Who the hell
of the desk-, and thev al! crowded slapped me face—res, and scratched
round am! si-rod at it curiouslv. re­ it, begad . . . !”
marking on its beautv, the perfection And, sure enough, there was a deen
of its nails, and so on. One man scratch in the centre of a big red patch
on his cheek. Undoubtedly he had locked. He shouted, and thumped on
been slapped and scratched, but the panels with his fist.
everyone there denied it. And only There was no answer. He listened
one man present—a man named again, and now the sounds of
Dixon, who was a naturalist and a struggle were diminishing, but that
very keen observer—got any clue at choking noise continued. And from
all to what had really happened. He under the door there came a blast of
chanced to be one of the men stand­ air, and with it a smell that Dixon
ing closest to the Hand, and he recognised—a smell of embalming
noticed that on one of those tapering, oils and spices, musty with time. He
spidery brown fingers there was a had noticed the same smell emanating
tiny spot of blood, and, clinging to from the Hand, when it had lain on
the long, pointed nail, a minute frag­ the study desk. . . .
ment of what looked.to him uncom­ From the bed there came a violent
monly like human cuticle. But, being creaking, as though some heavy
a wise man, Dixon said nothing— body had fallen—or been forced—
except to advise young Haynes very down upon it. Then the choking
strongly to clean the scratch and put sound changed to a harsh, agonized
some iodine on it. Which young rattle, horrible to hear. Then silence.
Haynes, being drunk and a fool in After that, only one more sound,
any case, failed to do. which occurred a moment or so later.
Shortly after that the party broke It sounded as though the lid of a
up, and then Granville did a peculiar stone box had dropped back into
thing. For some reason he took the place '
box containing the Hand up to his Dixon roused the house, but, being
bedroom with him, a thing he had a wise man and not desiring to be
never done before. thought mad, he merely said that he
Dixon happened to occupy the had heard strange noises from Gran­
next room to Granville, and he had ville’s room, and thought he must be
hardly gone off to sleep when he was ill—also that he could get no answer
aroused by strange sounds from next to his knocking.
door. He heard Granville speaking They broke in the door, and found
in quick, staccato tones that sounded Granville, in his pyjamas, sprawled
as though he was frightened, and across the bed. His face was black,
pleading. Then came a sharp scream, and horribly swollen. Eyes and
almost instantly strangled into a tongue protruded, and there was on
cough. As though whoever had the face an expression of the most
screamed had been suddenly grioped terrible agony (or fear?). On the
bS-’ the throat by a relentless hand . .! swollen throat were the marks of
Dixon sprang out of bed and ran fingers that had gripped . . . !
to the door of his host’s room. From But Dixon, when he entered the
inside came queer sounds—sounds of room, looked around for something
thumping and bumping, as though a else besides the corpse, and saw jhe
fierce struggle was going on in there. decorated stone box which contained
Intermingled with it was a horrid the Hand, lying on the dressing­
coughing and gasping sound, as table. He opened t, and looked at the
Though someone was choking . . .! Hand lying inside. He even touched
Dix-on tried the door—it was it. with one finger—and found that it
74

