:

Classics of Weird Literature

Autographed by the Author

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

won for this author a secure place in the field of Far imagination, deep and gripping ki their beauty and
East fiaion.” romance.”

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Here are some real gems of literature. Poetic and fanci-
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ful Chinese stories with a teal thrill to them. These are I

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I
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 1

WEIRD TALES 289

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 Published monthly by the Popular Fiction Publishins: Company, 2457 F. Washington Street,
Indianapolis, Ind. Entered as second-class matter March 20. 1923. at the post ofBce at Indianapolis,
Ind.. under the act of March 3, 1879. Single copies. 25 cents. Subscription. $2.50 a year in the
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—
NOTE All manuscripts and communications should be addressed to the publishers* Chicago
office at 840 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago. HI.
FARNSWORTH WRIGHT. Editor.

Copyright. 1930, by the Popular Fiction Publishing Company

Contents for September, 1930

Cover Desi^ C. C. Senf
Illustrating a scene in "The Invisible Bond"

Heliodore's Beads Marvin Luter Hill 292

Verse

The Invisible Bond Arlton Eadie 294

A strange story of wild horror was told by the man who was picked up
in a boat off the African coast

The Invading Madness H. F. Scotten 302

A world gone mad —chaos and insanity broadcast by radio —a startling
weird-scientific story

Fungi From Yuggoth H. P. Lovecraft 322

Verse; decoration by Hugh Rankin

[CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE]

290 OOPYKIOBTED IN GREAT BRITAIN

 a

[CONTINTJED FROM PEECEDING PAGE]

Another Dracula? (Part 1) Ralph Milne Farley 323

A two-part serial about the superstitious vampire-terror that held a
Pennsylvania town in its grip

Ihe House of the Golden Eyes Theda Kenyon 337

The author of the book, "Witches Still Live,” tells an eery tale of were-
wolves

Guardians of the Guavas Charles Henry Mackintosh 345

A blood-chilling story of the menehunes of Hawaii and a plague of giant
centipedes

A Visitor From Egypt Frank Belknap Long, Jr, 356

Wild panic resulted from the visit to the museum of this strange being
from abroad

The Phantoms of the Fire Clark Ashton Smith 363

Jonas McGillicuddy came back to a flame-swept world as he turned his
steps homeward

Earthworms of Karma (Conclusion) Loo Dexter 367

A three-part serial story of a trip to Mars and weird adventures on that
planet

The Flame Fiend J. N.

O’Neail 387
The tale of a fire elemental that was a ravening monster of destruction

Gesture Gertrude Macaulay Sutton 393

A story of a strange psychic experience and a message from the other side
that got through

The Tree of Life Paul Ernst 402

A peculiar story is this, about a tree whose leaves could revivify a corpse

Black Chant Imperial Robert E. Howard 406

Verse

The Phantom Bus W, Elwyn Backus 407

A weird dream that interwove itself with the reality of everyday life —
tale of tragedy

Weird Story Reprint:

Beyond the Door Paul Suter 411
A story reprinted from WEIRD Tales of seven years ago —a hideous ob-
session that led to death

The Eyrie 421

A chat with the readers

For Advertifiii^r in WEIRD TALKS Apply Dlroct to

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2S1
 — ——

HELIODORE’S BEADS
By MARVIN LUTER HILL
The beads of crystal talked to me:
"We rested there two thousand years
About her throat of ivory,
And dripping down her breast, like tears
The sweet young breasts of Heliodore,
Witli her black tresses weighted o’er.
Though dead, she walked upon the shore;
We saw her raise her golden eyes
To the pale beauty of the skies.

"In sleepy dreams, in sleepy dreams,

We saw her dancing on moonbeams
Below the carved balustrade.
In le\'el light the river swayed
Black-amber, melting into jade.
Her breath was sweet with ambergris,
Her hair a thick coil of the dusk;
Her garments breathed a winy musk.
The darkness swooned upon her kiss.
And then she would come back, once more.
And lie down softly, as before.

"’The thick years gathered; silence lay

Upon us, like an earthy pall;
We slept and dreamed the years away
Slept,woke, nor could remember all.
We saw her climb the garden wall;
Her jeweled fingers made a gleam
On the black amber of the stream;
We heard the silver paddles fall.
As the long boat leaped out; she sent
It down to where the low waves went

In idle lapping; one was there

Who kissed the star-gleams from her eyes.
And kissed the jewels from her hair,
As the red moon climbed up the skies.

'"The years were bats, that beat upon

Tlie mufiled heart and fragile bone;
And we dreamed on, and on, and on.
—
And on until our dreams were stone.”
292
 —

Next Month
A group of amazingly fine stories is to appear in the October issue of W&IBD Tai.es,
on sale September 1.

The House of the Skull

by Arlton Eadie
Ghastly rites were performed in the green temple behind the
big house—a weird mystery story of thrills and terrors.

The Druid's Shadow The Portal to- Power

by Seabury Quinn by Greye La Spina
A thrilUtaie of Druid sacriflce under the A thrilling weird serial about a cult of devil-
—
weird oak trees of Wales a smashing story
about Jules de Grandin, occultist and ghost-
worshippers in a hidden valley in the Kocky
—
Mountains by the author of **Invader8 From
breaker. the Dark.**

The Grave at Goonhilly

by G. G. Pendarves
A wild and terrible fate befell Donald Harkness as he drove
—
his golf ball off the fifth tee a tale of Valsume the Black
Magician and the wresting of a man's soul from his body.

The Silver Curse The Mind-Master

of YarUk by Edmond Hamilton
by V. K, Kaledin A powerful, gripping weird-scientific story of
A thrilling weird tale of an old monastery a scientist who sought to enslave the world to
a gruesome incident of the war between Po- his ambition.
land and the Soviets.

The Bride WeU

by David H. Keller
A whimsical story of Cecil, the Overlord of Oornwall. and
how he won his beauteous bride.

--WIlMe-

These are some of the super-excellent stories that will appear in the October issue
of Weied Tales

October Issue on Sale September 1

Subscription Rates: ft, 60 a year in U. S. or possessions: Canadian 13.00: Poreign $3.50,

Wbibo Tales 840 N. Mldilgan Ave. Chicago, lU,
T he stranger
through the
first

faint,
of the African dawn.
hove into sight
coppery haze

was a native dugout canoe, looted, we

His craft
never seen such a physical wreck, even
there, as the man who was presently
hoisted over the side of
he had
my ship. Fever
as a matter of course; he was bad-
subsequently discovered, from one of the ly wounded as well, and bore signs of
villages on the coast which lay, a line of privation which seemed to indicate a long
pale purple, about four miles off our port tramp through the bush. Yet his bodily
beam. So feeble were his paddle-strokes condition, desperate though it was,
against the set of the inshore current that seemed hardly sufiScient to account for the
it was some time before I realized that look of agony and horror in his sunken,
he was heading for our ship; it was only bloodshot eyes.
when he stood up waving his tattered "Where are you heading for. Cap-
coat that I imderstood his plight and tain?” were his words as he reached
first

rang off the engines to enable a boat to the deck.

be lowered. "Lagos,” I answered, shortly enough,
The West G)ast of Africa is not what naturally supposing him to be some
you might term a health resort, but I had beach-comber down on his luck.
294
 "Direa?” he asked. that tattered scarecrow’s claim to be a
I shook my head. "We stop at about member of the British peerage was too
a dozen faaories on the way down to take tough to be swallowed offhand.
off trade.” "My steam yacht was wrecked in the
"I’ll make worth your while to cut
it Bight some six weeks ago,” he went on.
out the trade and head direa for Lagos,” "She strudk an uncharted reef and only
the stranger said. "I am Lord Clen- one boat managed to get away. At pres-
garth.” ent I think I’m the sole survivor. I’ve
For a moment I thought the man was had an awful time in the bush. Captain,
”
indulging in grim satire. Of course one an awful time
meets with some curious examples of hu- Then he cut short the palaver by pitch-
man flotsam on the African seaboard, but ing forward on the deck-planks in a dead
295
296 WEIRD TALES

faint. We carried him below, and for first aid, butit was clear that an impor-

the next few days he hovered between tant artery had been severed and that the
life and death. During his intervals of girl’s condition was grave.
consciousness he told me his story, but Poor Elna! The voyage which had end-
not in exactly the same order as here set ed so tragically had been planned as a
down. I had to piece the tale together honeymoon trip, for she had but recently

from his disjointed utterances, and some been married to young Sir Leslie Fan-
of the details he did not divulge until he shaw, who was also among the survivors.
realized that he was not going to pull There were seven of us, all told, in the
through. Here is his story; lifeboat, the others being: the second
mate Kemp, Dr. Tremaine, myself, a sa-
SUPPOSE that, from a theoretical point loon steward named Leon, and the in-
1 of view, every soul on board the Prim- jured seaman, whose name I never learnt.
rose should have been saved [the strang- The craft was by no means overloaded,
er began by stating]. When she struck, and we experienced no difficulty in reach-
the sea was calm, the glass steady, and ing the shore. After waiting some time
the land within easy rowing distance. If for a "smooth,” Kemp put her head to
I had but had the sense to have shipped the rollers and we flashed through the
white firemen I might have a different broken water toward the beach.
story to tell. It was the lascars who We had almost reached it, and I was
started the trouble. They swarmed up just about to congratulate myself on a
from the stokehold the moment they felt safe landing, when a sudden shock
the yacht take the reef, brained the chief seemed to jar every bone in my body.
engineer when he attempted to handle 'The boat had strudc a submerged mass
the reversing-gear, and then started in to of cpral, and the force of the impaa had
loot the ship. impaled it so firmly on the sharp, up-
We had to hold them back with our standing prongs that the backwash left it

revolvers while we got my niece — ^the stranded high and dry. We had gained
only lady on board — into the lifeboat. It the shore safely, but the boat was wrecked
was well for us that we lost no time in beyond repair.
doing so. Barely had we got two cables’ We now unconscious Elna
carried the
length from the yacht than the water above the high-water mark and laid her
reached the undrawn fires, exploding the down in the shade of a tree, and Kemp
boilers and sending her to the bottom lost no time in making a survey of our
like a stone. immediate surroundings.
Kemp, the second mate, who was in "There are several threads of smoke
charge, at once put the lifeboat about, but rising above the bush over yonder,” he
the only man we picked up was so badly announced, staring through his binocu-
injured that he died before we reached lars. "It’s a native village, or at least an
the shore. It was while he was being encampment of some sort. We’d better
lifted into the boat that I discovered that make for it. The coast natives have the
Lady Elna was wounded. One of the reputation of being fairly peaceable, but
lascars had flung a knife, infliaing a deep you never can be sure of ’em. Be on
gash in her left shoulder, from which the your guard against treachery, but don’t
blood was pouring. Luckily the ship’s shoot except as a last resort.”

surgeon. Dr. Tremaine, was in the boat It turned out to be the usual type of
wiA us. He at once set about rendering coast village of about a hundred beehive
 THE INVISIBLE BOND 297

mud huts, with a larger —

one the fetish blood of some healthy person is con-
hut —standing a little apart. The natives veyed into the depleted veins of the
seemed friendly enough. They brought woxmded girl she must surely die.”
us food and gave up two of the huts for Somewhat surprized, I asked him if
our use. They even carried their good he thought it possible to perform such an
intentions so far as to summon the local operation.
medicine-man to cure Elna’s woimd. Of "Yes,” was his confident answer, "pro-
course we had not the slightest intention
vided, of course, that there is someone
of allowing him to praaise his hocus- willing to give the necessary blood.”
pocus on her, but I thought it policy to
"If that is your only difficulty, you can
decline his services in such a way as to
get ready now,” I said. "I will give
avoid giving offense. These witch-doc-
mine.”
tors have unlimited influence over their
devotees, even to matters of life and
But the doctor shook his head.
death, and heaven alone knew how long "I fear you are rather too old for such
we should have to remain there before a thing. It doesn’t pay to play tricks
we could signal a passing steamer to take with the vital fluid man on the wrong
of a
us off. side of fifty. It would be merely ex-
The moment I caught sight of the changing one life for another.”
witch-doaor tell that he was of
I could ’"Then how about her husband. Sir
a different race from the rest of the na- Leslie?” I asked. "He is young enough,
tives. It is rarely that you meet a Masai and I know he would volunteer like a
on the coast, but this man, whose name shot.”
was N’Zahgi, had evidently been some- Again the doaor shook his head.
thing of a traveler. According to his own "Sir Leslie is down with fever and as
account he had served on steamships and weak as a kitten. He is out of the ques-
had visited Europe more than once, and tion.”
he spoke English quite well. It is diffi- "Kemp, the second mate, might be
cult to judge the age of a native, but I willing,” I suggested.
estimated that he was about thirty-five; "Like yourself, he is far too old.”
he was tall and well built, and he evident- I thought for a moment.

ly possessed xmusual bodily strength. On "Then there only remains the steward,
”
the whole was rather favorably im-
I Leon
pressed by the man, and I felt that we "Impossible,” interrupted Dr. Tre-
were lucky in having fallen in with him. maine with a shake of his head that was
If it had not been for Elna’s wound, my more decisive than before. "That man
mind would have been fairly easy. But is totally unfitfor such a thing.”
her co'ndition grew rapidly worse, until, I groaned aloud in my despair.
two days afterour landing. Dr. Tremaine "Then the operation can not be per-
took me aside and proposed a desperate formed. Elna must die.”
expedient. In the dead silence which followed my
'There is only one way of giving your utterance there came a sound of rustling
niece a chance of pulling through,” he among the foliage of the fringe of red
told me, "and that is by performing an aloes near by; then the leaves parted and
operation which is very rarely praaised, N’Zahgi appeared. For a moment I

and then only as a last resort. I refer to stared at him speechlessly; then indigna-
the transfusion of blood. Unless the tion toc^ die place of surprize.
298 WEIRD TALES
"N’Zahgi!” I aied. "You were hid- he said. "His fever is now at its heigjit,
ing — listening
’ ’
and he is delirious. It is you who must
"And I overheard every word.” The decide, and quickly, too. Come, what is
Masai drew himself up, fearless and un- your answer?”
abashed as he made die cool admission. For a while I stood silent, my mind
Then he came a pace nearer and laid his torn by indecision, a vague foreboding of
hand on my arm as he went on earnest- coming evil in my heart. At last I bowed
ly: "But there is no need for the Lady my head in assent.

Elna to die. I, N’Zahgi, will save her!” "Let the thing be done,” I said. "And
In spite of the heaviness of my heart may God forgive me if I have decided
I laughed aloud. wrong.”
"And how do you propose to set
about it?” I cried with
"By muttering your gibberish charms and
bitter sarcasm.
R ight from the moment that the oper-
ation was completed there seemed to
.

be no doubt as to its complete success.

sacrificing a chicken or two?”
"No, white man —by giving my own As I watched the warm color returning
to Elna’s waxen cheeks I felt my former
blood to save her.”
vague fears vanishing.
"You?” I gasped.
"You have saved her life, N’Zahgi,”
"Why not?” He asked the question I cried, impulsively turning to the witch-
with a kind of simple dignity. "Although doctor, who was standing in the center of
my skin is black and hers is white, the
the hut while Tremaine fixed a bandage
blood which flows beneadi is the same. My over the incision in his arm. "How can
body is strong —not
weakened by fever I reward you? I will take you to England
like the
blood —
white man’s. Lady Elna needs
then take of mine as much as
— I will make you rich for life.”
N’Zahgi folded his arms across his
you will. I give it freely that she may massive chest as he shook his head.
live.”
"Ido not want your money, white
My first impulse was to return a def- man, nor do I wish to visit your land
inite refusal; every instina seemed to cry again,” he returned with, it seemed, a
out against allowing a white girl to have hint of contempt in his voice.
infused into her veins the blood of a '"Thenhow can I repay you?” I in-
naked savage. Dir. Tremaine must have sisted, puzzled not a little by his manner.
guessed what was passing in my mind, For a full minute the Masai remained
for he laid his hand on my shoulder be- silently pondering. Then he raised his
fore I could speak. head.
"After all, it is her only chance of "Soon will I name my reward — and
life,” he said gently. claim it, too! Till then farewell, white
I tried to force my mind to grapple man. N’Zahgi has spoken.”
with the problem, but in vain. 'Then As he quitted the hut he turned, and
across the black chaos of my indecision for a moment his dark eyes rested on the
there came gleam of hope.
a sleeping girl in a manner I did not like.

"Sir Leslie her husband— — ^he must de-

cide,” I cried.
Tremaine shook
"I fear that he
his
is
head gravely.
not in a condition
D uring the ensuing
took it in turns to keep a contin-
uous lookout from the vantage-point of
three weeks we

either to give his consent or withhold it,” a little rocky hill near the village, but no
 THE INVISIBLE BOND 299

distant plume of smoke on the horizon met, I noticed that the witch-doctor
rewarded our vigil. smiled.

W
Lady Elna’s condition continued stead-
ily to improve; so much so, that I more HILE, a few dayslater, Tremaine

than once proposed that we should at- and I were sitting in our hut, he
tempt to make our way along the coast in made somewhat startling remark.
a
j

the hope of reaching Accra, or some other "Have you noticed the manner in
town within British territory. which our esteemed devil-doaor has been
At first the others -overruled my ad- behaving lately?” he began by asking.
vice, but as day followed day with the "He seems to be getting too fond of
circle of the horizon void and empty, the parading his authority, and generally aa-
rest gradually began to come round to ing the guardian angel over Lady Elna.
my views, finally going so far as to con- I am far from forgetting that he prac-

sult N’Zahgi in the hope of his consent- tically saved the girl’s life; but I don’t
ing to provide us with guides and bearers like his manner, nevertheless. If it

for the journey. But the wily savage \veren’t for the utter absurdity of the
counseled delay. thing. I’d be inclined to say that he has
"Why face the danger and fatigue of fallen in love with her.”
a journey through strange tribes?” he In spite of the faa that his words con-
said. '"'J^y not stay here in safety and firmed my own impressions, I tried to
comfort till a ship passes?” treat the matter lightly.
The second mate greeted this advice "By the way,” Tremaine went on,
with a dubious growl. "did you notice those strange marks on
"That’s all very well —
provided ships
do occasionally pass near enough to be
the fellow’s chest?”
Inodded. "I thought they were the
sighted,” he running his hand
said, scars of old wounds.”
through his gray beard. "But if the coast "You’ re wrong. Kemp has traded along
is dangerous we might cool our heels here the coast for years, and he tells me that
forever.” they are the signs of a secret society
The witch-doaor shrugged his massive called the Ghu-Fanti, otherwise the 'Red
shoulders. Drinkers’.”
"At least you must stay here until the "Sounds like the name of a Russian
moon is at its full,” he said. "Then you boozing club,” I suggested flippantly.
may go.” "If what Kemp says is true, it is far
Sir Leslie looked at the man sharply. from being a laughing matter for us,”
Ever since he had learnt the part that said the doaor gravely. "He has been
N’Zahgi had played in his young wife’s telling me of some of the rites of their
recovery Leslie had taken a violent dis- secret and obscure cult. I do not wish to
like to the savage. harrow your feelings, but I may tell you
"Why must we wait here until it is full that the sacrifice of human victims is one
moon?” he demanded suspiciously. of the least revolting of their ceremonies.
Again N’Zahgi shrugged. I am not over-squeamish on the subject of
"It is merely one of the superstitions of anatomy, but some of the things Kemp
the ignorant black man,” he explained desaibed nearly made me sick.”
smoothly."They consider it a night of "Probably he was twisting your ankle
good omen.” —old form of
sailors are adepts at that
And, for the first time since we had amusement. Anyway, N’Zahgi’s doings
300 WEIRD TALES

will not interest us after the next twenty- shouted. "Every blamed nigger has slung
four hours are past.” I pointed upward his hook. What’s in the wind now.?”
to where was stealing
a pale yellow light In the dead silence which followed,
through the massive tree trunks and fes- every man’s eyes sought and searched his
tooned vines of the jungle. "N’Zahgi neighbor’s face, trying to guess his
has promised that we shall leave here on thoughts, not daring to voice his own.
the night of the first full moon, and un- It was the doctor who spoke first. "I
less I am out of my reckoning it will be at don’t like the look, of this at all,” he
its full tomorrow night.” muttered; then: “And where’s the stew-
As I spoke the words I became aware ard got to.?”

of the deep note of a native drum sound- A

single glance was sufficient to show
ing in the far distance. thathe was not in the huts, neither did
our loud and repeated shouts cause him

O N THE
er taken
following day I had no soon-

up my post on the little

knoll which served as a lookout post than
to make his appearance.
"Come to think of it, I
fellow since last night,” said the mate
haven’t seen the

I heard a frenzied shout coming from the thoughtfully. moon was ris-
"Just as the
direaion of the huts. ing I saw him come out of his hut and
"Where’s Lady Elna? I can’t find her walk toward the path that leads into
—
anywhere she has vanished!” the bush. I thought that he, like myself,
I at once left my post and hastened could not sleep because of that infernal
toward the white-faced and gesticulating ,drum —was sounding all night long,
^it

Leslie, and at the same moment Dr. Tre- you remember.”

maine and the mate appeared at the door —
"Yes and it’s sounding now,” inter-
of the other hut. By their bewildered rupted Tremaine, holding up his hand.
looks it was evident that his shout had "Listen!”
roused them from their afternoon siesta. Far away, deep in the trackless jungle,
"Oh, there’s probably nothing to get the savage tom-toms were again lifting
alarmed about,” said the doaor, when he up their weird and tuneless voices. One
learnt the cause of the summons. "She is apt to get queer ideas in moments of
may have wandered into one of the other mental stress; to me the barbaric music
huts.” He looked toward the village as seemed the essence and embodiment of
he spoke, and the words died away on his the very soul of Africa — fierce, mystic,
lips. unknowable.
At this time of the day it was cus- A sudden frightened oath from Kemp
tomary for scores of women to be seated roused me from my revery.
before the doors of the huts, grinding '"rhere’s devil’s work going on over
com, weaving native fiber cloth, or busy there!” he cried, waving his hand toward
at the numerous menial tasks which their the dense woods. "It’s the call of the
lords deemed it beneath their dignity to Ghu-Fanti that they’re sounding. It’s the
perform. But now not one was to be sununons of the 'Red Drinkers’ the in- —
seen. Even the naked babies who usually vitation to the feast of blood!”
sprawled in the sun were gone. More
significant still, the cooking-fires had been

currence.
—
allowed to go out a most unusual oc- T he memory of our
the tunnel-like
ing jungle remains in
trails
search through
of that steam-
my mind like a

"Why, the place is empty!” Kemp hideous nightmare. We divided our

 THE INVISIBLE BOND 301

forces, Kemp
and the nearly distraught out there — alone — helpless-r-perhaps a
Leslie taking one direaion, and the doc- prisoner? God! when I think what might
tor and myself another. For a long time be happening I feel I’m going crazy! I
after leaving the others we walked in —
must go to her save her! Eat? food —
silence, and when Tremaine at last spoke —
would choke mC^. Sleep? I feel as if I
it was to ask a question. shall never sleep again. I must rescue

"Has it not struck you as being curious —

her from those devils I must, I tell you,
that we did not hear the sound of a strug- I must!”
gle or cry when Lady Elna was carried "Very well, then,” I answered, rising
off.?” to my feet and taking up one of the
rifles. "Since you are determined to go,
I paused in my stride and glanced at
I will go with you.” As a matter of faa,
him. There seemed some veiled meaning
the boy was in such a state that I dared
behind his casual tone.
not leave him to himself.
"The poor girl may have been taken
unawares,” answered. "She may have

T
I
he moon were
been drugged —or stunned ” rays of the full
gling through the thidc foliage as
strug-

"Or she may have gone off of her own we plunged almost at random into one
accord!” he said grimly. of the jungle trails. 'The nig^it air was
His suggestion appeared so ridiculous laden with the odor of warm, moist
that I did not deem it worthy of an an- shadows on each
earth; the velvety black
swer, and after that we continued our hand were populous with animal life.
search in silence. But the farther we pen- Vague rustlings and sudden scurryings
etrated, the more dense the jungle be- soimded ever and again from the dark-
came; the bright sunlight barely managed ness, and once a sudden loud crashing
to trickle through the interlaced mass of told of the blundering retreat of some
twisted lianas over the narrow trail; on larger animal disturbed by our footsteps.
each side the foliage formed a dense Farther off, the dog-like balking of a
wall of green. In that leafy labyrinth a herd of zebras drifted to our ears, sinking
wedc might have been expended in into sudden stillness as a lion’s roar vi-
searching one square mile. When at brated through the air. Overhead, some
nightfall we made our way back to the night-bird uttered a wail like that of a
deserted village I was not surprized to tortured soul.
hear that Kemp and Leslie had the same Then, without warning, a sound of
tale of failure to report. another kind floated out of the mystery
By time the distress of the young
this of the African night. Leslie heard it
husband was pitiful to wimess. It was in first, and clutched my arm with a grip

vain that I urged on him the necessity of that made me wince.

taking food and rest. ’"The drums!” There was a fierce, joy-

"At least wait till daybreak before ous elation in his voice as he repeated the
setting out again,” I almost begged of words. "'The drums —they will lead us
him. "If we could not find her by day- to her!”
light, what chance have we of doing so Changing we
soon had the
direction,
in the dark?” satisfaction of hearing the low throbbing
"Elna —my Elna!” It went to my heart swell louder, showing that we were head-
to hear the hopeless anguish in his' voice. ing direaly for the spot whence the sound
"Can’t you realize that she’s somewhere (Continued on page 399)
T he
tiers
long corridor with
of
away before the
ingly endless vista.
barbed cells
visitor in a
From all
its banked
stretched
seem-
parts of the
forced to seek salvation in extreme and
immediate aaion. Occasionally, even yet,
a modem tumbril would roll
through the shadowy corridors; a door
silently

great institution came a medley of sounds would clang, and another raving viaim
— inarticulate babblings, cries, shrieks, would be borne away to the lethal gas
and oratory the
snatches of insane song — chamber, where his hideous cries would
viaims of the
voices of the unfortunate be hushed in everlasting sleep.
Great Madness. Thousands were incarcer- And now, after two years of heroic
ated in the great asylum. Millions more, struggling, the stout-hearted survivors of
all over the world, were raving and curs- the horror had brought a semblance of
ing in their mad delirium behind the order out of chaos; had put back on its

bars in similar prisons. Faint though it was, feet a tottering civilization. But present-
Some hope of cure was held by the author- day historians, as they sift the faas and
ities, else these inmates would have, as had chronicle the history of those eventful
millions of obviously incurables, been years, often speculate on the effea a
mercifully put to death. A stricken world, knowledge of the truth would have had
lifter the great Madness of 1997, had been on those battling to save the world. For
302
 • •

the truth was, that even as they attained ror, Again would human teeth tear
success, the daric forces behind the Mad- bestially at human .flesh, and hiunan
ness were preparing, indeed were almost bodies float hideously in gutters running
and complete their
ready, to strike again, with human blood.
work of mastering the world. With di-
abolical cunning they had prepared this
second attack to follow the first at

when, the defenders having been deceived

a time T he guide, conducting
guished visitor through
prison, spoke respeafully.
the
the
"You have
distin-
great
not
into a false security, the complete sur- visited this floor before, sir?”
prize of it would engender a hopelessness "No, this is the first time.”
in the hearts of a tired world sufficiently "We have an interesting case in Num-
overwhelming to cause immediate and ber 981, sir, not at all like the others.
complete surrender. Again would human Number 982 also, sir, seems perfealy
shrieks mingle witli the din of the Hor- sane.”
303
 1

304 WEIRD TALES

The visitor’s eyes swung sharply of cells No. 981 and 982 yonder may fur-
around to his guide’s, and lighted up with nish the clue for which we have been
a fierce interest. "What is this?” he searching?”
aied; then controlling his obvious excite- 'The young guide’s ire subsided, and
ment, said calmly, "Lead me to them, his intelligent features again assumed
Williams.” their habitually calm expression.
’
'Perhaps,
"Yes, sir; this way, sir. Near the end Doaor,” he agreed, quietly. "They do
of the corridor, they are.” say that the younger man tells a strange
A half-hundred steps brought them story. In faa, its wildness is what con-
opposite cell No. 970. vinced the Insanity Commission of his

"Ah, they already have a visitor, sir.” madness. No. 982 was also involved,

The guide nodded but I have never heard the details.”

to where a comely
young woman stood •close to the bars, Dr. Artley Ingram, one of the great- '

conversing earnestly with the viaim they est scientists of the age, listened thought-
imprisoned. Near by stood another uni- fully to the yotmg man’s words. He had
formed attendant, visibly bored by his his own theories regarding the Great
duties. Williams and his distinguished Madness, but in fear of the results of
companion drew back a respeaful dis- presenting his apparently insane ideas to
tance, and waited. the World Insanity Commission, kept dis-
creetly silent. Quietly, however, using his
"Doaor,” Williams said earnestly,
high position as president of the United
dropping his formal manner of address,
States Central University to the limit of
"have you learned nothing yet concern-
” its obvious advantages, he worked under
ing the cause of the Great Mad
cover, ceaselessly searching to ferret out
"Tut, tut, my boy; you know the law
the real cause of the terrible catastrophe
forbids its mention.”
that had blighted the minds of half the
"To hell with the law!” the young man
hiunan race.
cried vehemently. "Like ostriches with
their heads in the sand they are, those
These were trying days. From diaos to
blind fools in authority! And while they order had been a hard fight. The gov-
impose silence, and throttle publicity, ernments of the world had forgotten old
seriously handicapping men like you who differences and united solidly in the ef-

are searching for the truth, the Thing fort to save humanity. A stria censorship
may come back and finish the job of and system of espionage had been estab-
wrecking civilization! Oh yes, I know lished. Supreme power had been invested
their reason,” as the doaor started to in- in the suddenly aeated World Insanity
terrupt him, "that to call to mind the Commission. For fear of the possible
horrors of those days may send others contagious effeas of such utterances, the
into insanity. And I know their foolish authorities to place behind
continued
opinions as to its Radio waves
source. bars anyone whose speech hinted even
from a passing inhabited comet faugh! — slightly of ahidden trace of the madness.
It’s silly! They were radio waves, all One had to guard his tongue, lest his
right; but they came from somewhere liberty be revoked. Who was to say
right here on earth; and if that place is whether these drastic measures were wise
”
not found or unwise? There had been no time for
"Patience, my boy,” the doaor inter- debate. Those whose stronger minds had
rupted. "Who knows but that the inmates successfully resisted the Horror now
W. T.—
 2

THE INVADING MADNESS 305

•worked feverishly to bulwark humanity and had thereby gained a valuable assist-

against a possible recurrent wave of in- ant; for Williams, through his position
sanity. The theory was, diat like a pin- as attendant in the great asylum, was
hole leak in a dike, one insane utterance qualified to gather information hardly
might release a second flood of lunacy. available to the doaor. And now a new
Humanity in gcnaral was not interested spark of hope flamed in the doctor’s
so much in the source of the madness, heart. Perhaps, this time success. . . .

now that it had passed, as it was in con- Suddenly the young woman visitor’s

tagious after-effects. voice was raised in anger. They looked

But there were a few who feared quickly down the corridor to where she
rather a recurrence of die maddening stood close to the bars.
phenomenon than its after-effects. Until "I will!” she cried. 'Til go to them

its source was found, and assurance given and force the truth down their throats!
that the phenomenon could not occur To think that you and Father discovered
again, they would not cease in their ef- and stopped that a\^ful thing, and
”
forts to locate and destroy its cause. now
"Nan! Stop!” a voice bdiind the bars
Among this small group. Dr. Ingram
was probably the most prominent. Had
interrupted. "You will only make our
chances for release less by thus endanger-
this group been permined to organize and
work in concert, no doubt their findings
ing your own liberty! Have patience,
sweetheart, and keep silent. Surely it will
would have approximated the truth. But
not be long before this rigid espionage
the world governments were convinced
law is repealed, and the authorities are
that the Madness was gone, and would
willing to listen.”
not return tmtil the strange comet re-
Dr. Ingram clutched Williams’ arm.
garded as its source would return again
Taking advantage of the girl’s marked
on its orbit some hundreds of years hence.

Meanwhile, the task of subduing and im-

distress, they moved quietly nearer to
miss no word of her conversation with
prisoning the millions of stricken and in-
the prisoner.
sane unfortunates had well-nigh crushed,
"But Robert,” she objeaed, in a
physically and mentally, the fortunate
strained but lowered tone, "in the mean-
half of society that had remained sane.
time, what of the operator who escaped?
Dr. Ingram believed that somewhere,
He may build another machine, and the
among the millions of imprisoned insane,
world could not stand another hour of
there was someone who knew the seaet the Horror.”
of the phenomenon. Searching, ever "But Nan, even if he escaped the asy-
searching, he faced a stupendous task in lum, which is unlikely, it would take a
attempting to assort and glean a word or long time to perfea another apparatus.
two of useful truth from the insane bab- True, the Thangs will bide their time,
blings of the stricken ones. It was during and attempt it again; but soon, no doubt,
hismany visits to the great Central Asy- we will be released, and find a way to de-
lum of the United States that he became feat them.”
acquainted with Williams, whose intelli-
gence and reckless statements of his pos-
itive views had elicited the doctor’s con-
fidence. To Williams, Dr. Ingram had
D
the
r. INGRAM waited to hear no more,
but stepped boldly to the side of
young woman, who paled at his ap-
confided his theories, hopes, and plans, proach. In a low voice, he instruct^
-W,T.—
 —

306 WEIRD TALES

Williams to dismiss the other attendant, well known to Hargrane, but for the
who nodded at .Williams’ whispered first time he was looking on the eminent
words, and, stifling a bored yawn, strolled savant’s distinguished feamres. With
lazily away. Waiting until he had dis- self-possessed composure he met the firm,
appeared through a door at the far end seardhing, yet kindly, gaze of the doaor’s
of the corridor. Dr. Ingram then spoke: steel-gray eyes. He approved of the
"My dear Miss, do not be alarmed be- strong clean-shaven chin, and the mobile
cause we overheard your conversation; mouth barayed no cruelty in the
that

we are your friends.’’ Then after intro- man’s nature. He was conscious, also, of
ducing Williams and himself, he went the lean, slender form of Williams, with
on: “From what I inadvertently heard his dark, eager, eagle-like features, a

you say to this young man in the cell, I young man typical of this flying age when
believe that my search for the secret of adventurous youth took to the air as

the Great Madness may be near an end. though it was youth’s natural element.