” Oh, curse it, the whole hand's come away, at the wrist.”
was curiously warm and alive feel­ Dixon, who was an old friend of the
ing. But still he said nothing ! family, was one of the guests on this
For years Granville had been under occasion also, and he remembered it.
doctors and specialists for chronic It was to this recollection that he at­
asthma, and the local doctor had no tributed the queer feeling of nervous
hesitation in granting a certificate. tension that possessed him that even­
His opinion was that he had choked ing—the sort of feeling that one has
in the midst of a particularly virulent sometimes before a thunderstorm,
spasm of that complaint. He did that the whole world is waiting,
notice the marks on the throat, but hushed, for some tremendous and
pointed out that it was quite common devastating event.
for people who were choking to grip The ball was a really gay and
their own throats spasmodically. colourful affair. Most of the guests
But Dixon thought differently ! He were in fancy-dress, encouraged
was also interested to hear, a fort­ thereto by the fact that Robert Gran­
night later, that young Haynes had ville was giving prizes of /joo each
died of bloodpoisoning as a result of for the prettiest and the most original
that scratch ! costumes. Dorothy and Dickie, the
Granville’s brother, Robert, in­ centre of interest, were attired respec­
herited the money and estate, as tively as a Princess of Ancient Egypt
Granville had died intestate, and he and a Scribe of Ancient Egypt.
came to live at Linfield, accom­ Neither of them were competing for
panied by his daughter, Dorothy, the prizes—each felt that, in the
who was twenty years of age and other, they had drawn the best prize
something of a beauty. in the world, so no others interested
Granville had met his death on the them !
night of September 5-6th, and on the It must have been about eleven
anniversary of his death, a year later, o’clock when one of Dickie’s friends
another party was in full swing in the said to him :
house that had been his. It was a “What time’s the parade for the
house-party given to celebrate the prizes, Dickie? Midnight, isn’t it?
engagement of Dorothy to Dickie Well, there’s no doubt about who’s
Stanton, a handsome and wealthy going to collar the one for the most
young Guards officer, who had been original costume ! Have you seen the
her childhood playmate. little Mummv of the Eyptian Prin­
And the grand climax of the house­ cess ?”
party was a magnificent ball, follow­ “No,” Dickie laughed. “Is there
ing upon an almost magnificent one about— I ought to be au fait with
dinner at which the engagement was her, in any case—she’s right in my
formally announced. The late Gran­ line of business to-night!” And he
ville had been a caustic, sardonic and ndicated his Scribe’s costume.
aggressive sort of person, little loved “Well, there she is, curiously
by his relatives, and that was per­ enough. Isn’t she a wonder?”
haps, why nobody noticed that this Following the direction his friend
climax of the gay doings in his house indicated, Dickie saw a most remark­
was actually given on the anniversary able figure. The graceful lines and
of his tragic death. contours of it, apart from the face,
Nobody is not quite correct though. made it clear that it was a woman,
and a very beautiful one, and it "Since it would seem we are at
looked as though it was covered from least compatriots,” he said to her,
head to foot in swathings of soft, with a little bow. “Would the beauti­
shimmering silk. Not swathed, of ful Princess deign to dance with the
course, as a mummy is, in one lowly scribe ?”
bundle, but each limb separately, She turned to look at him—not just
thus allowing freedom of movement. her eyes, but the whole face. He was
The effect as she walked, with a sure, then, that it was just a painted
singularly graceful, gliding move­ mask, for the beautiful eyes looked
ment, was remarkable, for the colour into his with an absolute blankness
of the shimmering swathings, which and lack of expression that almost
was a sort of pearl-grey, gave her the '.shocked him. Yet, when she ans­
appearance of being almost trans­ wered, the painted lips moved. She
parent. said :
But the most striking thing of all “Why, wes—if the Scribe does not
about her was her face—if it was her fear to dance with the dead 1”
face. Actually no one could tell "To dance with such beauty, dead
whether it was her own countenance, or alive, is an honour !” he answered
heavily and remarkably painted, or —and bravely stifled the involuntary
whether it was just a mask, so absol­ shudder that went through him at
utely still and expressionless was it. her words.
But whichever it was, it was trans- Next moment they were dancing.
cendantly beautiful, with a beauty He found it a strange sensation, for
that hardly belonged to earth at all. she was as light as a piece of thstle-
It was, as someone remarked, like the down, literally. Indeed, so light, so
beautifully painted face of a lovely impalpable, was she that once or
dead woman. twice he had a queer feeling that he
Now, as this strange figure crossed was actually dancing by himself, and
the floor, with it’s smooth, gliding had to look down at her to make sure
motion, it passed close to Dixon, who she was reallv there ! Another thing
had his back turned. He started vio­ that rather worried him was the per­
lently, and spun round to stare at it fume she used—a queer, sickly-sweet
—for. as it passed, his notrils had perfume that suggested, somehow,
been assailed with a strong whiff of spices and oils. . . .
that perfume he was destined never After the number was finished she
to forget—of embalming oils, soices, said, in a strange voice that was
and the mustiness of death . . .! And almost as detached and mechanically
now he stared after it like one who artificial as was her face :
looks upon a ghost . . . ! "And now I must talk to you for a
“By Jove!” cried Dickie. "But moment. Take me somewhere where
what a lovely creature ! I must ask we can talk !”
her for a dance . . .!” There was something curiously
Another number was just begin­ commanding—imperious—about her
ning, and he saw his fiance, Dorothy, words and manner. It was as though
go whirling away, superlatively she had been used to giving orders
beautiful in the arms of another man. —and having them obeyed ! He led
Then he turned and hurried across tt> her obediently to the great palm­
the silken stranger : court, which was at the moment al­
most deserted. All the time he had a do—and 1 advise that it be done
feeling that everything was strange quickly. Secure the Hand, which re­
and unreal. That feeling increased poses in a casket in a drawer in
when she spoke to him, without pre­ Robert Granville’s room. Take it
amble : back to Egypt, and see that it is re­
“Richard Stanton,” she said, in placed in the outraged tomb. In order
that strange, toneless, distant voice-, to find the tomb, secure the services
that seemed, somehow, to be coming of a man named Travers—you will
from an immense distance away. find him at the Traveller’s Club, in
“Richard Stanton, I am going to be London. He will guide you to the
merciful to you for two reasons—first tomb. Fie will not wish to do so, but
because you are a lover, and I, too, you can persuade him—with money !
was once a lover, and secondly be­ Do this, as I have told you, and the
cause you are a warrior, and the man curse will be lifted—neglect it, and
I loved was allso a warrior ! Now, the girl you love will die a horrible
listen carefully, and be sure to do death ! I have spoken I”
exactly as I say. Sixteen years ago She made a commanding gesture
to-day, the uncle of the girl you love with her left arm as she said this, and,
was in Egypt. While there he com- with a shock that made him go cold
mi'.ted a great an unforgivable all over, Dickie realised that there
crime ! He broke into the tomb of the was no hand on that arm—it ended
long-dead Princess Neferexes .and abruptly in a stump . . . !
desecrated it in the vilest fashion. For a moment lie went faint, and
For when he was disturbed, in striv­ closed his eyes. When he opened
ing io take a ring from the finger of them, she had gone ... I
the left hand, the whole hand came Dickie’s thoughts were in confu­
away at the wrist—and he carried it sion. He didn’t know whether to