Am I right?’’ And Nan, his Nan, there beside them,

She caught her breath bold men-

whose troubled blue eyes refleaed the
at his
mental distress she had been suffering.
tion of the forbidden subjea. Then the
prisoner in the cell answered for her, to
Even now, had it not been for this
scourge of madness that had whipped the
prevent her committing herself:
world to its knees, she would be his wife.
"yes, you are right. Dr. Ingram. Al-
His heart went out with longing and
low me to introduce ourselves. I am
sympathy to her sweet face with
Robert Hargrane, and this’’ —turning to
half-parted lips. Her slight,
its full,

athlaic
the next cell, where a white-haired man
form clothed in the neat flying-costume
of about years peered
sixty
— silently
helmet, jacket, and puttees,
breeches
through the partitioning bars “is Pro-
fessor Answorth, who was my employer
youth’s sporting-mode of the day re- —
minded him of some Artemis of the air.
before we were imprisoned. He is deaf;
a misfortune that was indeed fortunate
And there was the slight but yet aaive
for the world, as you will see later. ’The
form of the man in the next cell, whom
young lady beside you is his daughter, and he loved as a father. The studious blue
my fiancee.’’ eyes behind the speaacles were now
troubled, as they watched Robert’s lips
’The doaor bowed in acknowledgment
of the introduaion, and said:
form his answer to the docfor. Robert

"You have information regarding this

knew that his frail form would soon
break imder the strain of imprisonment,
calamity, the Great Madness, that has
and a prayer was in his heart that here,
overtaken the world?’’
at last, was someone who would listen,
Robert Hargrane pressed closer to the
believe, and help them. A black menace
bars, and clasped them with strong
hands. “Here man,’’
hung over the world that they alone un-
is a the doctor
derstood. So he answered:
thought as he noted the clear brown eyes,
clean features, and magnificent form, “Doaor, we have a story to tell that

"capable of wrestling with the psychical will tax your credulity to the utmost. But
as well as the physical forces of nature.’’ if the world is to be saved, you, or some-
Hargrane, in turn, missed no character- one, must listen —and believe.’’

istics of the doaor. The doaor’s prom- "Oh, please, please, Doaor,” Nan
inence in scientific circles had made him broke in. "You must believe it.”
 THE INVADING MADNESS 307

The doctor produced notebook and in a field dose’ by, a soft purring
sound
pencil. "I am ready to listen,” he said accelerated into a muffled hum, and a
quietly. dark, bird-like form glided swifdy over
"I am sorry, Doctor,” Hargrane said, the turf, rose into the air, drclet^ then
"but it is too complicated to tell here. If was lost to sight in the black void above.
you can ejffea our release, I can take you
to where absolute proof will be given
you.”
"Hm.” The doctor thoughtfully
D r.

been shown.
INGRAM surveyed widi much in-
terest the room into which he had

stroked his chin. "The task of cutting "Your father has a wonderfully
die tangle of red tape would be insur- equipped laboratory here. Miss Ans-
mountable.” worth.”
Turning to Williams, he continued, "Yes, Doaor. He has spent a lifetime,
"Would you risk the danger of assisting and a fortune, in accumularing the equip-
in their escape?” ment you see,” Miss AnSworth answered
"Gladly, Doctor.” "And since Mother died, he fitted up
"Then let us arrange the details. But living-quarters adjoining. Having the
first, Mr. Hargrane, I would like to ask entire top floor to ourselves, and the ex-

you one question. Just who are die

just clusive use of the roof as a landing-stage,
— er, the Thangs?” has given us a privacy diat he valued
Robert Hargrane hesitated, and highly. Having given up all work of a
searched the eyes of Dr. Ingram for signs public nature, and devoting his entire
of insincerity. -What he found there sat- time to private research and experimoi-
isfied him, and he answered firmly: tation. Father has caused us to be as alone

"The Thangs, sir, are the malignant in- up here as if we were in a desert. Mr.
habitants of another dimension, another Hargrane, his sole assistant for the past
plane, very near, and very dangerous to two years, lived with us. We
kept two
the world.” planes; one for myself, and one in which
Father and Mr. Hargrane made frequent

M Now and then the silence

idnight.
brooding over the great darkened
asylum was broken by the insane gibber-
flights to
his many
and Robert’s
remote places in the
experiments.
—
Mr. Hargrane’s
interests of
Since
incar- —
Father’s

ings of some mentdly tortured viaim ceration, I have continued to live here
confined behind its grim walls, evoking alone, hoping against hope that their re-
a chorus of noournal wailings from lease might be effeaed. I am so grateful
others. Gradually the hideous mouthings to you. Doctor, for your assistance in their
would subside; th«i quiet again. escape. And in a short time you will have
Through the dim light, a lone figure revealed to you amazing things that will
sped down one of the long corridors. elevate that favor into an aa that may
The man paused before a barred door; a save the world. There,” she said, point-
lode clicked, and he was joined by a shad- ing, "is themost wonderful invention in
owy form from within a cell. Another lock all history —
the medium through which
grated, and another form emerged. A win- those amazing things will be revealed. Its
dow at die end of the corridor was sofdy conception and construction were the sal-
raised, the loosened bats removed, and the vation of the world once, and may be
darkness without received the trio in its again.”
pioteaing embrace. In a few moments, Dr. Ingram looked in the direction in-
308 WEIRD TALES
dicated, and beheld a complicated appa- which he could spirit them away from
ratus that was mostly concealed by a the asylum. It would be a simple matter
draped black cover. for him, an attendant, to enter the place

"Tell me about it,” he said. atany time, unlock the cells, and condua
your father and Hargrane to the plane.”
"If you will pardon me, I would rather
let Father and Robert explain it. They She smiled her gratitude for his com-
will be here shortly, and do you not think forting words. Then
a warm lunch, after their asylum fare, "Listen!” she exclaimed.
would be welcome?” A faint humming sound from above
"By all means. Miss Answorth.” He came to their ears, and, at a slight jar
smiled. "It takes a woman to remember overhead, she cried, "Oh, good, they are
all the little niceties, doesn’t it?” here!”
He followed her into the kitchen, and In a very few minutes. Nan Answorth,
watched her prepare coffee, eggs, bacon, sobbing with joy,was locked in the em-
and a salad and dessert for the escaping braces of her father and lover. Then,
prisoners whom they expeaed within the with tears in her eyes, she thanked Wil-
hour. liams, and led the little party in to the
Dr. Ingram glanced at his watch. midnight repast.
"They should be here in fifteen minutes
or so," he said. Then a disquieting EATED at a large table in the labora-

thought struck him. "Will not the aerial S tory with Professor Answorth, his
police see the landing-lights, and possibly daughter, and Robert Hargrane, Dr. In-
investigate?” gram and Williams prepared to hear the
She smiled. true story of the Great Madness,and gain
"Father’s genius has taken care of that, understanding of that which was to come.
Doaor. He has the landing-stage out- "Professor Answorth has been deaf
lined in own,
black-violet signals — ^his and mute for a number of years, Doaor,”
and hitherto whidi is
secret invention, Hargrane began, "but you shall hear his
an adaptation from the well-known black- story in his own words, for he is an ex-
light searchlights. A special receiving- pert in lip-reading, and has taught it to
apparatus is installed on both our planes, Miss Answorth and me, so that commu-
giving them the exclusive ability to re- nication between him and us would be
ceive the signals. To all others in the simplified. He will speak, silently, of
sky, our roof dark as the night itself.
is as course, and I will translate to you his
Robert can easily show Mr. Williams words. After he is dhrough, you may see,

how to operate Mr. Williams

it in case if you wish, with your own eyes, the
acts as pilot on the return
flight. Oh, I malignant entities or intelligences in their
do hope nothing goes wrong,” she cried, evil dimension.”
as sudden fright at possible failure star- Hargrane turned to Professor Ans-
tled her. worth, who had been watching his lips
"Do not worry. Miss Answorth,” Dr. as he talked. The professor’s lips moved
Ingram assured her. "Mr. Williams is a as he silently conveyed some comment to
very capable young man, trustworthy, as his assistant. Facing Dr. Ingram with a
well as an excellent pilot. I see no pos- dignified bow and quiet smile, his lips
sibility of failure. It simplified matters a again moved, and Hargrane immediately
great deal for you to furnish a plane in began to speak aloud the words his
 THE INVADING MADNESS 309

mouth was forming —the words that de- sailed your ears, as it did those of every
scribed to Dr,Ingram the most astonish- human. Your well-balanced mind re-
ing discovery in history, and the awful sisted the Madness, but even you must
danger that menaced the world. have succumbed had we not found and
"I wish to thank you, Doaor,” he be- destroyed its cause. No doubt you, in
gan, "for your timely assistance in our your lonely bivouac, at night watched
release. Your aid in effeaing our es- the gorgeous display of the strange comet
capeis, I have every reason to believe, that then flamed in the sky. I wonder
an aa that will save the world from a if you too, thrilling to the strange,
im-
recurrence of the Horror and its resultant earthly music that pervaded the %ther
collapse of sanity and civilization. Your preceding the Madness, attributed it, as
mind can not conceive now the awful did other scientists, to the supposed in-
menace that surrounds humanity in the habitants of that mysterious celestial vis-
persons of the inhabitants of the fourth itor.
dimension. But in a few moments you
"Ah, how people here in the city were
will be privileged to look, with your own affeaed by that music! A fervor ap-
eyes, into that dimension, and behold the
proaching fanaticism seized the relig-
malignant beings who plan to invade
iously inclined, who watched the skies
ours.
eagerly for descending angels from heav-
"It was not the fault of those evil en- en, playing on golden harps! Musicians
tities or intelligences, that their first at- vainly strove to identify, or classify, in-
tempt to subdue our three-dimensional struments the like of which they had
plane was a failure. was due to out
It
never heard! Scientists listened, awed by
timely discovery of them and their dia- the music, and by the ingenuity of the
bolical plot, and the bravery of Rob-
supposed” inhabitants of the comet, who,
so they thought, had accomplished the
The professor looked at Robert, who double miracle of interplanetary com-
blushed With modesty, but continued munication and the broadcasting of radio
speaking aloud the words the professor’s waves without other receiving-apparatus
lips were forming. than the human ear!i All over the world
" who took his life in his hands it was heard. All over the world the
when he smashed the infernal machine newspapers were filled with accounts of
that was broadcasting the Madness. It the phenomenon. And then, when the
is our greatest woriy that the inventor wonderful music ceased and the awful
and operator of the machine, the tool of din of the horror took its place, full real-
the 'Thangs, escaped. Even now he may ization of its significance came to Robert
have another almost perfeaed, almost and me. The mysterious activities of the

ready to release another deluge of din strange inhabitants of the fourth dimen-
through the ether that would be certain, sion, into which we had looked through
within a few hours, to reduce the rest of yonder machine, were mysterious no
humanity to snarling, tearing beasts, or longer.
gibbering idiots. You, being on a soli- "I know you are impatient, Doaor, to
tary hunting-trip in the wilds, were mer- see for yourself the beings responsible
cifully spared the awful speaacle we be- for the Great Madness, so I will not go
held here in the city at the first invasion into a long scientific discussion of the ap-
of the Madness. Of course the din as- paratus I invented. There has been a
310 WEIRD TALES
great deal of theorizing in scientific dr- of the apparatus to govern the distance
cles regarding the fourth dimension, and of the eyes from the czossing of the axes
also, apart from that theoretical state, of the tubes, at the open end of which
the possibility of life in or on other were fastened glass spheres conneaed by
planes of existence. I believed that the wires to a glittering array of dials and

conditions termed planes and dimensions switches on a panel

one side of the
at

were synonymous. believed that they

machine. The spheres glowed with a pe-
I
culiar orange light as the professor
were simply states wherein all matter vi-
threw in switches and regulated rheostats
brated at a different rate than in ours,
on the panel. The whole afiPair, includ-
rendering it invisible and intangible to
ing a seat for the operator, stood on a
our sight and touch. Considering light
circular platform set flush with the floor
rays in those other planes as matter,
so that it could be revolved and fixed in
theoretically it should be possible, there-
any certain position.
fore, to see into those planes, provided
that the light rays emanating from ob-
jects in those planes could be changed in
their vibrations to conform to the rate of
R obert
. chine.
said, "I will
seated himself before the ma-
Turing to Dr. Ingram he
now demonstrate the using
vibration of our light rays. The prob- of the machine, Doaor, and see that it
lem was how to do it. An account ’of is in the proper adjustment for you in
the thousands of experiments I failed in case you care to look at the awful entities
would be discouraging reading, but fi- in the next dimension."
nally it was done. I succeeded in devel- He
turned and thrust his face into the
oping a new ray, which, when direaed aperture in the rubber curtain. Professor
across one’s line of vision a certain exact Answorth lowered the graduated scale,
distance from the retina, would change and carefully scanning it, adjusted the
the vibrations of the light rays from the head-rest. Slowly turning a rheostat, he
fourth dimension to the point where they caused the glass spheres to glow brighter
would be visible to us.” and brighter with die orange light until
Professor Answorth’s lips ceased mov- Robert, with his fingers, signaled in old
ing, and Robert was silent. The profes- style deaf-mute language to revolve the
sor moved
to the shrouded apparatus he platform. The professor pressed a but-
had indicated, and removed the cover. ton, and it circled slowly a foot or two
Robert followed him, and stood beside to the left. At another signal from
the machine, which Dr. Ingram exam- Robert he released his pressure on the
ined with interest. He saw a black box- control, and the platform came to rest.
like affair standing on nidceled tubular After a few moments, Robert withdrew
legs, with a seat attached at a height suf- his head from the machine. A grim
ficient to bring the user’s face even with look was on his features.
an oval aperture in a rubber curtain "’They are diere,” he said, "and evi-
stretched over that side of the box. dently in a state of great agitation. I

Fixed, one on each were two tubes

side, fear iey are nearer ready than I thought
pitched at an angle that would direa the for a second attack. U^,” he shud-
axis of each to a common crossing a few dered, "I can’t ga used to looking on
inches in front of the eyes of the user. their hideousness. Do you care to see
An adjustable head-rest, with a grad- them, Doaor?”
uated stale, extended down from the tc^ This was what he bad come for. This
 THE INVADING MADNESS 311

was why he had assisted these men to Inhabitants of another dimension which,
escape from confinement; to see for him- I have every reason to believe, is nothing
self the strange things in another dimen- less than ^e traditional, orthodox hell
sion who, they had asserted, had attempt- that the old-time, Fundamentalist clergy
ed once, and were preparing even now, to warned us against. It was a blind 1«-
conquer the world through madness. lief,but apparently true. At least the
Only a moment Dr. Ingram hesitated, awful beings you saw are tortured; tor-
and then, with a queer trembly feeling —
tured by an everlasting fire the consum-
inside his breast, he sat down before the ing flames of unsatisfied passions and de-
machine and thrust his face through the sires!”
opening in the rubber curtain. He felt Robert, with a motioning hand, inter-
the head-rest moved against the back of rupted the professor. His lips moved
his head, which was gently forced for- in a silent request, and the professor
ward into the proper position. All was nodded. Robert sat down on the seat of
dark before his eyes at first, then a faint the machine, and turning, requested of
orange glow seemed to spread and slowly Nan that she continue the professor’s
absorb the blackness. What monstrous story for him. "I would like,” he add-
sight was he about to see? ed, addressing the doaor, "to be study-
For two minutes he remained quietly ing the 'Thangs. I fear die time is lim-
seated,while vague shapes writhed and ited in which to discover something of
slowly took form before his eyes. Sud- their plans.”
denly the group around the machine saw "Certainly, Robert, go right ahead,”
him shudder, saw his body tense and the doaor feebly smiled; "I think Miss
tremble. In a moment he withdrew his Answorth will be a very satisfaaory sub-
blanched face from the machine, and rose stitute interpraer.”
drunkenly from the seat. He turned Robert nodded his thanks, and turned
and faced them, his eyes mirroring un- to the machine, accidentally jostling it
speakable horror. with his elbow. Neither he nor the pro-
"My God!" he exclaimed. "My God! fessor seemed to notice this small acci-
Heads! Heads! Bloated, leering, bodiless dent. He thrust his face into the aper-
heads! Floating, swaying in a sickening ture; the professor adjusted the controls

—
orange atmosphere ^peering and mouth- and turned on the current. At a signal
ing at me with their evil eyes and foul from Robert that focus and position were
lips! —shrinking and swelling into lop- satisfaaory, he turned from the dials and
sided, loathsome shapes like the rotting, switches on the panel, and facing the
maggot-quickened boneless heads of doaor, prepared to resume his story. His
corpses! And their thoughts — their ob- lips moved, and Nan’s well-bred, swea-
scene, bestial thoughts! Pouring into my ly quiet voice continued his amazing rev-
brain from their vicious intelligences in elations.
a soul-staining, corrupting stream! In
"Months of study,” she began, watch-
heaven’s name. Professor, what are they?"
ing her father’s lips, "after the perfec-
Dr. Ingram sank into a chair, mopping tion of the machine, and recovery from
with trembling hand his streaming brow. the shock at the awful beings it revealed,
The professor’s lips moved, and Rob- convinced Robert and me that the
ert spoke for him: 'Thangs, as we soon learned they call
"Exaaly, Doctor; heads! ’The 'Thangs! themselves, are simply disembodied in-
312 WEIRD TALES
telligences, evilbeyond compare. Sev- ing of them was not pleasant, and also
eral facts became plain. First, they dis- seemingly profitless; so we direaed our
played all the charaaeristics of the hu- efforts along other lines of scientific re-
man intelligence, without, however, any- search. Our main interest lay in perfect-
thing at all of the good or pure in their ing an apparatus which would indicate,
thou^ts. Second, we were partly able exaaly, the location of the source of any
to read their minds; their wick^ thoughts known elearical impulse. It was an
seemed to come to us over the altered elaboration and perfeaion of the old ra-
light rays that revealed them to us. Third,
dio direction and distance finder. The
doing so, we knew they hated us, were
task was not so difficult, and after thor-
jealous of us and planned to invade our
oughly testing and proving our theories,
dimension. How they intended doing
we built a finished machine. It was
this, and what form t^ invasion could
while we were clearing a place for it in
possibly take, we could not learn. Fourth,
a corner filled with old bottles of chem-
we found they were constantly tortured
icals, discarded paraphernalia, and so on^
by consuming passions and desires com-
that Icame across a bottle of solutitMi
mon humans, but usually controlled
to us
had made several years ago. I had
that I
by moral forces and instincts. Having
compounded it in experimenting to find
no morality to restrain them, nor a physi-
a cure for my increasing deafness. How
cal body as a vehicle or outlet for those
it had frightened me when its applica-
passions, their madness was understand-
tion rendered me But its
totally deaf!
able. Fifth, we concluded that their ori-
aaion proved only temporary and harm-
gin was in our world, our dimension.
less. Some unexplainable impulse pre-
They were the dead men and
souls of
vented me throwing it out, and there it
women! After death, their souls had
had remained, dusty and undisturbed all
lacked the buoyancy of good, or morals
these years. In the meantime, failing to
to raise them to a higher plane of exist-
find a cure, I had become totally deaf
ence; and there, inexorably, they were
and mute, and reconciled to that state.
doomed to stay forever in their hellish
"As I turned to set the bottle on a
sphere. This dovetailed with the ortho-
table, I noticed Nan and Robert pause
dox belief in eternal damnation.
in their work and listen with rapt inter-
**So we gave little thought to the pos-
est to something I, of course, could not
sibility of their success in really invading hear. And then, trying to read both
our dimension, but ascribed their evident pairs of lips at once, I was exdtedly told
but vague plans thereof to merely the of the wonderful music they were hear-
wish being father to the thought. We ing — ^music that seemed to come from
could see no way they could accomplish nowhere, filling it seemed
the ether until
this unthinkable thing; it simply could to originate in the brain itself.
not be done. Ah! how much suffering "We suspended all work as we dis-
we might have averted; how many minds cussed this phenomenon. Someone had
and lives we might have saved had we performed a miracle, had accomplished
but perceived the simple truth! the impossible in transmitting radio
'Tor some months before the horror waves direct to the ear without the me-
of the madness overwhelmed the earth, dium of a mechanical receiver! The
we had been paying little attention to the name of a new hero of science would
Thangs and their activitiesi Xbfi Study- soon headline the newspapers! We would
 THE INVADING MADNESS 313

write bun, whoever he mi^t be, a letter of their plan flashed into mymind. In-
of coagratulatioa when he becaiue sanity.^ — that was it! The deranged hu-
known. Meanwhile we attempted to lo< man intellea vibrating at a rate out of
cate him with our new machine, but the the normal formed a bridge, a connecting
hitherto unknown wave-length he used link, and over that bridge would pour
prevented its successful operation with- the Thangs out of their foul dimension,
out several minor changes. to take possession of the minds and bod-
"Of course you heard, all that night, ies of humanity, and indulge — if only
the next day, and the next ni^t, the for a brief time — ^their bestial passions!
strange music that thrilled a mystified They had nothing to lose, and all to gain.