off with him and kept it. He kept it in believe the extraordinary story he
spite of warnings—and he had many had been told, or whether to think
--and on this night of last year he someone was having a joke with him.
was killed because of it ...!” Eventually he decided that the best
“But hang it all !” Dickie ven­ thing to do was to talk to his pros­
tured to interrupt. “The doctors said pective father-in-law about it—to find
he died of . . .!” out from him whether such a Hand
“Never mnd what the fools of doc­ existed, and whether he had had anv
tors said—he was strangled in his "warnings" about it.
bedroom by the Hand that he had But when he went to look for
stolen, actuated bv the curse that the Robert Granville, he could not find
outraged Gods of Egypt set upon him. And when, a little later,
him1—and upon his house I And that Robert’s presence was required for,
is what concerns you, Richard Stan­ the parade for the prizes, timed for
ton. For to-night his brother—who midnight, he was still missing. . . .
has also ignored warnings—will die
in the same way ! A nd on this night Robert Granville had had a sudden
of next year, unless you do as I bid desire to be alone. It was more than
you, the girl you love, who will in­ a desire—if was a craving. And, with
herit the Curse, will die in the same the place over-run with guests, about
way 1 Now, this is what you have to the only place where he could find
sanctuary was his own bedroom—« things! I’m going mad, or some­
which once had been his brother’s. thing I Here, I must get out of
The night was close—the air this . . .! With all his mental strength
singularly still, with that uncanny he strove to force himself to turn and
stillness and tensity that usually pre­ run from the room—and failed. As
cedes a thunderstorm. Once in the in a nightmare, his feet seemed to be
bedroom, Robert stood by the open fixed to the floor—his limbs to be
window and tried to get some air, but bound with invisible bonds.
found it difficult. He found that he And now the drawer was open to
was perspiring, and that his collar the extent of about six inches, and
seemed too tight. The perspiration, from that opening the Hand came
too, did not seem a natural one. It forth, and rose into the air, where it
was cold and clammy—the sort of hung suspended—the slim, spidery
perspiration, he thought, that a man index finger pointing directly at him
might have just when he was dying I as though in accusation, while he
He put the thought aside with a stared at in a paralysis of terror, his
shudder — Robert Granville was eyes wide with horror and the saliva
afraid of death 1 running unheeded from his tremu­
Then he became conscious of a lous lips.
strange smell in the room—a sickly- Then it commenced to move slowly
sweet, spicy sort of smell, with a and with infinite menace, through
queer musty tinge to it. And, while the air towards him, the long, slender
he was still wondering what it could fingers writhing convulsively, like
be, he heard a sound behind him—as the tentacles of some great insect—
though one of his drawers was being and with that the power of life and
cautiously opened movement came back to him.
. “Who’s there?” he cried, sharplv, With a low gurgle of terror he
and at the same time sprang to the turned towards the door to fly—but
s. itch and put on the light. the Hand was there first ! It slammed
d'here was no .answer to his ques­ the door, turned the key in the lock,
ts n—no one in the room. But as he and then came at him again . . . !
!• ■oke.’t towards the chest of drawers On? wild scream of terror left his
ms whole body stiffened, his face already blueing lips, and then, as he
went deathly pale, and his eyes glared i; It tlie clutch of the Hand upon his
in fearful doubt at what thev saw. throat, his knees gave under him and
Fer one of the drawers was slowlv lie slumpe 1, limo and inert, to the
o-ening—apparently of its own voli­ floor. . . .
tion. A nd t hen, as he stared w i t h dis-
tended, unbelieving eves at this And once again the verdict (there
phenomenon, he became aware of was an inquest this time) was
something else. Protruding over the “Natural Causes”—not entirely in­
inner edge of the drawer were five correct in this case, because Robert
t mall finger-tips ... it was as though had actually died from heart-failure,
someone inside the drawer was push­ caused by terror.
ing it open from within 1 But that Dickie Stanton hardly knew what
was plainly impossible . . . ! to think or what to do about it. From
Heavens I thought Robert, to the the moment she had left him the
tune of his racing heart, I’m seeing Mummy had completely disappeared.
No one saw the going of her, as no sure I But what do you want to know
one had seen her come—and no one about the Hand, my boy ?”
seemed to know who she was or any­ When Dickie told him the object
thing about her. Luckily, however, of his visit Travers at first resolutely
Dickie had a talk with Dixon, who refused to have anything at all to do
for the first and last time told what with it, but Dickie was tactful, and
he knew—about the death of Gran­ when he pointed out that, once the
ville and of young Haynes, and about Hand was restored, these dreams or
the Hand, and Granville’s story of visions that had haunted Travers for
how he acquired it. And all this fitted so long would almost certainly cease,
tn so well with what the mysterious and added to that the further induce­
Mummy had told him that, when he ment of a fee of five hundred pounds
found the Hand itself, lying in its (for Travers had fallen on evil days
stone casket in one of the drawers in financially) he gave in, and agreed to
the bedroom, he did not hesitate any go to Egypt with him and guide him
longer. to the Tomb.
As Dorothy was left entirely alone So eventually they started off for
except for distant and almost un­ Egypt, a party of three—for Dorothy
known relatives, by the death of her was to accompany them as far as
father, they were quietly married a Cairo, where she was going to stay
month after the funeral, and the first with friends while Travers and her
thing Dickie did at the end of a short husband went on to the Tomb—
honeymoon was to seek out Travers exactly seven months after the death
at the Traveller’s Club. of Robert Granville.
He found him without difficulty— Even so, they had plenty of time
in fact he was actually in the Club in hand when they started, yet in the
the first time Dickie called there. end it became a race against time, for
Dickie was not to know it, but in Cairo Travers was taken ill with
Travers had aged considerably in the some mysterious complaint which the
sixteen years that had elapsed since doctors there could not diagnose, and
iie had helped to desecrate the tomb it was nearly five months before he
of the Egyptian Princess, and was was abb„ io travel on the next and last
now a neurotic, semi-invalid. This stage of the journey.
may have accounted for the fact that So it was actually once more on
he nearly fainted when Dickie men­ that fatal anniversary, the 5th of
tioned the Hand to him. When he September, that Travers and Dickie
had recovered a little, he gasped : Stanton, accompanied only by a
“Good God. am I never to be trusted dragoman, approached the
allowed to forget that accursed entrance to the tomb wherein lay the
1 Land ?” mutilated mummy of the Princess
"How d’you mean, forget it?” Nefexerxes. Travers looked the ghost
Dickie asked. "I thought you had of his former self, and the state of his
been out of touch with Granville for nerves was demonstrated continually
years before his death ?” by the way he fidgeted, trembled,
"Oh, yes, I had, but . . .” Travers and constantly looked over his shoul­
made vague gestures with a shaking der, as though he suspected some
hand. "... I have had dreams—awful danger behind him. Dickie, on the
dreams . . . visions, maybe—I’m not other hand, was in the best of health,
though deadly anxious that the Hand what’s wrong, but I feel dreadful! I
should be restored within the limit of tell you what it is, old man—I shan’t
time mentioned by the mysterious be able to come into the tomb with
plummy at the ball—and this was you. I just couldn’t do it! But I’ll
the last day and drawing to the give you careful directions, so that
close of it. you can find the Chamber by your­
Slung over his shoulder as he rode self—it’s not at all difficult, actually !