world You know of how it interefered "But how were they producing the
with commimication, prevented sleep phenomenon of the Horror? There was
except among the totally deaf, and al- but one logical conclusion: a Thang, pos-
most halted business. The newspapers sibly the soul of some mad genius of the
quoted the baffled radio experts as say- past, had entered the -diseased mind of
ing that discovery of the unknown broad- some once-brilliant modem scientist, and
caster was an impossibility; be singly with diabolical cunning the combined in-
was not on this earth. On the tmrning telkas had conceived their hellish inven-
of the fatal day ©f the Horror, the papers tion, and had produced a machine to
published the expressed theories of a broadcast the exciting music, and then
group of eminent scientists and astron- the maddening noise,
omers, which were that the strange new "If the world was to be saved, imme-
comet then screaking across the zenith diate aaion was necessary. I needed
was inhabited and that the weird music help, but Nan and Robert were fast go-
was radioed by the superior beings there- ing to pieces under the strain. Would
on. It was not the first time that wise they soon be raving maniacs, their minds
men had been mistaken, as they certainly ^ possessed by Thangs? I shuddered at
were. the thought. If only they were deaf too!
"That morning. Nan and Robert were Then I thought of the drug that had tem-
standing at the window, watciung the ex- porarily paralyzed my hearing. Gladly
cited human
stream in the street below. they consented to a drop in each ear.
I saw tHem sunultaneously clap their The action was immediate, the relief be-
hands to their ears, and quickly turn to yond words.
me, consternation and horror in their "Frantically we set to work. After a
eyes. Breathlessly they told me what had brief inspeaion of the Thangs through
occurred; the music had ceased and in the machine, which showed them in a
its place bad come the dm of the Horror. state of great excitement, vanishing one
How terrible it was you already know. by one here and there as they aossed the
"Their nerves were soon racked and I^idge of insanity to possess the minds
frayed under the strain of the awful of those going mad, we began the neces-
noise. Suddenly Nan exclaimed, 'Father, sary changes in our radio-finding appara-
if this does not stop soon, we shall all tus. I breathed a prayer that we fail

go mad!’ not to find, the source of that nerve-shat-

"Mad! — ^There was the key to the mys- tering noise. We succeeded, the indica-
terious activities of the Thangs! Why tor ^wing its. location m a sheltered
hodl not thought of k before? It was cove on the eastern shore of Georgian
all plain to me now; a clear petception Bay in Ctotario, 01 our flight there, and
314 WEIRD TALES
the subsequent fight with the mad inven- lips, and a startled look came over his
tor of the horrible machine, and the burn- worry-strained features. He pressed
ing of the ship it was on, I will ask Rob- Williams’ arm in a gesture that spoke
ert to tell you, as he was the principal plainer than words his thanks for the
aaor in that part of the dtama.” suggestion, and sprang quickly to exam-
ine the machine. Nan followed him, un-

T he professor’s lips ceased to move,

and Nan fell silent. He turned to
where Robert had remained quietly seat-
consciously speaking aloud in her anxiety
as she plied her deaf father
tions. Intent
with ques-
on measuring, calibrating,
ed at the machine during his story, and and calculating, he ignored her. ’Then
touched him on the arm. He did not with pencil and pad he rapidly covered
move. a half-dozen pages with mathematical
Again the professor touched him, took equations. Finally turning to his anxious
hold of an elbow and gently shook it. watchers, his lips moved and Nan inter-
Unresponsive, Robert sat lifeless, his face preted:
hidden in the machine. "Yes, it is possible. I did not foresee
'The professor, now thoroughly it, but it is possible. 'The axes of the ray
alarmed, turned his white face to the tubes which were jarred from their nor-
panel board, and shut off the current. mal forty-five degree pitch, while not af-
The doaor and Williams were already feaing the of the user to receive
ability
lifting Robert from the seat, and as Nan on the retina the light rays from the other
caught sight of his set features and star- dimension, setup a rotary motion of the
ing eyes, she stifled a scream. Pressing atoms of the rays that aaed as a vortex,
her hands to her heart, which seemed to drawing Robert’s intelligence into that
stand still, her mind fought back a sin- abominable plane.”
gle stabbing word: “Dead!” "Father!” Nan cried. "Let me see;
But no! Supported by the doaor and set the machine again. Father, and let me
Williams, Robert walked, as one hypno- see if he is there!”
tized, to a couch, where every effort to The professor hurriedly readjusted the
revive him failed. For hours the doaor machine, and Nan quickly sat down be-
worked over the unconscious man, fore imploring her faAer to turn on
it,

frankly puzzled by his strange condition. the current.Low moans escaped her as
Silently, tensely, the little group watched she contemplated the awful, torturing
as he brought into play all his skill and situation in which she would see her
all his knowledge of medicine and hyp- lover. Lost? Was he lost to her for-
nosis. Though the rest of his physical ever, doomedto stay in that dread place,
organs funaioned properly, Robert’s while his living, yet dead, body remained
mind he remained as though dead.
slept; on earth, a silent, unresponsive reminder
It was Williams who finally advanced of their love?
a theory as to his true condition. Doubt- Her face hidden in the machine, they
fully, hesitantly, conscious of his igno- heard her muflSed voice exclaim:
rance in such matters, he said: "Robert! Oh, Robert! Yes, he is

—
"G)uld he could the machine have there, his face white, among their black,
been out of adjustment, and and drawn — loathsome heads! The agony, the pain
his mind into —
^into that other dimen- in his dear features Robert! —
Oh-h-h!” —
sion? I saw him jar it as he sat down.” Her voice tapered off in a grief-filled
The professor caught the words on his sob, as they lifted her from the seat and
 THE INVADING MADNESS 315

carried her, half fainting, to her room. at dbe drawn faces of the little group of
Dr. Ingram administered restoratives, haggard actors in the strange dr^a.
and soon she became quieter. Far below them, in the canyon of the
The men gathered around the uncon- street, the city: had come to life and its

scious Robert to discuss the situation, and human swarm hummed in a myriad tones
find a way, if possible, to reclaim his in- in the beginning of the day’s activities,
telligence from the evil domain of the all unconscious of die faa that, even
Thangs. then, their fate, and the fate of like
The professor, with pitiable eyes, swarms the world over, lay squarely and
watched the doaor’s lips as he talked, solely in the hands of fi\^ people in a
soothing, encouraging, and suggesting. room high above their heads.
"Professor,” he said, "if a condition can
be produced in the rays that would
drawing one’s intelligence
create a vortex
into that other dimension, why can not
D r. incsram placed his hands under
Robert’s shoulders and raised
to a sitting posture. With Williams
him
op-
the angles of the ray tubes be reversed posite, theyprepared to lift the staring
so that the vortical action will also be man, and guide him to the seat before
reversed, drawing from die other dimen- the machine. They had him half-way to
sion into this?” his feet, when
"We can try it; I will reset the ma- Cra-a-a-a-a-a-sh!
chine accordingly,” die professor wrote One long, continuous, endless detona-
the words rapidly on a pad. He turned, tion of sound biurst on their hearing!
and hastened to the machine. Hands pressed tightly to ears failed to
- Nan re-entered the room,
her face shut out the stream of hammering noise
tear-stained but composed, and the doc- that beat on the brain like the stream
tor explained the experiment they were frcHn a fire-hose. They looked at each
about to attempt. other in horror. The Madness had come
"We will place his body again before again! The Madness! The Horror!
the machine just as it was,” the doaor God!
explained, "and trust in God that he will After the first crashing shock, their
be restored to us.” senses could detea and separate tones
"It must not fail!” Nan said, with and notes of the roaring cataraa of hid-
grim determination in her eyes; "and if eous, discordant clamor. An intermin-
soul can call to soul, if the human will gling of vibrations ran the scale from
has any power, if love can triumph over vanishing-point below to that above.
evil, Aen he shall return to ns, for I The tintinnabulation of unmusical gongs
shall stand bdiind him, and call to him strove for recognition with the shrida,
with all my soul, all my will, all my wails, hoots and thuds of every noise de-
love!” vice conceivable! The throb of drums,
The dcxtor bowed, as if in homage to the beeps and klaxonings of signal
this displayof powerful and sacred emo- horns, the clatter and clap of thimderous
tion, and at a nod from the professor armament threaded with shrill screaming
that he was ready, prepared with the as- as from souls in torment. 'The clang and
sistance of Williams to lead the uncon- peal of crashing bells; the clank and rat-
scious Robert to the machine. tleof dragging chains; the moaning la-
Dawn had come long since, and now ment of deep-throated whistles; the trum-
the sun was staring through the window petmg and ^wling of wild beasts; static
316 WEIRD TALES
craddings; cries, groans, explosions; a of a crazed populace battling futilely the
confusion of incoherent babble — all maddening stream of reason-wrecking
commingling in a heterogeneous bedlam noise.
of noise that beat and tortured the audi- Back in the laboratory, the professor
tory nerve until the mind reeled! worked over the radio-deteaing appara-
The professor, though he was immune, tus. Something was wrong; it would not
knew instantly from the look of horror operate. He needed Robert’s help, but
on the others’ faces what had happened. Robert —where was he? His body sat
Running, he procured the bottle of pre- stonily on the couch, but his mind was
cious drug, and in afew moments all had in that evil domain whence was pouring
been relieved from the nerve-shaking the loathsome stream of damnable enti-
eflfea of the awful din. ties that were even now taking possession

For the time being, they must forget of the minds of men and engaging in a
Robert. The authorities, police ofl&cials, wild orgy of debauchery with their bod-
public officials, all who could be reached ies.

must be saved. There must be vials Williams was assisting the professor
found and charged with a few drops of as best he could, but the doaor, unable
the drug. They must be wrapped in cot- to help with the apparatus, stood at the
ton, labeled, and dropped from their window, fascinated by the scene in the
plane on the landing-stages of the police street below.
station, the city hall, the military bar- People were rushing here and there,
racks,and the government buildings. throwing arms wildly about, praying,
They must sacrifice their immediate per- shouting, rapidly succumbing to this sec-
sonal interests for the benefit of society; ond attack of the Madness. Try as they
for they knew not how soon the source had, they had not forgotten; the awful-
of the Horror could be discovered and ness of the former attack came clearly
destroyed. The attempt to restore Rob- to their minds, and thus weakened re-
ert must wait. sistance to the Horror. Hopelessness
Calm now, in the face of disaster, they seized them; there was no comet now to
all set feverishly to work. Nan typed blame for the din. What could save the
dozens of slips bearing the words: world? God had deserted it, and hell
had taken charge!
A DROP IN EACH EAR FOR THE HORROR
A DROP IN EACH EAR FOR THE HORROR Hundreds took the easiest way out,
A DROP IN EACH EAR FOR THE HORROR preferring death to madness. Dr. In-
Faces by the weird orange glow
lit gram saw their bodies hurtling to the
from the spheres on the machine which pavement from windows of offices above.
the professor had prepared for the restor- Individual aas of hideousness caught his
ing of Robert and had not bothered to attention as the holocaust of insanity con-
turn off, they madly filled, wrapped and sumed human reason. A woman with a
labeled the vials, counting on the des- baby clasped to her breast had been
peration of the finders to follow the di- kneeling in the gutter, her face upturned
reaions. Soon they were through; the in fervent supplication. Suddenly she
drug was all used. Nan volunteered to sprang up, caught the infant by the feet^
distribute them, and rushed to the roof, and dashed out its brains against a pole!
a basket filled with the mind-saving vials A surface car, the motorman leaning
on her arm. In a few minutes her plane from the window as he gesticulated and
was dipping and soaring over the heads grimaced in maniacal glee, careened at
 THE INVADING MADNESS 317

high speed down the street to crash into wreckage; there were fewer to indulge
the rear of another. Bloodstained, mu- in the wild orgy of madness, but the
tilated passengers crawled from the scene was yet terrible beyond words. Con-
wreck, »and ignoring hideous wounds, tinuous fighting and self-destruction was
fought or danced or committed acts of constantly swelling the crimson flood in
indecency as the Thangs that possessed the gutters, choked with torn and naked
their brains direaed! bodies.
Fire broke out in a dozen places; auto- Suddenly his heart leaped with hope.
mobiles ran recklessly, over people, down Down the street came an orderly body of
the sidewalk, through plate-glass win- police,their calm and sure aaions as
dows, until their mad rush was stopped they commenced the work of overpower-
by some immovable object. A group of ing the insane betokening Nan’s success
men and women, their arms about one where it
in placing the vials of the drug
another’s half -naked bodies, emerged was needed. A body of soldiers swung
from a doorway, and milling about, danc- around another corner, adopting drastic
ing in a dervish frenzy, swept screaming measures in an attempt to save this little

down the street to be blotted out by a spot of civilization; dispatching the badly
huge passenger plane that crashed, flam- wounded, and executing the hopelessly
ing, from the sl^! mad. Perhaps there was hope; perhaps,
A world gone mad! Civilization tot- in places, there were strong-minded,
tering! Humanity destroying itself in an strong-willed men and women still re-
awful whirlpool of insanity! That was sisting the maddening din. Now if they
what Dr. Ingram was witnessing. Scenes could locate and destroy the demon in
past description; debauchery and obscen- human form, and his hellish machine
ity unspeakable; murder and rapine; an At that moment. Nan remrned. White-
inferno of human passions rampant on faced, she crossed the, room as in a daze,
the face of the world! A hideous de- and collapsed across the kneees of her
lirium in which the black entities from lover, who had left him, star-
sat as they
hell took possession of man’s mind! ing — staring —
nothing. Dr. Ingram
at
God! And was occurring in every
this approached to offer encouraging words,
city, in every country on the face of a but with face hidden against Robert’s
once fair globe! hands she shook her head and waved
Sickened, he turned from the window him away. He honored her desire to be
to where the professor and Williams alone; for the present her work was done.
sweated over the radio-detector. They The doaor turned to where the pro-
had certain changes almost complete, the fessor and Williams still labored at the
professor had discovered the strange new device to which they pinned their hopes
wave length the Thangs were using, and of saving a disintegrating society. He
the machine would be ready soon. saw the professor straighten his bent old
form, a look of triumph in his eyes. He

T
ert’s
he doaor nervously paced the floor,
pausing now and then to feel Rob-
pulse, whose cataleptic state re-
turned and motioned excitedly to the doc-
tor, who sprang to his side.
was gazing,
Williams
fascinated at the wonder of
mained unchanged. Irresistibly he was the professor’s accomplishment, at a glass
drawn again and again to the window. sphere. Insidesuspended on a thin
it,

There was- a little less confusion, now. wire, was a needle that wavered, hesi-
'The street was filled with dead and tated, then pointed straight down! The
 —

318 WEIRD TALES

professor wrote rapidly on a pad, and the ing hand the grim weapon that had
doaor read the startling words: meant a way out.
“That 'devil machine’ is in the base- The basement reached, they cautiously
ment of this very building!’’ explored its silent corridors. Here was
Dr. Ingram showed the pad to Nan,
the power room; here lodcers, storage
who nodded disinterestedly, and again rooms filled with discarded shelving,
store fixtures and so on; here a shop for
bowed her head on Robert’s knee in si-
the maintenance of the machinery in the
lent grief.
big building. Through it all they
Quickly, the three men prepared to in-
searched, fruitlessly, fingers clenched
vade the basement, to search for the room
around ready weapons. They found no
in which was hidden the maniac with his
sign of the hidden source of the Horror
inconceivable device that continued to
until before them yawned the darkened
send out through the ether the hideous,
steps to the sub-basement.
maddening cyclone of clamor. Here, no
Below, in the gloom, each thought they
doubt, he had built a duplicate machine
caught a glimpse of a dim skulking fontn,
along with the first one that had so near-
but a beam from a flashlight in the hand
ly wrecked the world. With insane cun-
of Williams revealed nothing. Was it
ning, the tool of the Thangs had pre-
imagination? Slowly descending the
pared the second attack against the possi-
ble failure of the first, and had boldly
steps, the silent trio — ^Williams first, then

located his diabolical instrument close to

the —
doaor and professor continued the
search. Nothing save some silent ma-
where he could the sooner enjoy the fruits
chinery, piles of piping, and cobwebbed
of their mad plan. To say that he would
abutments ma ffieir eyes. Advancing
'defend it with all the maniacal fury of a
farther into the yawning darkness, the
leader of his foul brood would be putting
ray of light fell suddenly on the outlines
it mildly indeed. They were entering
of a door set in the conaete wall at the
on a dangerous mission!
rear. Williams signaled for silence, and
The professor produced strange-look- extinguished the light. Then through
ing automatic pistols — terrible weapons, the blackness gleamed a yellow streak
(jiildren of his prolific inventive mind from under the door. Each instinaively
and they descended the stairs. Adequate- knew they were near the end of their
ly armed though they were, none of them search, and caught their breaths at the
was of the fighting type, and two were dangerous task before them.
old, well past the age when man’s heart Slowly, silently, they crept closer to the
thrills to the excitement of combat. closed door. Surely, behind it must lie
But bravely they traversed the deserted that which they must risk their lives to
corridors and crept down the silent steps. destroy, had
for all other possibilities
The elevators had ceased running hours been exhausted, and each had supreme
ago, the operators flinging themselves faith in the accuracy of the professor’s
into that maelstrom of madness in the device which had indicated this basement
streets. open offices spoke
Deserted, as the source of the nerve-shattering
mutely of the tragedy that had engulfed noise.
Aeir occupants. But here and there, Williams, cautiously advancing in the
dirough an open door, th^ cau^t a daricness, with the doctor and professor
glimpse of a still figure sprawled at a dose behind, felt his outstretdied fin-
desk or on the fl(X)r, dutdiing in a stiffen- gers come in contaa wkh the conaete
 THE INVADING MADNESS 319

wall. The from imder

faint yellow light they scanned the room. As
carefully
the door guided him to it, and kneeling, crowded as it was, they could see no place
he peered through the keyhole. He saw where one could hide. Ah, no douli the
a limited seaion of a well-lighted room, madman was out in the streets, blood-
but within range of his vision was thirstily taking part in the hideous orgy
enough paraphernalia of an elearical na- that a maddened world had been plunged
ture to convince him that he was at the into, crazed by the awful clamorous
—
door to the den of the maniac the mad, racket that his machine was even now
Thang-possessed inventor of the device automatically hurling through the ether.
that was wrecking the world! Turing to the devil-device, they were
Cautiously, he tried the knob. The fascinated by the whirling, whirring, vi-
door was unlocked, and snapping on the brating aaivity of the thing. At one side
flashlight for a second, he signaled with was an electric motor, direct-conneaed
a nod that they could enter. Gathering to by a spinning shaft that disappeared
it

all the nerve at his command, Williams into its interior. This gave life to the
flung open the door, and the three, with dozens of mechanisms mounted in and on
hearts thumping, but with weapons held the vast framework, which seemed like
desperately ready, sprang into the room. a huge hive alive with myriads of me-
Nothing happened; no one was in chanical bees. Aroimd the whole, a cir-
sight. cle of microphones received and dis-
tributed the hellish noise.
or a moment they stood quietly wait- For a few moments, the three who had
F ing for their eyes to become accus- come to destroy it gazed in awe at the
tomed and then they won-
to the light, marvelous device. There were huge
deringly surveyed the room. So large an knobbed arms that beat with monoton-
array of glittering apparatus was before ous regularity on drumheads of all sizes.
them, that its separate parts did not im- Other arms clanged frantically against
mediately register on their senses. Three a row of discordant gongs. Pieces of
features, however, caught and held their polished metal rose and and clanked
fell
attention. There was the ceiling, from together. Great bows seesawed back and
which was hung on insulated supports a forth across resined strings. Homs of
huge network of wires that was unques- every conceivable type hung here and
tionably an aerial for the broadcasting of there, and steadily squawked or shrieked
wireless signals. There in a comer was in a hideous chorus. Flashing bits of
a large switchboard, with its shining metal or w<X)d rotated or vibrated as each
rows of switches and meters and rheo- contributed its part to the revolting holo-
stats. Above the mbber mat that covered caust of sound. They were devoutly
the floor before the switchboard, hanging thankful for the drug in their ears that
at a height slightly above their heads, was rendered them deaf to it. But now it
a bank of huge coils, joined at the bottom must be stopped; where was the control
by a thick steel plate. And there, to one for that spinning motor that ran the aw-
side, was the monstrous, madly working ful thing? Ah, there on the switchboard
device that, plainly, was the objea of was a three-pole switch, larger than all
their search. the rest. It must control the whole
But where was the mad creator and board, and to pull it would stop
operator of this colleaion of electrical All three sprang forward at the com-
and mechanical monstrosities? Again mon thought. Williams was first; the
 2