—and it had never left him since they Do you mind very much ?”
departed from Cairo—was a specially "Not in the circumstances,” Dickie
made steel box, fastened by a Chubb answered, kindly, for he felt sorry for
lock’, in which reposed the Hand it­ this pitiable wreck of a man. “So
self. The key of the box he wore long as I can get the Hand back be­
hung round his neck, by a chain. fore sunset, I’ll be quite happy !’’
About a mile away from the tomb, "Oh, you’ll do that easily 1” There
and out of sight of the entrance to it, was a tremulous relief in Travers’
they left Abdulla, the dragoman, tone. “Now, listen carefullv . . . !”
He then proceeded to give him the
necessary directions for getting from
the entrance to the Death-Chamber
itself, to all of which Dickie listened
with careful attention. By the time it
was finished, they were within a few
yards of the narrow, black oblong in
the side of the massive stone tumulus
which was the entrance itself.
Travers reined in :
“Now, you go ahead !” he sugges­
ted. “Til wait here with' the horses.
Only for Heaven’s sake don’t be too
long ! I—I shan’t be able to stick it
for any length of time ! I—I . . . !”
His voice trailed off in a peculiar
way, and Dickie saw that his face
(>;m scream of terror left had gone a sort of ashen-grey, and
i:is already blueiny lips. that his eyes were wide and staring,
his mout'i loose and tremulous. Fie
with instructions to await them. looked as though he was going to
‘Then the two white ’men rode on by have a fit!
themselves. Dickie tried to urge his horse
As thev drew near to the entrance nearer, and then became aware that
Travers’ nervousness increased to the animal had gone curiously stiff,
such an extent that Dickie, noting and was trembling all over. It
how tremulous he was and the resolutely refused to move 1
deathly paleness of his face, became From behind him there came a
alarmed about him, and asked if he sharp click, as though a lock had been
was feeling ill. turned. He looked round quickly, but
"Yes,” Travers answered, in a low could see nothing. But an instant
voice. “Deadlv ill—I—I don’t know later he became aware of a strange
and weird sensation—as though dragged?) from his horse, and for a
something, like a huge spider, or moment lay struggling wildly in the
other insect, was climbing up his sand. Then he rose—or was pulled—
back ... 1 to his feet—and the next moment he
Involuntarily he shuddered, and it seemed to be running madly towards
took all his strength of mind to stop the entrance of the Tomb—running
himself from crying out, as he felt with his head thrust forward, his
the thing crawl swiftly up his back, arms madly threshing the empty air,
and finally perch on his shoulder. and that dreadful Hand fixed now to.
He saw that Travers had turned his the back of his neck. But was he run­
head and was staring at him with his ning—or was ,hfe being pushed by
face convulsed by an expression of that ghastly Hand, or by some Force
the most dreadful terror. Then he that was actuating it ... ?
glanced down at his own shoulder— In a moment he had disappeared
and almost screamed aloud at what through the entrance, and from the
he saw there ! darkness beyond came terrible, ear­
For resting on it, as though it’s piercing shrieks, as from one in an
owner was standing just behind him, extreme of agony or terror—or both.
was a hand. A small, slim, brown The shrieks gradually dwindling and
hand, with long, spidery fingers, and dying away, muffled, into the bowels
a great scarab ring on one of them! of the earth. Almost as though the
It did not need the whiff of embalm­ very earth itself was smothering the
ing oils, and spices and must, to tell victim of its vengeance ... I
him what that Hand was, and who it All that time Dickie had sat his
belonged to. horse, motionless. He had tried with
And then, even as he stared down all his strength to go to the rescue of
sideways at it, his eyes fixed with Travers, but he had been as helpless
horror, he distinctly felt the Hand as though bound with chains. He had
give a slight, gentle pressure to his tried to shout for help—and towards
shoulder—as though it were reassur­ the end, in his ultimate horror, tried
ing him ! And in that moment his to scream. But as in a nightmare,
terror went. though he opened his mouth. no
But it came back as he saw the sound came from it ...!
long, slim fingers curl downwards But now, suddenly, he felt himself
and felt, rather than saw, how the potent once more. The use of limbs
uncanny thing seemed to crouch, as and voice came back to him, and he
though for a spring . . . ! Then there shouted, loudly :
came a wild shriek from Travers, and “Hold on, Travers—I’m coming.’’
he distinctly felt the jerk on his There was a worn iron ring by the
shoulder as it did. spring. . . . entrance, and he stayed only to hitch
And the next thing he was aware his reins to that. Then, revolver in
of was that the Hand had fastened one hand and electric torch in the
itself to the throat of Travers, and other, he raced into the blackness,
seemed to be shaking him furiously following carefully the instructions
from side to side, while his face that Travers had given him, and,
blacked and horrible suppressed cries heedless of the grey death-dust that
and gurgles came from his terror- rose to blind blind his eyes and choke
twisted lips. Then he fell (or was his lungs with every step he took. . . .
 The Death-Chamber at last! Yes, and in that instant he knew that the
there was the great sarcophagus, on vengeance of the princess was com­
it’s plinth of black marble. And there plete, and that he and his beloved
was Travers—or what was left of Dorothy were safe.
him ! Then it semed to him that hands,
But at the sight that met his eyes strong but gentle, seized him, pro­
there, Dickie recoiled, shuddering. pelled him from the Chamber and
Half-lying and half-kneeling hurried him at breathless speed
against the plinth, the body of along the dark passages and tunnels
Travers was sprawled, face down­ —from which he presently emerged
wards—or it would have been face into the sunlight and the air, where
downwards, but for the fact that the it seemed that hands other than his
poor devil’s head had been twisted own unhitched his horse and lifted
completely round, so that his face him into the saddle. . . .
stared upwards from between his two But a moment later he was almost
shoulder-blades with such an expres­ out of it again, for his mount shied
sion of frozen horror on it as Dickie violently as there sounded from be­
had never seen before, or was likely hind them a tremendous crashing
to again 1 What colossal, inhuman and a rumbling that shook the
strength had been used to perform ground. And then he saw that the
that awful operation he could not whole side of the tumulus had caved
imagine—nor would he allow himself in, and that the dark oblong of the
to try I entrance had disappeared. The Prin­
He did not bend to examine the cess was guarding herself affectually
corpse—no need to, ft was so dread­ against any possible future desecra­
fully obvious that he was dead—but, tion . . . !
impelled by some force quite bevond He was still staring at the dust-
his control, he stepped softly and clouded ruin when Abdulla, the
reverently onto the plinth and looked dragoman, came galloping up. He
down into the stone coffin. had heard the rumble, and hastened
The mummy of the beautiful Prin­ to discover the fate of his employers.
cess Nefexerxes lay there, peaceful He asked one question :
and serene. Her left hand, though “The other Excellency . . . ?”
bare of the mummv-wrappings, was White as death itself, Dickie
joined to the arm, and the scarab ring pointed silently to the ruin, and
flashed and sparkled in the light of .Abdulla bowed his head :
his torch. And when he looked for a “It is the will of Allah 1” he said,
moment on the painted face of the and then added, meaningly: "Who
death-mask he saw at a glance that it is One with all the Gods of old . . . !”
was the same face that had looked so Then, since there was nothing to
strangely into his on the night of the be done, they turned and rode silently
ball. And as he looked down at it away—back to Cairo, to love, and to
now, it seemed to him that, for a fleet­ sanity.
ing instant, -''ere crept a shadow of
a smile into the painted eves and lips, THE END
THE LAST WORD
by W. E. TILLOTT

ILAS WHEELER rejoiced in grumbling in their tone. But Silas

S that day more than he had said it with his pale-blue eyes spark­
rejoiced in any day for more ling and his thin lips drawn back
years than he cared to think of. And from the yellow, broken teeth in un­
he rejoiced in it for curious reasons. holy joy!
Most people would have seen it as a “What a day for a funeral . . .!”
grim, gloomy, drab miserable day and And he walked about the dull, cold
would, if they could, have fled from it gloomy old house, that was now un-
to the pubs or the pictures—or at disputedly his, humming a song
worst drawn their blinds, switched on gaily. It wasn’t written then, but if
their lights, and shut it out. it had been, and he’d been familiar
But Silas rejoiced in the melancholvlilJwith it, I have no doubt he would
bowling of the wind, the flurries of have been singing : “It’s a hap-hap-
cold wet rain, the two shades of dull, happy day . . . !”
monotonous grey that covered the And it certainly was a happy day
sky, the lower and slightly darker for Silas, for was it not the day on
strata hurried along below the upper which all that was left of his late wife,
and lighter one by the wind. Elspeth Wheeler, was to be consigned
The dull plash-flash of the rain­ to the ground, to be covered for ever
drops in the puddles was like sweet by a six-foot depth of cold, wet earth,
music to his ears, and the sodden, and there to be consumed, at their
soft, muddy fields and roads, littered horrid leisure, by the worms? A
by the last lonely autumn leaves that lovely thought that, as it ran through
drifted down, shrunk, shrivelled and his head. Silas rubbed his hands in
dead, from the bare branches of the delight and chuckled aloud.
rain-glistening trees, made a view he The funeral procession, when at
would not have exchanged for all the two p.m., it moved away from the big
sunshine and green fields in the gloomy house which had been the
world. home of the two Wheelers for so long,
From time to time he exclaimed, as fully justified the event it was to the
he looked at the weather : village. It was, they said to each other,
“What a day for a funeral! My certainly as fine and imposing a
God, what a day for a funeral . . . !” funeral as money could buy.
As a matter of fact nearly every­ There were four horses to the
body else in the village was saying hearse, all jet black and with black
the same thing—but not by any means velvet cloths on their backs and big,
in the same way. They said it with black, nodding plumes on their
glum faces, and with discontent and heads. And the coffin was an expen­
sive affair, too, with big brass handles coffin. Everybody in the village was
and a brass plate. There were no there to see the last of her, but
flowers on it, it is true, but word had amongst them all there was not one
gone round the village as soon as mourner—and that included her hus­
Elspeth had died : “ No flowers, by band himself, who was delighted
request.” But whether the request again at the thought.
came from Elspeth or Silas, no one He had chosen the site for the grave
could say. As a matter of fact it came part of the churchyard, and he stood
from Silas—who was willing that the by its yawning mouth and rejoiced in
funeral should be imposing, but quite the whistle of the wind and the flurry
unwilling that there should be any­ of rain that came down from the
thing pretty about it. And the vil­ blackest cloud of the day as the coffin
lagers were relieved, because they had was lowered into its last resting place.
all hated Elspeth so much that they At the bottom it splashed into water,
would not have liked to have to be so and Silas had some difficulty in resist­
hypocritical as to send flowers to ing a grin of satisfaction at that, and
cover her bare coffin ! the sound of the wet, muddy shovels-
That was the secret of the whole full of earth flopping dismally onto
thing—everyone had hated Elspeth, it as it lay down there was like glad
and the one who had hated her most in the loneliest and most desolate
was her husband, Silas. That was music to his ears !
why he had been so lavish in the A student of of mob-psychology
matter of the funeral—because Els­ should have been interested in that
peth had always been a miser, and he scene, for the atmosphere of hate was
knew how she would have hated that so strong that one felt it was a wonder
any more than the minimum sum that a flash of lightning didn't come
necessary should be spent on her from heaven and consume the coffin
funeral. So he had even gone to the completely. Or from Hell, which
length of ordering six mourning would have been far more fitting.
coaches. He rode in the first, alone, For that was the sort of atmosphere
and in each of the others rode a single Elspeth Wheeler had created when
hired mute, in his shabby silk hat alive—she hated everyone and every­
and black coat. It added a touch of one hated her. Most of all her hus­
mockery to the ceremony, which band, who had the greatest reason to
pleased Silas immensely ! hate her.
Every soul in the village who could As the parson, his white surplice
get there was at the funeral, but they soaked with the driving rain, turned
were all waiting at the church—not away from the grave, Silas turned
one followed the coffin from the house, suddenly to the silent, sullen onlook­
although it was a bare two hundred ers, who were also about to depart.
yards away. That would have been a He held up his hand, and they paused
sign of love or respect, neither of staring at him :
which they were prepared to show to You’ve all come along here,” he
the corpse of Elspeth Wheeler ! No, said, in a loud monotone, “to pay
they were just there to see the last of your last respects to the dear depar­
her, and most of them to draw a ted. Now I want you to come along to
breath of relief when the wet sods the house, where a funeral collation
thumped down onto the big, heavv has been spread for you in the big
 barn. There will be plenty to eat— spent it freely. Wine, woman and
and to drink—so don’t fail to come song. And gambling.
along. Besides, sfc would be pleased Then he had courted young Els­
to know what \ ou were doing ! ’ ’ peth Greymole. She had been slim
Some of the less imaginative and beautiful then, with a sort of
chuckled at that last, regarding it as beaute du diable that had made the
a joke. But the more sensitive shud­ dames of the village look askance, and
dered a little at the mockery and hate whisper behind their hands old wives
behind it. But they went, just the hints of the “evil eye’’ and witch­
same—free food and beer wasn’t to craft. She was certainly witch enough
be sneered at! to make young Silas lose his head
Afterwards they all said it was one over her ! It was not an easy wooing
of the finest feasts they had ever had. —she teased him and tormented him,
Silas had done the thing in style—■ and made him crawl on his knees to
put it all in the hands of a catering her for months, but at last consented
firm from the nearby town—and to marry him. —
there were great joints of beef and The first month of his married life
legs of pork, and barrels and barrels had been a happy one for him, with a
of beer, and even cases of whiskey. sort of hectic happiness born of
Why, it must have cost a small for­ physical, passion. He had loved and
tune—and, somehow, the thought of hated her at the same time. But, after
how Elspeth, the old miser-woman, that. . . .
would have hated the idea tickled His hate had predominated. He
them—especially after they had con­ beat her and bent her to his will, and
sumed a few pints of the free beer ! got a queer, sadistic joy out of it. At
When it was over, and they had all the same time he liked to dress her
departed, Silas went into the house up in silks and satins and jewels, and
and changed his black clothes. He put his father having died, he spent a
on a suit of gay, bright check, with good part of his inheritance in this
breeches and gaiters, and he took his extravagant way.
stout ash-stick and slipped the leather But it was not his only extravagant
throng of it round his wrist, as he way—he also spent money like water
always did. Then he set out for the in drink and gambling. And, after a
“Kings Head,’’ and spent the even­ while, on other women. And Elspeth
ing there treating everyone who cared took it all remarkably meekly though
to have it to more drink, and laugh­ wise folk prognosticated that she was
ing and joking with them all. By ten only biding her time. And the wise
o’clock most of the village was very folk were right!
drunk, but, although he had had as When, at last, Silas was face to
much as any of them, Silas was quite face with ruin and bankruptcy, his
sober still. wife, with her far cleverer and more
He went back to his house-—it was ingenious brain, came to his rescue.
his house, now—and sat by a big fire She showed him a way out of his
and drank hot whiskey, while his difficulties. It was a dishonest way—a
thoughts roamed back over the past. very dishonest way—and would have
He had been a gay young spark in earned him five years penal servitude
his youthful days. He had money— if he had been found out. But it was,
or, rather, his father had—and he as she pointed out, fool-proof, and
Silas had some difficulty in resisting a grin of satisfaction.
there was no way in which he could owned nearly two thirds of the village
be found out. and had a reputation as a hard land­
So he did it—and regretted it for lord (or rather, earned one for Silas)
the rest of his life ! that extended all over the country,
For it was not quite fool-proof after and further. Always she pretended to
all. Only one person could give him be merely the agent : “You see it’s
away—but that person was Elspeth ! nothing to do with me, really—it is
And within a week of the doing of it my husband’s money, and I must
she let him know just where he stood. carry out his instructions!” That
She held clear and indisputable didn’t entirely throw dust in the vic­
proofs of his guilt, and she had only tim’s eyes—they held Silas respon­
to send them anonymously to the sible, but thought she influenced him,
police, and he would be arrested and which didn’t make him any more
sentenced to a long term in goal. And popular, though !
unless he came to heel, and acknow­ But, in all the thirty-five years that
ledged her as his master, she would this was taking place the one thing
do it. that had enraged and humiliated Silas
At first he had fought against it, more than anything and everything
but he was scared stiff of imprison­ else was the fact that always, in their
ment, and in the end he knuckled many quarrels, Elspeth had the last
under. And then the meek and patient word. And that last word was usually
Elspeth showed herself in her true a threat to give him away to the police
colours! Tyrant, virago and miser, which cowed him, outwardly, as a
she made his life a hell on earth from sight of a whip does an ill-treated
that day onward. She controlled the dog. Sometimes, retiring after a com­
purse-strings and everything else. bat of this sort he used to mutter,
She fed him—or, rather, starved him. albeit hopelessly, to himself. “Never
—on the poorest and scantiest of food, mind—maybe one day it’ll be me that
doled him out miserably inadequate has the last word !"
sums of spending-money, and con­ And now, by God, he had it!
trolled his every movement. She Yes, he told himself, as he poured
nagged and bullied him until he went more whiskey down his dry throat,
nearly mad. By her meanness and he’d got the last word, now! He’d
sharp practice, some of which he been having it all day—with the
appeared to be responsible for, she lavish funeral that would have made
made him almost as much hated in her scream with rage, and that feast
the village as she was—and he had for the crowd afterwards that would
always loved his popularity. have broken her black heart, if she’d
In her hands money did not dissi­ had one! He laughed aloud, harshly,
pate as it had in his. On the contrary, at the humour of it. He’d got the last
it increased and multiplied. She lent word this time, alright. And it was
money at interest to villagers who the final last word, top!
were poor, and on mortgages to those —Or was it ? An idea, born of the vast
who were richer but temporarily em­ amount of spirit he had consumed,
barrassed. She sold up defaulting came to him then. With a laugh, he
clients and foreclosed on her mort­ rose, got his stick and hat, and went
gages with complete ruthlessness. out into the night. The rain had
She bought property, too, until she ceased, but the cold, lonely wind was
still blowing, and a faint moon, show­ then slowly thrust the stick into the
ing spasmodicallj? between the wind- soft earth of the grave, thrusting it
driven clouds, made the silent world slowly downwards and twisting it as
look weird and ghostlike. But Silas he did so, as though he was twisting
grinned, as lie took the road to the it in an open wound. His eyes glow'ed
graveyard : with hatred, and his thin lips were
“ Her ghost is safe enough, any­ drawn back in an animal snarl, as he
way, under six foot o’ cold earth— thrust his stick deeper and deeper. . . .
and I’m afraid of no other!” And just then the church clock
He entered the graveyard and struck twelve. . . .
presently stood by the newly-raised Suddenly the stick jerked in his
mound of earth that marked her hand, ana he gave a sharp cry of
grave. He was delighted to see how- mingled astonishment and terror.
wet and sodden and cold the desolate, For something had gripped the stick
flowerless grave looked in the pale —Something down there in the earth
moonlight, and he stood there, with —in the grave—and was slowly pull­
his arms folded and the ash-stick ing it downwards, downwards. . . .
dangling, suspended from his wrist Silas let out a sort of yelp of terror.
by its leather thong, and stared down Then he commenced to struggle
at it, wishing he could see her corpse against that remorseless downward
lying down there amid the mud and pull. But it was useless, for the
the water—and the worms ! strength of that pull was more than
After a while he spoke : human. His feet slipped in the treach­
“ So, you hell-cat,” he said, in a erous mud, and he sprawled on his
low tone, vibrant with concentrated knees.
hate, “ There you are, gone to your Mouth open, jaws slavering, eyes
master, the Devil, while I’m still distended with terror, he tried to
here—to live and enjoy life again as I release himself from the leather
used to before you spoiled it for me, thong that fastened his wrist to the
yon brimstone-bitch ! And, mark ye, stick. But it had drawn tight, and the
it’s me that has that last final word, leather was too tough to break. He
and I’ve come here to speak it to you ! tried to get handhold to resist that
You can’t answer back now, you pull, but there was no handhold—
witch’s spawn—because you’re cold only sodden earth that seemed to
and dead in your grave, and I’m alive have become soft and yielding as that
and happy ! Ha-ha ! And this is my of a bog...........
last word—that I wish you hadn’t Madly he slipped and struggled
died so quick. If you'd have lived a and flapped, like a fish caught on a
bit longer—if I’d had you there help­ line—and as uselessly ! Down—down
less at my mercy—I’d have . . . I’d went the stick, drawn by that irresist-
have . . .” he paused for a moment as able force, until now it had vanished
though to think what he would have —and his arm was following it. . . .
done, and then went on, ”... I’d Then he started screaming, like a
have done this to you, as I do it now, rabbit in a trap, and kept on scream­
and hope you cau feel it . . . !” ing until presently his face was
He grasped his ash-stick, leaned drawn down into the mud, and his
forward a little to avoid a great cries were stifled with his breath;
puddle at the edge of the grave, and until at last even the spasmodic kick­
ing and struggling ceased, too, and lips of some obscene animal, and then
his limp, inert body was drawn there was nothing more to be seen at
slowly and remorselessly downward. all ... !
Down, down. . . . Down into the It certainly looked as though Els­
cold, wet earth, until only the sole of peth had got the last word, after
one stout boot could be seen. And all ... !
then that disappeared, too, and the
earth closed over it like the soft, wet THE END