320 .WEIRD TALES

others were close beside him. His hand ning a sudden rush in which he would
stretdied out to seize the handle. have a bare chance, should die Thang-
Clang! possessed madman come close enough.
Some invisible force jerked upward Now, however, all three would fall un-
the hands that held their weapons, the der his bullets before Williams could
steel guns were pulled from their fingers take a single step.
and clashed against the bar fastened to Hopelessly, helplessly, they watched
the huge coils overhead, where diey stuck, him, as a bird watches, charmed, the sway-
immovable! ing evil head of a reptile. Motioning with
Disarmed by an elearo-magnet! gun and knife, he herded them away
Astounded, they half turned and from the switchboard to the baric of the
caught sight of a grotestjue figure against room, where he lined them up with their
the wall, at one side of the door they had backs to the door. To what tortures was
entered. His left hand was still on the he about to put their helpless bodies?
switch with which he had sent the cur- God! Let him kill them and get it over
rent through the magnet that had dis- with; all hope was gone, the world was
armed diem. His ri^t held an auto- lost; what mattered their lives now?

matic pistol diat unwaveringly covered The professes: suffered mental tortures
them. Trapped! beyond the others. He was thinking of
Wild eyes mocked them with an in- Nan, up there in the laboratory with the
sane glare, and then from a mouth that living husk of her beloved Robert. Soon
drooled bloody foam came peal after the effea of the drug would wear off, and
pea! of maniac^ laughter, though merci- she would be a victim to the maddening
fully, in their deafness, they could not din of the Horror! And Robert’s soul,
hear it. Blood showed on the maniac’s doomed to eternal torment in the dimen-
flesh dirough the rents in his muddy sion of the Thangs! A picture of their
clothes. Matted hair hung over his glit- separate fates rose before his eyes; Rob-
tering eyes and added to his loathsome ert’s agonized face floating among the

appearance. Not for an instant did those loathsome heads of the Thangs in that
eyes leave them, as he stooped and picked hellish orange atmosphere — forever! And
from the floor a long sharp knife still Nan, his little Nan, running, wild, half-
dripping red from his participation in naked and insane, screaming, through
the terrible orgy in the streets. He came blood-filled streets! No! No! It must
slowly toward them, the bloodlust in his not be! Yes —he’d try —God
it grant
eyes, and laughing with unholy glee at him strength to get to that switch before
the terror he inspired. the maniac’s knife or bullets stopped
Lost! Each gave thought to the dire him! —^Now! Now!
word, but each was thinking most of the 'The professor, sobbing, shaking in the
faa that they had failed, and that failure desperation of his wild resolve, wheeled,
meant the loss of a world! Paralyzed and staggered toward the switchboard,
with horror at the thought, they waited hand outstretched! 'The blaric form of
while the maniac crept nearer, and yet the madman darted between him and his
nearer. But, with insane cunning, he goal, and with knife redly gleaming,
did not come too close, but paused some drew it back to thrust its crimson lengdi
fifteen feet away. At this, the hope that into his body! 'The leering face was
had begun to mount in Williams’ breast close to his own, and the drooling mouth
ebbed entirely away; he had been plan- breathed its fetid breath into his nostrfb;
W.T.—
 3 —

THE INVADING MADNESS 321

as the red blade began its forward, up- the rubber handle of the shining switch.
ward sweep! And then As he jerked it open, they saw his body
Flash! sharply outlined against the blue flame
Something —some invisible force of and beside him, the thing that
its arc;

tore the crimson knife from the mad- was the maniac sank, smoking, to the
man’s hand, and sent it spinning against floor, staring with dead eyes at its whirl-
the wall, where it clattered to the floor, ing, whirring, mind-destroying creation
bitsof reddened flesh clinging to its hilt! while it slowed, and stopped. The Hor-
Another flash! And the gun flew through ror was ended.
the air, and fell to the floor beside the
The maniac stumbled backward, acx
knife!
threw behind him two bloody bands in
a proteaive and grasped the
gesture,
B
Nan.
four
in the professor’s laboratory, the
men gazed wonderingly
'The effects of the drug were di-
at

bare blades of two shining switches on minishing, and it was good to hear again.

the board! His teeth, exposed by curling "I could not wait,”Nan was sobbing,
lips, clamped shut; the red pupils of his with "and while you were gone I
joy,
eyes disappeared upward behind black got Robert to the machine. You had
brows, and left the whites dully gleaming turned it on. Father, and after I succeed-
through the strings of his matted hair. ed in getting him on the seat, and his
His body grew instantly rigid, and curl- face through the curtain, I just stood be-
ing tentacles of smoke spiraled upward hind him and prayed, and called, and
from his burning flesh. Stiff, black, called.And he came back to me.”
smoking, a charred demon from hell, he
hung
rifice
grotesquely there, a crucified sac-
to his own mad
of the Thangs was dead!
genius. The tool T he Reconstruaion was
must
worn out by the
wait; the sane of the world,
urgent, but

and mental tor-

physical
The professor sank, fainting, to the ture, just now must sleep. Strength must
fl(X)r. Williams and the doctor had be stored up for the stupendous task that
turned, startled and astonished, when the faced them. And so, seeking places of
professor had bolted from their side in protection against the maddened ones
his desperate attempt; but the aaion was who still roamed the streets, they sought
so quick, events moved so rapidly, that strength and temporary forgetfulness in
it was several seconds before they raised restful oblivion.
their eyes, and beheld framed in the door Two persons, however, were awake.
the stalwart form of Robert Hargrane! Nan and Robert sat close together on the
A pistol, a thin thread of pale smoke Tomor-
couch in her father’s laboratory.
curling up from its muzzle, was in his row they would do their part, but now
hand. And
behind him, peering over his theyhad no thought but for each other.
shoulder were the frightened eyes of While his hand lightly caressed her soft
Nan Answorth! hair, she whispered:
Robert Hargrane! Eyes no longer "Was it as terrible as your poor face
staring, staring at nothing. Mind no indicated, dear, there with —with those
longer held in tortured thrall in the terrible Thangs?”
hideous domain of the Thangs; but here, And as Robert turned her lips up to
with hisown kind again, in time to save his, he breathed:
them, and save the mind of the world! "Not much worse than it would be
He strode forward and raised his band to here without you, sweetheart.”
W.T.—
 —

?unGi- rram-:7ueeocH

1. THE COURTYARD
It was the had known before;
city I
The ancient, leprous town where mongrel throngs
Chant to strange gods, and beat unhallowed gongs
In crypts beneath foul ajleys near the shore.
The rotting, fish-eyed houses leered at me
From where they leaned, drunk and half-animate.
As edging through the filth I passed the gate
To the black courtyard where the man would be.
The dark walls closed me in, and loud I aused
That ever I had come to such a den.
When suddenly a score of windows burst
Into wild light, and swarmed with dancing men:
Mad, soundless revels of the dragging dead
And not a corpse had either hands or head!

2. STAR-WINDS
It is a certain hour of twilight glooms.
Mostly in autumn, when the star-wind pours
Down hilltop streets, deserted out-of-doors.
But showing early lamplight from snug rooms.
The dead leaves rush in strange, fantastic twists.
And chimney-smoke whirls round with alien grace.
Heeding geometries of outer space.
While Fomalhaut peers in through southward mists.

This is the hour when moonstruck poets know

What fungi sprout in Yuggoth, and what scents

And tints of flowers fill NiAon’s continents.
Such as in no poor earthly garden blow.
Yet for each dream these winds to us convey,
A dozen more of ours they sweep away!
 1. The Mysterious Coffin But Dan quite evidently wasn’t that

WONDER who’s dead?” inquired curious, for he slouched into a chair be-
I Dan Callahan, driver of Yankton’s side the one in which the agent sat,
against the only cool wall of the freight
sole taxicab, pointing at a long
wooden box with brass handles, which house. It was afternoon—
late or, rather,

lay on a baggage-truck on the station

early evening —of an unusually hot June
platform. day. 'There never was very much doing
"Search me!” replied the station agent, in Yankton, Pennsylvania, and less than
without interest. "Look at the tag, if usual this particular afternoon.
you’re that curious.” The taxi-driver took a crumpled pack-
323
324 WEIRD TALES
age from one of his blouse pockets, shuddering, he switched on the platform
hshed out a crushed cigarette, replaced lights.
the package, tapped the cigarette on his "Hasn’t it turned a bit cold?” asked
chair, put the cigarette in his mouth, took Dan, shuddering too.
off his cap, ran his finger around in the 'The squeak of automobile brakes was
sweatband, found a match there, replaced heard, and then a third figure rounded
the cap, and lit up. The station agent was the corner of the freight house. 'The
already smoking a pipe. The two sat and newcomer was a young man still in his
puffed in silence, watching the coffin; twenties; erect, well dressed, with straight
not that they expeaed it to do anything pointed nose, firm jaw, and pleasing
worth watching for, but merely that it smile.
happened to be direaly in the line of "Hello, Doc,”Dan greeted him eager-
their vision,and hence was as easy to ly. "How’s my little boy?”
focus on as anything else. come from your house,” re-
"I’ve just
The shadow of the freight house gradu- plied the doctor. "You’ll be glad to know
ally lengthened in front of them, and that the little fellow is mudi better.

objects in the distance took on a reddish Responding to treatment beautifully. I

tinge. The definiteness of theshadow be- believe that I may safely say that he is

came blurred, the red tinge faded out, and out of danger.”
blue twilight began to fall. A faint warm "Doctor Crane,” said Callahan fervent-
breeze crept down the tracks. Bats flut- ly, "you’re a wizard and a brick. I thought
tered in and out under the canopy of the sure I was going to lose little Dan.

station platform, in pursuit of flies and You’ve saved his life, and if there is any-
midges. thing that I can ever do for you this sfde

A clatter and a roar and a swirl of cin- of hell, just ask me. That’s dl, sir.”
ders, as an east-bound train swept by; “It’s nothing —
^nothing,” replied Crane
deprecatingly; “merely my professiond
then silence again, the oppressive silence
of a warm summer evening. Heat-light- duty. And a great pleasure, I assure you.
ning played over the hills in the distance. Such a manly little fellow.”
"Say, Doc,” interrupted the station
Dan Callahan, the taxi-driver, un-
agent, "will you look at them birds try-
tilted his chair, arose slowly, and
ing to get into that there coffin?”
stretched his arms.
"Well, well, so they are,” replied Dr.
"No passengers tonight,” said he, "so
Crane, jovially. "I wonder what’s attraci
I guess I’ll be going home to Maggie and ting them.”
the kids.”
“And here comes the great grand-
"Say, will you look at that!” inter- daddy of them all,” added the agent, as a
rupted the railroad man. "One of them grayish bat of fully two-foot wing-spread
bats is trying to get into the coffin.” swooped downpour of the gathering dusk,
Dan looked, and made the sign of the hooked its wings onto the edge of the
cross. Clinging to the edge of the box, box, and snapped viciously at the two
close to the lock,was a small brown bat, little brown bats already there. They fled

fluttering as though with suppressed ex- squeaking, but still fluttered around in
citement. As the two men stared, another die vicinity.
bat joined the first. "Hm,” remarked the doaor, profes-
"They give me the creeps,” asserted sionally.
the agent, as. rising from his chair and "Must be one of these there umpire
 ANOTHER DRACULA? 325

bats I’ve heard tell about,” suggested the culiarly sharp white teeth. ’These pro-
station agent. truded over the lips, whose remarkable
Dr. Crane strode over to the box, and ruddiness showed astonishing vitality for
brushed the huge creature aside with one a man of his evident years. His ears
hand. 'The bat snapped at him, and then were pale, and at the tops extremely
shambled to one end of the top of the pointed; the chin was broad and strong,
box, where it crouched menacingly. The and the cheeks firm though thin. The
doaor stooped and sniffed at the cradc. general effea was one of extraordinary
"Hm,” he ruminated. "Peculiar smell, pallor.
very, but not at all what I expeaed. No His hands, at first glance, seemed
wonder it attracts these little creatures. white and fine, but closer scrutiny dis-
As public health officer, I must get it to closed them to be rather coarse — broad,
the undertaker’s at once. Who does it with squat fingers. In faa, most of the
belong to?” featittes of his anatomy, although appear-
"Dunno, Doc,” replied the agent. ing delicate and refined at first, never-
"Look at the tag.” theless suffered by prolonged examina-
By the light of the platform-lamps. tion.
"
Crane read aloud, ’Mr. Peter Larousse, His general appearance, however, was
Yankton, Pa.’ Who is he, I wonder? courtly, aristocratic,and foreign in the
’There’s no one of that name lives here.”
extreme.
"I am he,” said a quiet voice behind
But the most noticeable single item
them.
about him was his eyes: small, gimlet-
boring and bloodshot without being in

N
that a
PNE of them had heard any-one ap-
proach.
fourth
’They
man had
turned,
silently
and saw
joined
the least bleary. 'The three
preceded him on the station platform
laid the redness of his eyes to the setting
men who had

them. He was tali, well over six feet

sun; but the sun had long since set, and
in height. Dressed entirely in black,
the platform was now illumined by its
with a short black Inverness cape across
elearic lights.
his shoulders, fastened at the neck by a
single clasp of gold with jet stones. In
"I am Peter Larousse,” he repeated,
ignoring the rudeness of their stares.
his right hand he held a black stiff hat,

rather narrowed at the top of the crown.

"Did I hear some one mention my
He was old, of an indefinable age, yet
name?”
erea, and exuding power and vigor. Clean- "Pardon us, sir,” replied the doaor.
shaved, he was, except for a drooping "You startled us. I am Doaor Crane, the
white mustache. His face was aquiline, village health officer.”
with high-bridged thin nose and pecu- Crane advanced, extending his right
liarly arched He had a lofty
nostrils. hand, but the stranger did not grasp it.
domed crowned with white
forehead, Instead, he swung his hat aaoss his
hair, profuse except around the temples, breast, and made a courtly bow.
where it was scanty. His eyebrows were "You will excuse me, I am sure,” said
iron-gray and massive, almost meeting he, "for not shaking hands, as I have
over the nose, and composed of profuse an unexplainable aversion to personal
bushy hairs. The mouth, so far as it contacts. Well, you called for Monsieur
showed under the heavy mustache, was Larousse, and here I am. What do you
fixed and rather cruel-looking, with pe- wish of me?”
 —

326 WEIRD TALES

"Is that your coflSn?" asked the doctor While Dan departed for his truck,
abruptly, becoming a bit nettled. and the agent unlocked the freight house
The stranger frowned, then smiled and turned on the lights inside. Dr.
quizzically. Crane asked, "And what are your plans
"Yes and no,” he answered. "If you —
for the body? that is, I assume the cof-
mean am I inside k, the answer is no. fin contains a body.”
But if you mean is it consigned to me, Ignoring the implied question, the
the answer is yes. I am not dead stranger answered, "It is, of course, to be
yet.” buried — in your local cemetery, to be ex-
He bowed again. plicit. What formalkies are necessary?”
"Well, it will have to get to the un- "You will have to have a cemetery
dertaker’s at once,” asserted Crane. "It’s lot.”
a menace to the health of the commu- "I have such a lot.”
nity.” "And a permit from the village clerk.”
"In what way, may I ask?” inquired "I should like to see him at once,
Monsieur Larousse, serenely. then.”
"It is already attracting vermin,” re- "He will be in his office tomorrow
plied the doaor. morning.”
The large gray bat was no longer to "He shall have to see me this eve-
be seen, but the two little brown bats ning,” asserted the foreigner imperious-
had returned and were clawing at the lid. ly. "I suffer from a disease known as
"Ah, the darlings!” exclaimed the dermatitis exfoliativa tropica. You, as
stranger, gloatingly. a physician, will realize that that means
Striding over to the coffin, he shifted I must avoid the daylight as much as
his pointed hat to his left hand, and possible. Can not the cleric, for a fee,
scratched one of the little creatures,
first be induced to transaa official business
and then the other, on the head. in the evening?”
^

"See,” he said turning, "they like me. "I am sure he can,” agreed the doaor
'They know a friend. I love all animals, smiling, "when I tell him about your
and all animals love me. I have a way disease. Would you mind my offering
with them. But now to get down to you my professional services? The exaa
business. You wish this coffin removed, sort of dermatitis which you mention is
doaor? So do 1. What is the next a rare disease, at least among white peo-
step?” ple; and I have never had the privilege
'"This is Mr. Daniel Callahan, of the of treating, or even observing, a case.”
Commonwealth Garage,” introduced the "Then I refuse to be experimented
doaor. "He can get his motor-trudc at upon,” replied the stranger, drawing him-
once. The undertaker, being an under- self up haughtily.
taker, can be found at any hour. This Just then Dan Callahan returned with
other gentleman is Mr. Bill Jones, the his truck, and the four men put the box
station agent, who can release the ship- aboard. The box was unusually heavy,
ment. And I am the health officer, as I which rendered all the more noticeable
have already stated.” the effortless ease with which the stran-
"Ah, what a fortuitous conjunaion of ger handled his quarter of the load.
personages!” murmured Monsieur La- "Gosh!” exclaimed the agent, wiping
rousse. "The arrangements sound excel- his forehead. "It must weigh a ton.”
lent.” "Ah, my friends,” explained the
 —

ANOTHER DRACULA? ' 327

stranger, "there is a lead lining inside.” him down to his office, and secured the
"Then how the devil did the smell get necessary burial permit.

out?” blurted Dan. When this formality was over,

The stranger glared at him, and said "Where are you staying?” the doctor
nothing. asked.