WITCH'S LULLABY

Ratsbane, Hellebore, Nightshade, Aconite,

Bat’s wings, toad’s eyes, hairs from a leper—
Put them in the cauldron, keep the fire both hot and bright- -
Hell’s broth a-boiling for Somebody’s supper!

Black cat with fiery eyes; owl hooting in the tree;

Black bat a-flying; rats that squeak and wriggle 1
Dead men turn in their graves and whisper secret words to me—
Worms writhe and twist and turn, what a higgle-piggle . . . !

Spirits that moan and groan ; Death Watch goes tack-a-tick—-

Wax image of my enemy, with pins to make a stab at !
Throw all my clothes off and leap upon my broomstick—
Flv through wind and thunder-storm—awav to the Sabbat!
W.J.E.

IN AN CLD GRAVEYARD

Curved scarlet of Queen Cleopatra’s lips;

Fair Helen’s snow-white breasts—where are they now?
Salome’s swaying and seductive hips —
As she, dead head on charger, makes her bow?

Alike the lovely wantons and sweet saints have passed

Through the Grim Gate, whence there is no return—
Who are their lovers now ? Whose arms at last
Embrace them—whose kisses make their soft lips burn ?

Upon an aged tomb the answer lies,

All fat and fed, rejoicing in it’s slime
And basking before my horror stricken eyes—
The Worm, to whom we all must come in time!
W.E.
THIS MIGHT HAPPEN TO YOU!.. JF IT DID...