"Will you ride with me?” invited Dr. ’The stranger drew himself up.
Crane. "That, my dear sir,” said he frigidly,

"Thank you, no," replied Larousse "concerns no one but myself.”

with a slight inclination of his head. 'The young doaor hastened to apolo-

"The night is beautiful. I will walk gize.

Oh, just a moment. One mote question. "I only thought we might need to lo-

Need the cofiin be opened by any one?” cate you, sir, if there should be any hitch
in the proceedings,” said he.
"Not if you have the death certificate
"There will be no ’iiitch,’ as you call
with you.”
it,” replied Larousse, frigidly. "I have
"I have the certificate.”
made all the necessary arrangements
So the truck and the doctor’s car drove
with the undertaker, and he assures me
away up the street toward the center of
that there can be no unexpeaed compli-
the village. The station agent re-entered
cations. I shall remain in this beautiful
his office to put out the lights. And a
little town for a considerable while. You
large gray bat hovered around the coffin
will find me every evening somewhere
in the departing express-truck.
along this street.”
And bowing ceremoniously, he stalked

T he center of the village, a typical

one-street Pennsylvania valley-town,
was a bustle of early summer evening
off.

"After all done for him,”

that I’ve
said Crane to himself, "he might have
activity. Stores alight for the evening
trade. Music issuing from the open
been a little more polite. queer, A
queer man. My, what a spooky eve-
doors of the movie-house. Couples
ning!”
strolling back and forth. Groups chat-
'The big gray bat swooped by, in spite
ting at the street comers.
of the bright lights, startling the doaor
The gray bat did not follow the coffin
out of his revery.
into the bright lights of Yankton’s gay
white way.
2. Introducing Mr. Fulton
Dr. Crane and Dan Callahan found
the undertaker’s wife at home, and she
sent one of the children out to locate her
husband. When he finally arrived, the
A
Store and
BIT later in the. evening, the
stranger entered Morton’s General
made a few purchases.
tall

The
three men tried to move the coffin, and news of the arrival of this mysterious
were having a terrible time at the task foreigner had spread up and down the
when a calm voice near them said, "Per- street,and now a crowd gathered to get
mit me to assist.” a good look at him.
It was the tall stranger again. With In paying for his purchases, he lin-
his help, they moved the box with sur- gered quite a while at the cashier’s desk.
prizing ease. Who wouldn’t linger for a chat with
Next Dr. Crane and Monsieur La- Mary Morton? She was by far the most
rousse huntedup the village clerk, got radiant creature and wholly desirable bit
328 WEIRD TALES
of femininity that the little village of their own period of hysteria over witdi-
Yankton had ever produced. aaft.
A brief description of the town will Mary Morton represented the flower of
not be amiss. Yankton, Pennsylvania, the pure old English stock. She had re-
boasts one thousand odd inhabitants. verted to type, after generations of de-
They are quite odd, and Yankton does cline.She was the aspiration of all the
not boast them very loudly. young men of Yankton, and so she had
It is a typical old-time New England been able to pick for herself the catch of
village. This may seem to be a strange the town, Herman Fulton.
statement to make about a Pennsylvania Herman had had his eye on the main
community, but New England itself is chance all his life. At an early age he
now overrun by praaically every nation- had gone to work in the Yankton Bank,
ality of Europe. The people of old Eng- scorning a college career, or even the
lish stock there have lost their control of completion of high school. There were
everything, except some of the financial no college men in Yankton, except the
centers of State Street, and the social cen- two doaors. Not that Yankton men did
ters of Back Bay. In fact, they have not ever go to college, but merely that
been forced to recognize the Irish, most those who went to college never returned
of whom came over in the 1840’s to build to Yankton; they went o^to wider fields,
the railroads, as allies of theirs against where they made their long-slumbering
the later comers, whom they regard as heredity tell. Yankton could name with
non-American. pride many of these distinguished sons
But years ago, in Revolutionary times, of hers, men of who had
national repute,
the mountains of Pennsylvania and Ohio turned their on their boyhood
backs
were settled by New Englanders of the home.
original stock. Here you will find the But Herman Fulton had been differ-
purest forms of New England Colonial ent. He had stuck to the bank, had spent
architecture. Here the Yankee blood has next to nothing, and had invested and
remained praaically uncontaminated, reinvested his earnings to advantage. At
right down to the present day. the age of thirty-five, still a bachelor, he
But they had inbred and degenerated, had worked up to the position of assist-
for all of that. Individuals of marked ant cashier. Not that diis indicated that
mentality had moved away. The result Herman was possessed of any particular
was that the inhabitants of Yankton, al- degree of intelligence. In faa, it is
though superficially prosperous, well- probable that he was subnormal mental-
dressed and modern, were mentally and ly. Even morons are often fiendishly
morally in the same class with the super- clever along some one line, and Herman
stitious illiterate mountaineers of other possessed a well-developed money sense,
states and other parts of Pennsylvania if no other. True, he was self-educated
itself. All that kept them from hex- and was an avid reader of books on all
murders and witchcraft-trials was a subjeas, but it is to be doubted if he
wholesome fear of ridicule; for they were really understood very much of what he
just educated enough to know that such read, although he passed for quite a
things are frowned upon in more cosmo- learned man in Yangon.
politan communities. In faa, it should When the cashier had conveniently
be remembered that the New England died, soon after Herman's attaining the
forebears of these Yankton folk had had position of assistant, Herman had de-
 —

ANOTHER DRACULAr 329

manded his place — and had been re- content himself with worshipping from
fused. At the next annual meeting he a distance, and with such professional
had calmly ousted the surprized board of contacts as occasional illnesses in Mary’s
direaors, who did not realize that certain family gave him. Mary herself was al-
controlling blocks of stock, standing ways the picture of health.
nominally in the names of old Dr. Por- Entering the Morton Emporium on the
ter and others, were really Herman’s; evening in question. Dr. Crane observed
had substituted a board of his own hendi- with displeasure the quite evident regard
men, and had eleaed himself not cashier which the courtly European was display-
but president! ing for Mary, and the flattered interest
After that, whenever Herman Fulton which she returned. He would speak to
"requested” anything in Yankton, the Herman Fulton about it!

request was usually granted, even if the But, on second thought, he decided
granter couldn’t quite figure out just not to speak to Herman after all. If this
what Herman intended to do if the re- old beau could make a -dent in Herman’s
quest were refused. Herman was con- hold on Mary, so much the better. It
scienceless and ruthless. Thus he speed- was something that he. Crane, would
ily became the financial power of Yank- have liked to do himself, if he had not
ton. been deterred both by respect for die lo-
So all the girls, who for years had cal conventions and by fear of Herman’s
been setting their caps for him, had been power.
intensely jealous when Mary Morton’s At that, however, there was something
parents had announced her engagement about the performance which jarred on
to Herman. the young doaor’s sensibilities, in spite
And then Dr. Ralph Crane, fresh of all his pleasurable anticipations of his
from Harvard Medical College, had come rival’s discomfiture. It may have been
to town, just about a year before this the May and December aspea of the sit-
story begins. He had picked out Yank- uation. Or it may have been something
ton as a likely place to build up a coun- else, some mere instinaive feeling. Per-
try practise,and had been welcomed by haps the uncanny events, which had ac-
old Dr. Porter, who had more patients companied Monsieur Larousse’s arrival,
than he could handle at his advanced age. contributed to Dr. Crane’s uneasiness.
Unfortunately, young Crane had fallen Had Monsieur Larousse really "ar-
in love with the beautiful Mary, and it rived”? This seems a strange quesdon,
was evident that she liked him very inview of the faa that here he was. And
much. In fact, if he had arrived on the ya, in the course of the evening, gossip
scene before her engagement to Herman developed the faa that he had not been
Fulton, there can be little doubt that the seen to alight from any of the uains
dashing young doaor would have speed- which had stopped at Yankton that day,
ily won her heart. But, in primitive nor had he got off the Lancaster bus,
communities such as Yankton, engage- nor had he come in his own auto. Ya
ments are regarded as being almost as here he was, so he must have arrived
saaed, as marriages. In faa, they are somehow.
usually lived up to a lot better. Engaged 'The tall old gentleman lingered in the
girls don’t even dance with, or receive Morton store until closing time. Mostly
calls from, young men other than their he wandered up and down the aisles.
fiances. So Ralph Crane had had to Occasionally he would make small pur-
330 WEIRD TALES
chases. Whenever opportunity offered, "It sure does. Doc!” agreed Dan, sol-
he would chat with Mary. His attitude emnly.
toward her was courtly and unexception- But neither of them could advance any
able. theory as to where Larousse spent his
Morton’s had many customers that nights.

evening, but Monsieur Larousse did not

3. Eavesdropping
seem to notice that he was the center of
attraaion, the cause of unwonted crowds
in the usually sparsely patronized store. T hat
set
evening, as soon as the sun
and the
the elderly stranger as well.
bats were out, out
For some
had
came
When Pop Morton finally put up the
time he walked the streets, furnishing
shutters, no one happened to notice
where the stranger went. He did not the subjea of conversation for whisper-

register at the Republican House, nor did

ing groups. Then, as before, he entered
he put in an appearance all the next day. Morton’s store, and resumed his atten-
tions to Mary.
Around noon. Dr. Crane ran across
His attitude was courteous and respea-
Dan Callahan on the street. Dan was
ful. Not a word, not an aaion, nor
in his cab, the doaor on foot.
even a glance, that any one could take
’’Hop in,” shouted Dan, drawing up
exception to. He evidently had traveled
by the curb, ’’and I’ll take you wherever extensively, and he talked interestingly
you’re going free. —I’ve something to
of all the countries of the world.
tell you.”
To Mary Morton, cooped up all her
’’Not that Junior is worse, I hope?” life in this little one-horse Pennsylvania
said the young doaor, as he got in. mountain town, and —since her engage-
’’Heavens, no," replied the taxi-driver. ment to Herman Fulton —deprived of all

’’Junior couldn’t get worse with you tend- other male attention, this elderly stranger
ing him. Doc. No, it’s about the old was a diversion, in faa almost a god-
bird whose coffin we moved yesterday.” send.
”Not ill, is he?” asked Crane, profes- Herman usually spent his evenings in
sionally interested, and a bit hopefully. due to
his office in the bank; but tonight,
’’Not as I know of,” replied Dan, ’’for severalanonymous phone-calls in several
he been seen since die stores closed
ain’t female voices, he abruptly left the bank,
last No," it’s about his coffin.
night. dragged his fiancee out from imder the
'They buried it this morning, without any very nose of the elderly stranger, and
service, and in the Wilson lot!” huffily took her to the movies, thus de-
"Well?” priving her father of his cashier for the
“You know old ’Aunt Hattie’, the rest of the evening.
witch who lives in that little cottage just Peter Larousse promptly faded from
beyond the cemetery? Lives all alone the scene. His chauffeur had arrived in
except for one big blade tom-cat?” town with an expensive foreign car, and
"Yes.” this evening drove him out into the coun-
“Well, she’s a Wilson. And it’s her try. 'The chauffeur had registered at the
who owns the Wilson lot.” Republican House, and the car was kept
“Hm,” ruminated the young doaor. in the hotel garage. But Larousse him-
"Bats, and coffins, and black cats, and self did not put up at the Republican
witches, and burial without church rites. House. His own lodging-place still re-
It does sound a bit spooky, doesn’t it?” mained a secret.
 ANOTHER DRACULA? 331

The next morning, as Dr. Cran? for Mary as all that. You wouldn’t do
dropped into the Morton store to make anything like that. I’m sture.”
some sort of a purchase a collar, per- — "Well, perhaps not,” admitted the
—
haps ^he overheard heated words com- banker, rather sheepishly. Then taking
ing from Pop Motton’s private office in a new tack, "But do I, or do I not, hold
the rear. The young doaor wasn’t a a mortgage on yoiu: store?”
gossip or an eavesdropper, and accord- "Sh! Sh! For heaven’s sake, Her-
ingly would have scorned to listen in, had man, don’t be so loud about it. I don’t
he not overheard the mention of Mary want that mortgage broadcast all over the
Morton’s name. His secret infatuation ,
county.”
for the beautiful girl now proved too ‘"'CJTiy not? It’s on record with the
much for him, and so he at once devel- prothonotary up at the county seat, isn’t

oped an unexplainable interest in some it?”

kitchen cutlery, displayed on a counter ’The storekeeper ignored this question,
along the opaque-glass partition which and countered with: "See here, Herman,
shielded the proprietor’s sanctum. you leave this Mooseer Larousse alone
"Am I, or am I not, engaged to your for a ''few weeks, and I’ll be making
daughter?’’ came from the other side of enough off of him to pay up your d d
the wall in the unmistakable tones of old mortgage.”
Herman Fulton. "Now, Pop, is that a nice way to speak
"Of course you are —of course you
of your mortgage, when I was so kind as
to help you out and lend you all that
are,” replied Pop Morton soothingly.
money when you had to have it or go
._!'Well, then,” continued the young
under? And it isn’t a question of paying
banker, "haven’t I a right to object to my
off the mortgage 'in a few weeks’; it’s a
fianc^ compromising herself with that
question of paying off that mortgage
fish-eyed old French lizard?”
rightnow! It’s already overdue, and I
"But she ain’t compromising herself,” demand payment. My engagement to
objeaed Pop. '"That fish-eyed old
your daughter stands, but it’s the mort-
French lizard, as you call him, has been gage against Monsieur Larousse. Maty
perfealy polite and respeaful to her.
must stop aaing as your cashier until
Besides, he buys lots of things at my
that spooky old devil stops hanging
store; and lots of people come in here
around your store.”
every evening to take a look at him. He "Why do you call him a spooky old
draws more crowds here than any adver- devil?” asked Pop Morton artlessly, sedc-
tising display I’ve put on in years. And ing to divert Fulton from his line of at-
if Mary draws him, what harm’s done, tack.
at least as long as he behaves himself?”
"Because he is one!” replied the latter,
"It’s got to stop! I demand it!” momentarily diverted. "He comes here
"But why? Why stop me making with a coffin, and all kinds of strange
money? Is that a sensible way to treat bats and things. Nobody knows who he
your future pa-in-law?” is, or how he got here, or where he came
'”rhe future wife of Herman Fulton from. He never shows up, except at
has got to be discreet. If she can’t be night. He keeps luider cover in the day-
discreet. I’ll break off the engagement.” time, and nobody knows where or why.”
"Now, Herman,” remonstrated Mor- Dr. Crane, listening outside, chuckled
ton, "I’d hate to think you cared as little softly to himself. "I know why, even if
332 WEIRD TALES

I don’t know where. It’s that confound- clopedia, too. Seriously, I believe the
ed skin disease he told me about.” man’s a menace. He ought to be run
Meanwhile Herman Fulton was con- out of town.”
tinuing, on the other side of the thin And then Pop Morton committed the
partition, "And he buried his coffin in tactical mistake of saying, "But what’s to
the Wilson lot, which belongs to that old prevent my making a little money off
black-cat witch. Aunt Hattie. He looks him, first?” thereby bringing the conver-
spooky, too. He looks like ^why, do — sation back to the argument from which
you know what he looks like.? It’s only he had just succeeded in distraaing Het-
just occurred to me. I’ve been reading man’s attention.
a book I got out of the public library, He bit his lip, but it was too late to
called Dracula, by a man named Bram recall the words.
Stoker. All about a he-vampire, who "What’s to prevent?” snorted the
was dead and buried, and yet came out banker. "I’m to prevent. You take
of his coffin every night, and sucked peo- Mary tight out of your store and keep
”
ple’s blood, until they died and became her out, or
vampires, too. 'ThisDracula could turn "But it’ll cost too much to hire an-
himself into a bat, or a wolf, or a shower other girl to do her work!” interposed
of moonbeams, in order to get at his vic- Pop wofully. "Entirely apart from the
tims. I’ll bet this old bird is Count Drac- money I lose by losing this he-vampire’s
ula himself, or at least another vampire trade, you want me to lay out extra
of exaaly the same sort. He looks just money hiring a substitute for my own
like the way Dracula was desaibed in daughter, who don’t cost me nothing.”
Aat story.” "Do you talk of money at a time like
"Ha, ha, ha!” exclaimed Pop Morton, this, with your own daughter’s health,
widi forced levity. "Well, that’s a good happiness, life, and even soul at stake?

one. Ha, ha, 1^! A ^^-vampire, eh? Pop, I’m ashamed of you! But I’ll tell
Why, I thought vampires were only shest you what I’ll do: I’ll pay the wages of the
That’s the way they always are in the substitute, and not put it on the mort-
movies. And they don’t bite folks gage either. Actually pay it out of my
neither. Ha, ha, ha! A ^e-vampire! own pocket. And then we needn’t tell

Well, that’s a good one.” Maty any of the reasons for what we’re
"Don’t laugh. Pop. I’m serious about doing. No need to hurt her feelings by
this. I really am. This is quite a dif- letting on to her what it’s all about. We
ferent kind of vampire. It would make can tell her that I’m doing it as a special
your blood run cold to read that story. present to her, and because I objea to

'That man, Larousse, is a positive menace the futureMrs. Fulton occupying a

to this commimity!” menial position, even in her own father’s
"Now, Herman,” remonstrated Mor- store. My wife must be free of all de-
"You don’t mean to tell
ton in surprize. grading toil.”
me that you take any stock in such a "But think of all the trade I’ll be los-
codk-and-bull yarn as that?” ing,” Morton objeaed feebly.
"Yes, do. Pop.
I That story is sup- "Trade be d d!” snapped Herman.
posed to be based on mediaeval European "Think of you daughter and your mort- —
traditions. These blood-sucking vam- gage,” he added.
pires were well known in the old days. The two men emerged, and Dr. Crane
I’ve looked up about them in the ency- hurried away from the cutlery counter.
 —

ANOTHER DRACULA? 333

As he left, he heard Pop Morton whis- bank, making money, and so she wel-
per, "Do you suppose he heard us?” comed the visits of the distinguished for-
"Don’t care if he did,” replied Her- eigner.