As Slim released the catch of the front door it seemed as though it was
being pushed against him from outside. He let go the handle and stepped back,
and as he did so the door swung open and the form of a man, that had been
kneeling and leaning against it, fell across the mat with a dull thud. He wore
a striped apron and still clutched a pint bottle of milk in his hand. But he
was quite dead 1
The police! He’d better find one quickly, or they might think he had
something to do with this ! He stepped over the body and down the short
garden-path into the street. Surprisingly, he found a policeman at once—only
a few yards away. But he was lying spreadeagled on his back—and he was
dead, too ! A little further down the road a newsboy lay across his bicycle—
also dead. A girl with an attache-case lay beside a man with an umbrella—
they had been on their way to business. A tradesman’s car had smashed
through the railings of a house, and the driver lay limp across his wheel.
Everyone in sight was dead !
Suddenly, as he stared, dumbfounded, at this astounding scene, there came
to the mind of Slim recollection of that article about the mad Nazi professor
who had threatened to destroy the whole of humanity with his death-ray—a
ray that was to blot out humanity only, sparing all other living creatures ... I
A living dog that just then chased a living cat across the bottom of the street
gave sudden colour to Slim’s thought. Was that what had happened ? Was
he, then the only human being alive in the world at that moment . . . ?
II'd5 he ... ?
Panicking, he turned and ran back into the house—it seemed more secure
there, somehow. . . .

IF YOU STEPPED OUT OF YOUR FRONT DOOR ONE MORNING

AND FOUND THAT EVERYONE IN SIGHT WAS MYSTERIOUSLY
DEAD, WHAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THREE THINGS YOU
WOULD DO . . .?

The answers are bound to be interesting, and it will be even more

interesting to compare them with what “ Slim ” Turner, the Last Man Alive
in the World, actually does in the story of that name.
 The Editor of the -WEIRD STORY MAGAZINE"
has great pleasure in announcing that he has secured the
first serial rights of one of the most daring, amazing
fantastic and thrilling stories ever written :

The LAST MAN in the WORLD!

By E. BRUCE

and the foregoing is an extract from the first chapter of this

most remarkable work, which will be published for the
first time in this Magazine as a series of stories, each
complete in itself, yet connected with the other stories in
the series.

The first of these stories, entitled ;

DEATH TRIUMPHANT!
will appear in No. 2 of the “WEIRD STORY MAGAZINE"
As it is anticipated that there will be a run on this issue,
you are strongly advised to reserve your copy NOW.

DON'T FORGET!!! "The Last Man in the

World" commencing in the next issue of this
Magazine. - - ORDER NOW! !!

Printed and Published by GERALD G. SWAN, LIMITED. 37-38-39 Burne Street. N.W.1.
SO THIS IS DEATH
by J. LEOPOLD WOLLETT