man Fulton, but not in a whisper. "He’s Although his personality was rather
only a sawbones.” chilling and revolting, yet he did bring
to her the fresh outlook of the outside
That night there was a new young lady
at the cashier’swindow of the Morton world. He talked entertainingly of the
far countries which he had visited. All
Emporium. But when Pop put up the
peoples and times seemed familiar to
all
shutters and went home at nine o’clock,
he found Peter Larousse seated on the
him. And Maryrapidly began to realize
what a limited, narrowing and cooped-up
front pia2 za in earnest conversation with
sort of a place Yankton was, after all!
the beautiful Maty.
But one night Herman called to take
her to the movies, and found Peter La-
4. Werewolves and Such
rousse already there. •

o ITbecame evident that merely re- Herman was diilled with horror at
S lieving Maty Morton of her job as first. And then he boiled internally at
cashier of her father’s store had not been the thought that all the good money he
enough to put a stop to the objectionable had spent in hiring Mary’s substitute
attentions of the weird old foreigner, down at the store had been utterly wast-
who, Herman Fulton insisted from the ed, for it had given "old Dracula” an
depths of his reading, must be the orig- opportunity to see her even more inti-
inal vampire Count Dracula, or at least mately at home. Herman would have
his double. liked to make a scene then and there. In
Deprived of the opportunity of chat- fact, he nearly did. But his long bank-
ting with Mary at the cashier’s wicket. ing career had schooled him to the real-
Monsieur Larousse called on her at her ization that making oneself ridiculous
home. has a bad effea on business. And busi-
Her father felt that, of course, he ness was always uppermost in Herman
ought to report the matter at once to her Fulton’s considerations. So, althou^
fiance. But he kept putting this off, due with difficulty, he steeled himself to be
partly to a general irresolution of charac- courteous to the older man, and politely
ter, partly to fear of facing Herman Ful- begged him to excuse Mary for a prear-
ton, and partly — ^it must be confessed ranged date._
to a sort of satisfaction that he felt in the 'The stranger, with equal courtesy, sub-
coming-to-naught of all the trouble that mitted. But his eyes sized up the young
Herman had caused him, banker appraisingly.
As a result, it was several days before The deferred "scene” took place in the
Herman discovered how the land lay. Morton parlor later that evening, on the
Mary could not be blamed, for no one return from the show. Herman stormed,
had ever warned her against the old and Mary wept and had to be comforted.
Frenchman. So for several evenings in But finally, because she really did care
succession, Peter Larousse called on her, for her fiance, in spite of his peculiarities
and was welcomed. As she had been and his domineering manner, she agreed '

accustomed to spending her evenings at that she would always be "out” there-
the store, time now hung heavy on her after, whenever Larousse called.
hands. Her fianc^ was busy down at the Larousse called regularly every night
334 WEIRD TALES
for a week, and at last gave it up. Like of sight. He seldom appeared downtown
the drunken man who was thrown out in the evening any more, but no one took
of a party three times in succession, he particular note of this defeaion, so in-
knew when he wasn't wanted. tenthad they all become on the lone wolf,
From then on, he walked the streets and the depredation of the chickens,
rather aimlessly after nightfall. Some- which two phenomena were now quite
times he would drop into a picture show, generally linked together in people’s
or would sit in the lobby of the Repub- minds.
lican House, or even would make assorted More people saw the wolf. Several
purchases at the Morton Emporium. But poultry-raisers sat upin ambush and got
by now he had become a familiar figure shots at him, but he seemed to bear a
to die people of Yankton, and he no long- charmed life, and to be immune to their
er excited their attention. To no one, bullets.
except Herman Fulton, old Dr. Porter, Eventually a huge German police-dog
and young Dr. Crane, was he any longer was foimd dead in the hills; and from
of any moment. The interest of the two was not seen again,
that time on, the wolf
doaors was purely professional, although and no more chickens were stolen; but
he would not let either of them treat his no one could persuade the people of
strange ailment. Herman kept his weird Yankton that these events had anything
theories to himself, for fear of ridicule,
to do with each other. They knew per-
but he read everything that he could find fectly well, these Pennsylvania mountain-
on the subjea of vampires, even sending eers, that the wolf had merely transferred
to Philadelphia for books, when he had predatory operations
his elsewhere.
exhausted the bibliography of the Yank- Couldn’t they tell a wolf from a dog?
ton Carnegie Library.
As for Herman Fulton, he had his own
And anyhow, so far as known, La-
theories on the subjea, but he kept them
rousse hadn't yet bitten any one in Yank-
to himself.
ton. But he was never seen to eat any
About the time of the end of the wolf
regular food.
episode,Mary Morton was taken ill, and
called in Dr. Oane. The young doaor
ven
E
now were
if the mystery of the mysterious
stranger hadn’t grown stale,

other matters to distract the

there
didn’t
gan to get
mind this at all, imtil the case be-
serious. Then he became
frankly puzzled with the simation.
Yankton. It
attention of the citizens of
was an unusually dry summer, and the In spite of a good appetite and the con-
drought afforded an absorbing topic of sumption of plenty of food, Mary began
conversation. to lose weight and grew pale and wan.

In addition to the loss of aops and the Tonics were administered, but they
threat against the town’s water-supply, seemed to be only temporarily stimulat-
there began to be a large and unexplain- ing. Finally blood-transfusions were re-

able loss of chickens. Traps were set sorted to, and these soon had to become

every evening, and were found sprung more and more frequent. It was evident
every morning, and still the toll of fowls that Mary was losing blood steadily and

continued. Several people reported hav- rapidly, and yet there was no apparent

ing seen a lone wolf in the mountains cause for this loss.

back of the town. Peter Larousse reappeared in his old

Peter Larousse dropped gradually out haunts. His health seemed to have been
 ANOTHER DRACULA? 335

greatly improved by the bracing air of He puttied up all the window-cracks

the Pennsylvania mountains. with what appeared to be bread-crumbs,
and did not mention the faa that he had
5. Dr. Crane’s Adventure procured this material at the Catholic
church down the valley. Mary and he
inally the young doaor prescribed
F a change of scene for his patient.
were good Methodists.
Dr. Crane ascribed this puttying to the
He recommended that she be sent to the
seashore, and that specialists be called in.
old New England superstition as to the

But her fiance, although most solicitous,

baneful effea of night air. He remon-
strated roundly on general sanitary con-
had a narrow provincial clinging to his
gave in when the
siderations, but finally
native town.
nights turned suddenly colder with ap-
"There is no spot in the world more
proaching autumn, especially as the cabin
healthful than the Pennsylvania moun-
leaked air like a sieve, anyhow.
tains,” he insisted. "Now that the wolf-
scare over, let’s put her in my cabin
Ralph Crane spent long hours nearly
is all

in the hills bade of the town. I’ll have

every gening with Mary, except on the
the place all tidied up, and will hire Mr.
occasions when Herman Fulton was there.
and Mrs. Foss to take care of it. Pay for As a result, Ralph and Maty became very
the whole performance myself, too. Mrs.
good friends. For the most part they
talked of their pasts, than whidi there is
Foss used to be a trained nurse before she
married Josh Foss, so we’ll be killing two
no better way of getting well acquainted.
'The girl recounted all the personal de-
birds wiA one stone.”
tails of her rather uneventful Yankton
Dr. Crane reluaantly had to acquiesce.
girlhood. The young doaor told of his
Herman Fulton was not only boss of the
city childhood, his boyhood on a New
town; he was boss of Mary Morton, too.
Hampshire farm, and his struggles to put
Mary seemed to improve sli^tly under himself through Phillips Exeter Acad-
the change, and Ralph Crane soon found emy, Dartmouth College, and Harvard
that the remote location of the camp gave Medical School.
him an opportunity to spend an undue
Herman Fulton didn’t seem to mind
amount of time wi^ his patient, without
this intimacy. In faa a sick, weak, blood-
attraaing attention or exdting any gossip.
lessand somewhat petulant Maty rather
'Then Mary began to fail again. She
bored him, in spite of his regard and con-
became paler and paler, and more and
cern for her; and so he was glad to have
more bloodless.

— —
some one else provided no scandal was
Her fiance, in accordance with his the-
involved take oflF his hands the task
ories, made her a present of a beautiful
of keeping her amused.
chased gold crucifix, inlaid with (what
he said were) diamonds, which he One evening when the doaor and the
begged her to wear all the time in mem- girl were sitting alone together in front

ory of him. He hung the cabin with of the cabin, the full moon and a soft
bunches of garlic; but as Mary happened whispering mountain breeze were most
peculiarly to be rather partial to their suggestive of the appropriateness of
acrid odor, she did not mind, ^especially ghost stories; so Crane embarked on 'an
as she thought that he knew of this apt tale of his New Hampshire boyhood.
strange liking of hers, and was doing it '"rhe farm on which I worked,” said
on that accoimt. he, "was about two miles from the lake
 )

336 WEIRD TALES

from which we got our water supply. Only these beasts occasionally took sheep,
There was a hot-air pump down by the and calves, too. A boy friend of mine.
shore of the lake, which pumped the Tolly Piper, was driving the cows home
water up to a tank beside the bam. That from pasture one day, when one of these
sort of pump is a very simple affair: a lions jumped out of the bushes, picked
little fire-box, holding only a shovel- up a calf right under Tolly’s nose, and
ful or two of coal, and then a single jumped back into the bushes again with
air-cylinder and piston about a sfoot it.”

in diameter on top of that, and then on "Horrible!” miumured the girl.

top of the cylinder a heavy three foot fly-
The young doaor warmed to his story,
wheel. This was the engine layout. I
and went on. "One day one of them
don’t remember how the pump itself was walked right into an afternoon tea of
hitched —
up all we had to bother with siuiuner folks. It calmly surveyed the
was the engine. If that went, then the scene, while all the people sat froxen to
pump went too. You don’t see many of stone. 'Then it slipped quietly back into
that kind of pump nowadays.” the woods again. And at night you could
"I never heard of one,” the girl said. hear them calling to each other from one
Dr. Crane continued, "It would run range of hills to another. A most weird
all night on one loading of coal; that is, sound!”
unless happened to stop. When it
it "Did you ever see either of them?”
stopped, you could tell up at the farm- asked the girl.
house, because the 'thump, thump, thump’ "Saw both of them,” was the reply.
in the pipes wouldn’t sound any more. "One night aroimd midnight I was lying
Then whichever of the farmhands’ turn awake in my second-story room in the
it was, would have to light up a lantern,
farmhouse, listening to the howls, when
trudge two miles through the woods I noticed that the voices of the two lions
down to the lake, climb up on the big came neater and nearer together, until
flywheel, hang on to one side of it to
finally they met in the woods just between
give it a spin, and thus start the pump the farm and the lake. Then the sounds
pumping again. Well, this particular
got louder and louder. We had some
summer, we were troubled with mountain
tame foxes in a wire-netting cage just
lions.”
back of the house, and I could hear our
"Real lions?” intermpted Mary. poor little pets whimpering with fright.
”Not the kind you see in circuses,” ex- 'Then there came an unusually fierce
plained Ralph. "The kind that we had scream from one of the lions, followed by
up in New Hampshire looked about like a crash against the wires of the cage.
a lioness, only somewhat smaller and Then another scream and another crash,
slimmer. Both sexes look alike. 'The as the other beast sprang, 'This was re-

male hasn’t any mane. Sometimes they peated several times, but after a time the
call this aeature a mountain lion, or a two animals gave it up, and came toward
catamount, cougar, panther, painter, the house. I could see them distinaly in
puma, or what have you? Well, anyhow, the moonlight, which was as bright as it

two of them came down out of the north is They would walk a few steps,
tonight.

woods up by Mount Chocorua, and and then sit on their haunches, throw
started stealing chickens, much like this back their heads, and howl. One time
wolf they had around here last month. ( Continued on page 424
W.T.--3
 4 —

Houje of the Goldetx

TH€PA 6^es

'There was something

bloated, parboiled to a
dull red, sliding toward
him.”

F TIM GALLAGHER had not spent In faa, Irish though he was, he did

I twenty-four of his twenty-eight years

in America, three thousand miles
not realize that it was the will-o’-the-

wisp that he followed; he knew only that

from the land of his birth, he would have here was something puzzling, intriguing,
missed the adventure that greeted him which challenged his imagination and de-
almost as soon as he set foot again in termination; and so he went after it,
County Cork; for the wisdom of his na- striding on firm ground, crashing into
tive land would have warned him that briers, sloshing dangerously through a
the odds were against even his six feet swamp. And always, definite yet elusive,
of young strength. But American public barely an arm’s length away, yet as free
school and college and associates had of his grasp as the stars, the witch-light
praaically obliterated his atavistic "super- dulled his apprehension, until, suddenly
stition,” and so it was that he spent half conscious of a barrier other than rocks or
a night following the dancing lure of trees, he tore his gaze from that flicker-
light that kept always just out of reach ing invitation and found himself con-
careless alike of the faa that was May
it fronted with a building.
Eve, and that better men than he had It was one of those peasant-cabins
lost in their pitiful conflia with the will- familiar to every tourist, but in the dark-
o’-the-wisp. ness it seemed to have a significance out
W. T.— 337
338 WEIRD TALES
of all proportion to its size— a signif- There was something there — outside
icance enhanced by the mere faa of its —waiting for him. Or was it waiting?
existence in so desolate and lonely a Would it wait?
place. Wait? Naturally. What else could it
Tentatively, Tim
around it, started do? He was here, sheltered, safe. Here
ready to spring back or forward at the he would stay, until dawn. For some
slightest warning, yet unaware of what reason, he felt that the tiling, whatever
he feared; and moving in this wa^^, he it was, would be powerless in broad sun-
fell a slight but unmistakable shock on light. He would wait, dien. It was ri-
finding his path barred by a great, flow-
diculous to yield ',to the pridcle at his
ering shrub, which seemed to 'throw a
spine, the weak chattering of his teeth.
[leailiar unreal glamor over everything.
With an almost heroic effort, he con-
Tim had never before seen red haw-
diorn in bloom; he could not really be
trolled them — and as if in delilierate
mockery, a cascade of ghastly, demoniac
said to see it now, but in the darlcness,
laughter seemed to fall from die rafters,
he fek it — all its compelling, superna-
just alxive his head.
tural beauty acting ailmost like a drug to
his tired body and nerves. At die same second, direaly in front
of him, less than ten feet away, the dread
For a long minute, he stood sensing
struggling to recall the forgotten lore of
it,
golden ellipses flared and faded. —
his homeland. Hawthorn — it meant At that, sheer, absolute terror owned
something — it had some strange associa- him — terror in which was no element of
tion, deep-rooted in his race. . . .
common sense or reason. He lurdied
forward, stublied his toe, and caught up
He shrugged, abandoning the effort,
the small stool in his path, instina mak-
and was about to knock, to ask his way
ing him grab it automatically, as a wea-
[lack to the town he had left, when a
pon.
slight rustle caused him to turn sharply.
Luckily, as he did so, his shoulder His quick motion had an unexpeaed
result;it fanned into momentary life a
touched the cottage door, and it gave.
The next instant he was inside, hiSjvback fragment of peat, and die glow gave him
against its.rotting panels; the sweat pour- a swift knowledge of the hut’s interior:

ing over his livid face at the recolleaion it was aliout eight feet square, with a cen-
of the two oblique yellow eyes that had tral hearth, and one window. Tlie reali-

flared out of the darkness, hardly a yard zation of that window restored his cour-

away. age. Throughhe had seen those ter-

it,

What had he seen? What manner of rible eyes —

diey were not visible through

beast was it that crept out of the night,

a wall, nor had their owner entered the

invisible even in shadowy outline, except hut in some uncanny way; and tl»e
for those terrible eyes? Was it a beast at knowledge served to revive his reason.
all? Was it anything — except his imagi- He was moving slowly now, sliding
nation? along the wall. If he could reach the
His mouth twisted bad attempt at in a window, reconnoiter without being seen
a smile. Imagination! Where would he or sensed by die thing outside, he might
get an imagination to conjure up even an be able to settle the mystery. After all,
hallucination as infinitely evil as those many animals had eyes luminous at night;
eyes? it might be that it was only his fatigue
 THE HOUSE OF THE GOLDEN EYES 339

that gave these such a sinister atmos- when the terrible golden eyes were again
phere. direaed toward him, and he realized that
A faint draft warned him that the win- they must be barely outside the window,
dow was less than a foot away; and its or aaually within the room. There was
freshness made him abruptly aware of only one thing to do. Raising the stool,
the fetid odor of the cottage. From the he beat straight at them, and though the
moment of his entry he had been vaguely blow was broken by the wood splintering
conscious of it, even through the nerve- against the window-frame, he knew that
it had to some extent stmck home, for a
racking events of the past few minutes;
but now it nauseated him, and he closed scream more terrible than any sound he
his eyes, drawing deep breaths of the had ever heard filled the night with awful
night air. vibrations. It was neither hiunan nor

^imal; every tree and stone in the des-

Fortunately, it refreshed him, for rais-
olate place seemed to e<;ho it; the house
ing his lids, he found himself staring
itself quivered with it.
into those golden eyes, and knew that
they were steadily approaching. Gather- Abruptly, he felt that the conflia was
ing himself together, his left hand took over, that he was alone; yet he had none
quick measurement of the window, while of the exhilaration of the viaor. He was
his right raised the stool. But he never dizzy, nauseated, oppressed by the dark-
threw it, for without soimd or warning, ness, the lack of air, the stench in the

the space between him and those eyes cottage. 'The gash in his facehad begun
melted; something slashed his face from to throb, and putting up his hand, he dis-
the comer of his brow to his mouth, covered itwas deeper than he had re-
barely missing his eye; and he found him- alized. Somewhere, there must be water
self hung half over the sill grappling in the cottage; gathering his spent
with an imknown antagonist which strength, he began a blind hunt for it.

seemed to fight him as impersonally and Twice, he bumped into the wall; once,

effortlessly as a spirit. into a rickety table. Except for that, and

a bundle that might be rags serving for a
But it was not a spirit; twice his hand
bed, the place seemed empty.
closed on thick, short fur, beneath which
he sensed delicate bones. The second At last, he discovered a series of rough

time, he wrenched violently at what board shelves, but his quick hope that
seemed to be the creature’s foreleg, and there might be a water-jug on them was
only the repeated slash of pain this time — vain. The lowest was crowded with bot-
across his grasping hand — saved the tles — small, queerly shaped phials, for

bones in his grip from being snapped. the most part; toward the back, two or

In the second his grasp relaxed, his an- three of decanter size cheated him afresh,

tagonist jerked back, and in that instant’s by proving to be filled with noxious,
respite he realized the terrible danger of strange liquids. The second shelf held

grappling with this unknown thing, par- books, and his hand on their covers dis-

ticularly with his own strength and tech- turbed thick dust — or the brown, musty

nique so seriously impaired by the wall powder into which ancient calf bindings

between them. Undoubtedly, the part of degenerate. 'The third held a few broken

wisdom was to sit, back to the door, stool pieces of. crockery, and what felt like

dawn;
in hand, keeping a dark vigil until pewter utensils.