Died quite easily. 1 hadn’t thought loneliness; that terrible, rending un-

I that, or I would have taken what I

it would be so easy to die as all
expect the newspapers described as
easable pain; or that sense that there
was nothing now left at all to live for,
which was why I had deliberately
“ the fatal plunge ” a lot sooner. swum out beyond my distance and
And what they tell you about all then let myself sink. . . .
your past life passing before you while I woke up slowly. It was a bad sort
you’re drowning is all poppycock. At of waking. I was quite dry, but very
first it was pretty awful, and then all cold, with a curious sort of coldness
I was thinking about was if I could like I had never felt before. It was a
get another mouthful of air to help me sort of empty coldness. That’s the
out before my lungs burst with the nearest I can describe it. Rather like
water that was being sucked into them the sort of coldness you feel on quite a
and how my eardrums were cracking warm day, when you haven’t had
with the roaring in them, and so on. anything to eat for a long time. And
In other words, I was funking it at yet not quite like that, either.
the last. I wondered where I was. I couldn’t
Then all that passed, and I stopped see anything—not because it was dark
struggling and got quite peaceful. It but because there was a thick, grey
seemed as though I was a long way mist everywhere. A queer sort of mist
from myself, and was just going to that seemed to shut one in very
sleep in a nice, soft bed. It wasn’t closely.
warm, of course, but 1 was so cold and Then I remembered. I felt myself—
numb that it felt almost the same as my clothes. It was rather like feeling
being warm. something when your hand is numb.
And the queer part of it is that I But I could make out that I had all
actually did sleep, and I dreamed. I my clothes on, and that they were
dreamed about death—but not mine. not wet, which struck me as curious.
Other people’s. I dreamed about the I was lying on ground, like baked
death of Peggy, and the death of Tim, earth, very hard and quite dry.
the dog. Went through it all over I got slowly onto my feet. My limbs
again, but this time, funnily enough, were very stiff at first, but got easier
I felt no pain or grief, like I had done with every movement. I still couldn’t
before. And when they were both see a thing for the mist—not even my
gone, I felt very lonely—but only like own hand when I held it up before my
you do when you’ve seen someone face. It felt queer. Not exactly frigh­
you’re fond of off by train somewhere tened, but very strange—so strange
and you know you’ll meet again soon. that it felt almost like being frigh­
I didn’t feel that awful, hopeless tened, except that, somehow, I knew
quite certainly that there was nothing But as I went I became conscious of
to be frightened of—or about. changes. The mist lightened still
It came to me that I had better more, and changed to a faint yellow­
walk. I tried, and found I could do so, ish colour. There was a suggestion of
though my limbs felt heavy. Almost sunlight somewhere behind it. I
as though there were lead weights noted, also, that the path I was walk­
tied to them. ing along grew slowly wider, and the
So I set off to walk through the waters on either side proportionately
mist. I could still not see a thing, but narrowed. I could faintly see land
I walked at my best pace, without now on either side, and as I went
caution lest I should fall into a hole, along the banks—they were smooth
or trip over something. I had no fear and straight, as though cut by hand—
of that, and, anyway, my top speed grew nearer and nearer, but very
was little better than a crawl. gradually. There were no trees, no
I continued to walk—I don’t know shrubs, no flowers and no buildings,
for how long. I still felt terribly cold, it was all very flat and utterly deso­
but that was not so bad as the loneli­ late. Except for those vague impres­
ness. I felt lonelier than I ever had sions of movement in the background,
before—more lonely than I should almost beyond my ken.
have thought anyone could ever have In much the same vague way I be­
felt. I seemed to be the only living came conscious of sound, a broken
thing in the Universe—a Universe murmuring, as of voices, but very
without colour, or shape, or sound. It nebulous, and quite unintelligible.
was dreadful—but still I was not I went on. I became gradually
frightened, or even anxious. warmer, and still the path I trod
Presently, as I walked, the mist widened, and the waters on either
seemed to get lighter, and thinner. It side of me narrowed.
was white now, instead of grey, and I And then, on a sudden, I stopped
could make out the ground at my feet. dead. For, very faint and distant, but
It was flat and smooth and hard, like still unmistakable, there came to my
beaten earth or rock, with no colour ears a sound that was as familiar as
or variation in it. my own voice—and more welcome to
I kept on. The mist got thinner and me than all the songs of all the angels.
lighter, very vaguely I sensed that The distant barking of a dog ! Or,
there were other people, or things, in rather, not of a dog, but of one dog in
the vicinity, somewhere. I got a nebu­ particular. A high-pitched, yelping
lous sort of impression of figures that note that brought the sort of thrill to
moved, and of shapes that did not. my heart I never expected to know
Buildings, maybe. again. The shrill, ecstatic bark of my
As I went along the visibility in­ old dog, Tim, used to give vent to
creased, and soon I found that I was when he saw me in the distance. And
in a curious situation. I was walking it was coming nearer ... I
along a narrow path, or causeway, and Nearer and nearer . . . ! Louder and
on each side of me there was a stretch louder . . . ! And presently there was
of water, black, oily, and very still. the old chap himself, on the left-hand
There was no ruffle on the surface, bank, leaping about and almost
and I could see no land beyond, on screaming with delight at the sight of
either side. me. I called his name as loudly as i
 could, but it seemed as though my took my own life, and she stopped
voice was muffled by cotton-wool, or smiling then, and nodded, gravely.
something like that. All the same, he Yes, she answered, that makes it more
seemed to hear it, for he paused for a difficult, you see? And she pointed at
moment as though to listen. 1'hen he the black water. That’s nothing, I
started barking and leaping again. said, I can swim. But she cried put,
He tried to get into the water, but at No, No, you mustn’t do that! She
the last moment seemed to be frigh­ seemed frightened. You must just
tened of it. Queer, that, because he keep on walking, she cried, the water
had always been a good water-dog. is narrowing, and soon, if all is well,
As I stood there, staring at him. we shall all be together. What do you
Filling my eyes with the sight of his mean, if all is well? I asked her. But
old, familiar shape. 1 couldn’t see him she. did not answer, only waved to me
quite clearly—it was almost as though to walk on. Tim, on the other bank,
I was looking through clouded glass. was trying to tell me the same thing,
I put that down to the mist, or to some too. I sensed that they were both
dimness of my eyes. frightened, and I became frightened,
It came to me that I must walk on. too, for the first time since I had been
The path was widening, and the water dead. But I didn’t know what I was
narrowing—in time I might be able to frightened of!
jump it, or Tim could. .'. . I hurried as fast as I could, but my
So I walked on, and Tim, barking limbs still felt heavy. Mingled with
and yelping on an increasingly loud my fright was great joy that I was so
note, followed along the further bank. close to my dear ones again—that I
After awhile I heard a new sound.$ should soon be with them . . . if all
It was as though comeone called my" mas well. . . .
name in a very faint voice—and it was Suddenly I felt queer—ill. I stopped
my name spoken in an old, familiar in my tracks. It seemed I could not go
way, as I had never expected to hear further. I was conscious of the other
it spoken again. And, turning my two, Peggy looking anxious, with her
head, I saw on the right hand bank arms half outstretched, and Tim with
another figure—a human one, this his tail down and his head a little on
time—that had lived for months only- one side. . . . Then it seemed that
in my memory. In my stifled voice I something — something invisible —
called out, Peggy, Peggy ! and faintly took hold of me and dragged me
her dear voice came back to me ; I am slowly but irresistibly into the still,
here, she said. I am here, dearest . . '. black water.
As in the case of Tim—still yelping I caught one more glimpse of
and barking, more frantically than Peggy, heard a low cry- of pain from
ever, on the other bank—I could not her, and an agonized yelp from Tim.
see her quite clearly, but clearlv And then came blackness, and a
enough to recognise her dear features, terrible and increasing agony, that
and the dress she had on. It was the seemed to be first in my head, and
last one she had worn—on earth. . . , afterwards in my body—a terrible,
So I am dead ? I asked her. And she racking, torturing, rending agony, as
answered, that is what vou would call though something was tearing my
it, and she smiled. How wonderful it vitals out, and rending the very- soul
was to see her smile again. I said. I from my body. . . .
 It seemed to go on for years—for fat man. He stopped working my arm,
aeons. The blackness was a roaring and bent his silly sheep’s face close to
thunder, tearing at my ear-drums. mine : “ Hullo,” he murmured,
Then the blackness turned blood-red, sloppily. “ Feeling better, now, eh?”
and the roar became a shrill shrieking Suddenly realization came to my
. . . And then. . . . numbed brain. Realization of all that
I was staring up at the old, familiar had happened, and of what this fat-
blue comfortless sky, and there was faced fool had done for me. I wanted
cold, empty sunlight in my eyes. I to scream aloud, but I couldn’t. All
was lying in my back, and some the same, I managed to croak :
fellow with a fat, shiny face, like a “ Feeling better . . . ? Why
full-moon, was working at my arms. you . . . ! ”
He had large, round glasses on, and And then I cursed him to hell and
the sweat was running down his silly out again—cursed and damned his
face. Someone behind him, out of eyes and his soul as I have never
sight, spoke : cursed a fellow-man before.
“ I reckon you’ll get the Royal He looked startled at first, then that
Humane Society’s medal for this,” he silly, unctuous smile spread all over
said. his fat face, and he shook his head,
The fat man answered, pantingly : and said over his shoulder to the other
“ Oh, I don’t think so. Hardly man :
worth it . . .!” “ Poor devil, he’s delirious ! That’s
The other spoke again, his voice a what it is.”
silly squeak : “ Never mind,” said the other.
“ By God, you’ve done it! He’s “ He’ll be better soon, and then lie’ll
coming round, and I’d have sworn he thank you enough. I’ll bet!”
was dead as a doornail! Wonderful Shall I . . .?'
gag, this artificial respiration stunt!”
“ By jove, you’re right 1” said the THE END

THE WERE WOLF

The Moon’s a-gleam and the Snow is white,

All the land lies quiet in the grip of Night.
’Tis time to rest, but I cannot rest
For the heart that thunders within my breast;
For my pointing ears and my sharpening teeth—
Red tongue that lolls ’mid my steaming breath. . . .
Now my limbs are covered with soft, grey fur—
Hark . . . ! What was that. . . ? Did Something stir . . . ?
Yes ! Dark Shapes slink o’er the pallid snow—
My brother Wolves call me, and I must go !
For the Moon’s a-glcatn and the Snow is white—
Ho! my Brothers—we hunt to-night . . . !

E. L. I.C'V’itt.
 WEIRD STORY IN BRIEF

It seemed to him as he strode across the vast moorland that he must be

the last human being left in the world. Around him the wind moaned and
howled like a lost soul in it’s inescapable loneliness. The rain, stinging and
cold, smote his face as though it were flung at him by the vicious hands of
fiends unloosed, and the only living sound was that of an pwl hooting, with
sinister melancholy, from a distant tree.
And presently, as the darkness fell and closed about him like a wall, the
muddy earth sucked at and gripped his feet, as though to drag him down to
some unknown Depths.
Suddenly the black sky was ripped and torn by a gigantic flash of
lightning, coming as it seemed from nowhere, and the muttering of the thunder
was like the menacing growl of some obscene monster. . . .
He muttered to himself :
“ It is as though the Devil himself was abroad to-night!”
And then two steel-like claws, that burned as they touched, gripped his
throat, and a deep, hoarse voice whispered :
“ You are right! He is ... !
L. T. J. Wilts.
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