and he had almost decided to do this. 'The fourth seemed at first empty. On
 —

340 WEIRD TALES

a level just above his head, his exploring apparently abandoned, and its former
hand ran half its length without encoun- owner might have food in it. In that
left
tering anything. Then, quite without case, the by some chance wanderer
fire lit

warning, he touched the shelf's sole occu- the night before might very well have
pant. was warm, alive. He was aware
It liberated die fetidness.
of a muted thrum and rustle just above He was on the point of rousing him-
his head, and jumped back at the instant self and investigating, when he heard
that die cottage was filled again with someone singing. The voice was a
ghastly, inhuman laughter. woman's, peculiarly sweet, and with just
His heel caught in the bundled rags; that undercurrent of wildness appropri-
he stumbled, fell backward, lay still, ate to her surroundings. He lay back
aware of two things: the filthy odor again on die bundle of rags which had
which permeated the place was like a served him and listened, com-
for a bed,
drug, stifling him; and there was some- fortably aware that she was approaching,
thing hovering just above him. He could and that many of his problems would be
not see it, but he knew it was there; he solved by her presence. Undoubtedly she
almost fancied he could feel a faint would get him water and food, and once
breath —
yet it was too quidc, too pulsing he had had them, and relaxed long
for breadiing. With a great effort he enough to regain some of his lost nervous
raised his hand to his face —apparently energy, he could follow her directions
nothing was above him; yet, in that last back to town.
he knew that it
instant of consciousness, She was near enough now for him to
was something living suspended in the hear the rustle of the shrubbery ..which
air, not a foot away. she brushed in passing. Another minute,
and her song had stopped on a peculiarly

W HEN he opened
was streaming
his eyes, the sun
into the hut,
except for the dull pain of his face and
and
haunting minor note; and glancing up,
he saw her in the doorway.
He was impressed at first with her
hand — the whole ghastly night might slender straightness; it hardly seemed
have been a dream. There was nothing that her feet touched the ground, and the
whatever sinister about the little room; it slight wind stirring her full skirt added
was precisely what he had at first drought to theatmosphere of lightness about her.
it —a home. It was not
typical peasant's In her hand she held a branch of die
even as dirty as most of them were. Then hawthorn. 'Hie sun struck through its
he remembered, and sniffed apprehen- translucent blossoms, and turned her
sively, and discovered a faint, unmistak- tousled red hair to a living flame, giving
able trace of the odor that had praaically her delicate siUiouette peculiar life. He
anesdietized him die night before. watched her for a long minute, in sheer
What could it have been.^ He raised pleasure at the dark, lithe outline, with
himself half on his elbow and stared its relief of fragile red flowers, and then

about. There was no trace of food or realized that she was not alone. On her
drink —nothing have so filled
that could shoulder perched a great black bird.
the room with His gaze reached
disgust. He said, "Gimewon’t you?”
in,
the hearth, rediscovered the dead peat She did not answer, and he felt that
ashes. Swung above them was a great iron she was smiling with a sort of amused
pot. It must be. in that; the place was contempt; but she did. as he asked, and
 THE HOUSE OF THE GOLDEN EYES 341

he noticed as she moved that her walk "How long have you been here?”
justified his first impression of her light- "Since an hour or so after dark.”
ness. She seemed almost to float as she He felt that she was about to say some-
aossed to him. There was only one thing, then, but thou^ her eyes raurned
blemish to her perfea grace ^her left — to him three or four times, and her lips
arm hung limp at her side, as if a blow half parted, she did not speak. Finally,
had paralyzed or injured it. he broke die silence.
When she was quite near him, she
"I am very thirsty. Can you get me
turned a little; and now, for the first
some water?”
time, he saw her face.
Her brows drew together. "Water?"
Just why he should have felt tliat
"Yes, of course. I told you I am
slight, subconscious shodc he could not thirsty, and I haven’t washed since sun-
have said.
fea face for
It was undoubtedly the
sucli a figure —
per-
the face
down. Besides —my face
”

He moved slightly, so that his slashed

whicli..,he should have expeaed. Long, cheek was suddenly out of the shadow,
with slightly pointed chin, it had all the
and toward her; and at sight of it, she
fragile beauty he could have desired for started back, a combination of horror and
it. The slightly peaked brows were like sorrow contorting her face. A queer
an etching on the white skin, and the
amber eyes beneath them were the na-
sound broke from her something
little —
between a cry aitd a moan; and at the
tural accompaniment for burnished red
same instant the terrible laughter which
hair. There was only one thing to mar
had twice before frozen him, filled the
the first impression of perfea beauty.
cottage.
Tlie girl had apparently been eating ber-
ries, and a tiny red stain at the corner of
"Good God —what is
”

"Nothing!” She leaned toward him,

her full lips threw the mouth out of
panting a little. "Only my bird. He has
.

symmetry.
a split palate —
it is nothing to fear
”

As she paused beside him, the great Her voice faded, and in spite of her
bird on her shoulder teetered forward, words of reassurance, he was swept by
and seemed to peer into his face with sudden, inexplicable dread. There was
He saw her lips move,
sinister curiosity. something too intent, almost fascinated,
and though he heard nothing, the bird in her gaze. Fixed on his wound, it
flapped its wings, and with a peculiarly seemed to sear it like a flame.
ungraceful motion rose from her shoul- He raised himself on his elbow, and
der and sagged through the air to the that threw his face into shadow again,
shelf. He realized suddenly that this had and once her gaze was broken, she drew
been the thing he had touched in the a long, shuddering breath, and moved
daiic, the thing he had sensed hovering back, swaying as if she had been on the
above him as he sank into his coma. point of fainting.
He said sharply, "Do you live here?" "Water
”
— you said you wanted
For a second, he thought a queer light water
moved behind the girl’s eyes, but when "No matter!” He forced himself to
she answered him, her voice had all the his feet. "I’ll
”
get it — there must be a
sweemess that had filled her singing. spring
"Yes. How did you come here?" But in spite of her apparent faintness,
"I lost my way.” she reached the door before him.
 —

342 WEIRD TALES

"No! You will not leave!” and as he tigateit; and he reali2ed that there was

started back, frowning: "It would be —

something about it something which he
foolish foryou to go. You do not know must know.
where there is a spring. Besides” there — He crossed to the hearth, and holding
was something almost cunning in her
— his breath, removed the hea'vy lid. A thin
eyes "you are tired; you have lost much bluish vapor rose and twisted upward.
”
blood He peered into the black interior but
Her voice rose weirdly, and she turned could see nothing. At the same instant
and ran from him, sending the word he heard a footstep, and replacing the
echoing back to him from the trees cover, whirled around.
"Blood blood .”
. . . . . The girl stood in the doorway, an
earthen ewer in her hand. Apparently

H e, DETERMINED to leave at once, in

exhaustion, and was
spite of his
about to step out of doors when he saw
she had no suspicion of his prying, and
entered the place as casually as though
there were no need for haste or fear or
the hawthorn bough across the
girl’s distrust; and her first words held none of

threshold, and stooped to put it aside. It the suggestion that had imdertoned her
was too lovely to tread on. The next mo- last ones.

ment, he regretted his softness, for the "If you’ll come into the light. I’ll
movement seemed to liberate a swarm of ”
bathe it

bees, which had apparently been stealing

Instead of gratitude, revulsion filled
honey from the flowers. 'There were so
many of them that it would have been
him. "No —
I’ll do it. 'Thanks.
*
Out
there. Are the bees gone?”
foolhardy to force a way through them, "Bees?” He thought he heard a faint
and he drew back into the shelter of the note of mockery behind the monosyllable,
hut, furious at the delay.
but her face was guileless. '"There are
At any moment the girl might come no bees hereabouts.”
back, and he found himself dreading her He was on the point of speaking, but
return. What was it about the cottage, thought better of it, and seated himself
about her, that fllled him with such ter- on the stone lintel. 'The girl leaned
ror.? America, with its healthy matter-of- against the door jamb, watching; and as
factness, seemed- of another world; here, the water cleansed the slash, and the
his atavism owned him, claimed him blood began to flow, he realized that she
through immemorial centuries for forgot- was quivering, and felt a sudden over-
ten beliefs and fears. A week before, he whelming nausea.
would have scorned any hysterical girl He had no doubt now that she was
for believing in the fancies which held mad, and that her insanity was liberated
him now. He kept telling himself that —
by blood the sight, even the thought, of
it was all ridiculous —
but the slash across it shaking her equilibrium. He had heard

his cheek proved that, ridiculous or not, many strange tales of maniacs who
there was real danger here. Instina seemed normal until some slight mishap
warned him that he must get away before overthrew their delicate mental balance.
the owner returned, and he was about to "Go he said harshly, and when
inside,”
chance the bees when he remembered the she did not move, he looked up. "Go
pot on the hob. on!”
It would take only a second to inves- She ran her tongue 'over her lips. He
 — —

THE HOUSE OF THE GOLDEN EYES 343

saw that it was pointed, and too red. It no matcli struck, and the
was that effect
touched the corner of her mouth — the of created, spontaneous light; but he was
little red stain. Her eyes glittered. grateful for it, whatever its source. By
He trembled with horrid realization, it he could see mudi of the room and —
and sprang to his feet. though he could not discover his "host-
She fell back before him and was — ess,” tficrc was a human shadow, unrrKs-
talcably indicating her presence.
suddenly only a normal, beautiful girl
laughing a little. Suddenly, he knew
that it was strange

"You are nervous. What is the mat-

tliat he could not see the
girl. Someone

ter.?"
was stirring the pot. He could hear the
sound of a spoon going round and round
He hesitated. Should he confront her
in it; he could see it sway and swing to
with his discovery, make a bold front and
the rhythm.
tell her die truth.?

"Come in,” she said, and there was Yet //yerc was no httman thing beside
thatHhearth.
only quiet invitation in her tone. But he
shuddered. The brew began to bubble. He could
"No. I’m going on, now. Thanks.” hear it —and hear also a soft, persistent
"Going on.?” She shook her head. muttering. No syllable could he distin-
”
"But you can’t. Tlie storm guish; yet suddenly, clear as the light-
He had not noticed a storm before. ning around him, flashed the key to that
He could have sworn that there had been night’s mystery.
no sign of one a moment before; yet now He had been lured by some super-
the sky was black, and die heavy menace human force to tliis place; he was held
of thunder shook the place. A drop here by the same force. What it was, no

splashed at his feet. man could say —but it ruled more human
"You see.? And thereis no regular beings tlian any other intangible thing.
road from here. It would be foolish He was in tlic spell of witclicraft. The
”
even dangerous was a witch. Tlie bird was no bird
girl

She was still standing just over the sill, — was a demon, and die laughter Shat
it

but he shook his head. had frozen him was demon-laughter.

"I’ll watch it from here. I’m not God knew what was in the terrible
afraid of storms.” pot—
Her eyes were brooding. "As you What would be in it by morning?
wish.” In swift dread he flung from the door-
She turned from him, and seemed to way; and as if to mock his futility, a
fade into the storm-darkness of the hut’s sword of fire descended from the sky,
interior. He could not see her, and this split a great tree, crashed it across his
added to his uneasiness, though he heard path. 'Tlie shoclt threw him back against
her moving about. He shifted his posi- the hut, but he was unconscious of the
tion, so thathe could watch the place pain of the impaa. He knew only that he
where she must be; but to know that she — —
must escape now at once.
was there, and yet discover no trace of Answering his resolution, the mutter-
her, was worse than not to know her ing inside became frenzied. The great
whereabouts. red hawthorn swayed, bent to the earth.
As if in answer to his thought, a quick Was it only the wind that moved it, and
flame rose on the hearth. He had heard tossed its branches into a bristling bar-
 — —

344 WEIRD TALES

rier? Hawthorn —he remembered now reach toward him. 'There was something
it was the witches’ tree, and sacred to the bloated, parboiled to a dull red, sliding
Sidhe. No Irishman would harm so much —
toward him a human hand, borne on
as a leaf of it. When the girl had broken the slow slime.
a bough, he should have realized that He started back.Almost without voli-
she was not all human. tion, his fingers fled from his brow to his
Inside the cottage was a hush more breast, from shoulder to shoulder.
dreadful than sound. For a moment, he thought that light-
He moved very slightly, stared in. The ning had struck the hut. It quivered as
girl stood by the table. She was lighting if it had been touched by a mighty
three candles. He noticed that they were finger.
black, and the forgotten phrase, "corpse The witch seemed turned to stone
candle,” stirred his memory, made him absolutely immobile, only her golden
shiver. Yet by their light she seemed
eyes proved that she was still alive.
both human and fragile. His courage re-
He
turned.
mined
training
to
strode into the place, deter-
make an end of what all his
had taught him was ridiculous.
T
he
im turned and
the hut, into the storm.
fled blindly, out of

he did not know. He looked bade

ran,
How long

She turned slowly. Back to the light, only once —

and whether the pursuing
she was again a silhouette. In the storm- golden eyes were real or imaginary he
darkened room he saw her eyes golden
ellipses.
— could not have told; but he did not trust
to their being imaginary.
It had been she — she, herself! Not He was half fainting when, through
some do her bid-
creature out of hell, to the breaking storm, he finally saw the
—
ding but herself! That limp arm it — comfortable outlines of a village. As he
was limp from the blow of the stool. Yet stumbled into its street, a dozen simple
the thing he had grasped had been fitrry folk hurried to help him. 'They were
— it had been an animal curious, over-solicitous —but he kept his
Out of mediaeval legends, out of mod- own cotmsel.
em horror-tales, whirled the lore of the Finally they began to oflFer him in-

werewolf. He remembered a dozen such formation. They told him that his wounds
stories, which he had scorned. showed that he had met the fabulous
The little red stain at the comer of her great Wolf of the North. No aeature
mouth. The panting, avid concentration had ever seen it and lived to tell of it.
on the slash across his face. Hundreds of sheep had been slaughtered.
She moved slowly toward him, but he Twice, children had disappeared. And
felt himself powerless to stir. Without recently, a man
taking her eyes from him, she reached He shuddered, in grim recolleaion.
forward, toudied the kettle. It began to But he did not reveal what he had
swing rhythmically. In the shadows over- seen. It was true that these countrymen
head, the demon-bird gibbered. of his might not scoflF at the story; the
The pot tipped —more, more. Some of Old World is too wise to rejea matters
its contents slopped over. A drop or two which outstrip ordinary human ken. But
spattered on the peat; the fire flared Tim had spent most of his life in Amer-
greenly. In that ghastly light he saw the ica —
and it had set the seal of incredulity
widening pool on the floor. It seemed to on his Irish lips.
OxiarcfiaiAS cf
the 0\iA\fas I

IT O, I really mean it, Jim!” Jack "Oh, I know that Honolulu and Hilo,
Hoxton sat up in the long cane and places like that, are as civilized as
^ chair on the Country Club Chicago or Atlantic City; but there must
veranda, the better to emphasize his ear- be places on the islands where a fellow
nestness. "I haven’t lost my money, or been can buy a few acres, run up a shack, and
rejeaed by my best girl; indeed there’s lead the simple life, alone with the si-
no best, or worst, girl to be considered lence, the scenery, the simshine, and the
in my and the plain faa is I’m sick
case; tropical fruits and flowers.”
—
of civilization fed up. I’m sailing for "Well, I wish you the best of ludc, if
the Hawaiian Islands on the next Dollar you really mean it; but, just for the sake
Line boat!" of having a sporting interest in your ven-
Jim Worthington stirred sufl&ciently in ture, I’ll bet you an even thousand that
his long chair to regard the flushed face you’ll be sicker of silence and scenery
of his young friend quizzically. "Who within one year than you are now of civ-
has been introducing you to the semi- —how old
ilization after are you. Jack?
centennial works of Robert Louis Steven- — twenty-seven of years it.”

son? Don’t you know that the Hawaiian "I’ll just take that bet. Your thou-
Islands are now at least as civilized as sand will probably come in mighty handy
Iowa? You’re a quarter of a century too to pay forsome pet improvement on my
late to take refuge from civilization in Hawaiian place, a year from now.”
Hawaii. Better sail farther and fare "Better catch your place before you
worse!” start to ’civilize’ it; but the bet’s on.
345
 — — I

346 WEIRD TALES

Now, is it agreed that you are to write to "Why so mudi about my Wall? —
me regularly and keep me informed as call the mighty Koolau Range 'my wall,’
to how near I am getting to winning, because it is both my barrier against civ-

#«***#*
or losing, that thousand?” ilization,

'silence
and the background for all my
and scenery.’ My place is about
a mile and a half from the base of the
“XT T ELL, Jim, old stay-at-home, this
Wall. on a hill about five hundred
VV is my first solemn wr-itton warn-
feet
It’s

high; in faa it IS the hill. I’ve

ing from Aloha Land that you are surely
bought the whole thing, with a fence
going to lose tliat tliousand! You should
around it, running down to a mountain
have felt a premonitory pang in tlie re-
stream at the base.
gion of the pocketbook about two weeks
"I’m building my house right on the
ago, when found my place! It's only
I
crest of die hill, with a big veranda
about a dozen miles from Honolulu
you’ll hoot at that! —
but it might be a
they call ’em 'lanai’ out here — facing the
Wall. roughed out a trail
I’ve already
hundred for all one sees or knows of tlie
city from here. The great Koolau Range down the through the wild
hillside
guavas to the stream, where there’s a fine
runs behind the city, and cuts it off from
swimming-hole fifty or sixty feet long, a
the windward side of the island of Oahu
dozen wide, and four or five deep. The
widi a three thousand foot wall of rock.
'Wall' the right word, too;
whole hillside is covered with wild
is it rises as
guava bushes at present, but I’ll have
nearly perpendicular as any formation
most of them grubbed out by the time
can be that has been exposed to erosion
I’ve won your thousand; and with that
for a thousand years or so. It’-s all solid
lava; probably thrust up by some gigantic
I’ll buy papaias, banana and coconut
palms, mangoes, and the rest; so that in
volcanic aaion long ago. Its sides are
a couple of years more I’ll be independ-
furrowed with gullies, and buttressed
ent of civilization entirely, except to buy
with shoulders built up of the eroded ma-
an occasional shirt or pair of shorts,
terial; and that makes it look climable
—and
way up.
it is, for perhaps one-third of the
One might even scramble up
»**••**
which is all I wear out here.”

another third, by picking a particularly “yvE been grubbing guavas all day in
likely spot; but thp final third would defy the hot sun; but it must be a month

a chamois, or a Swiss mountaineer unless since last I wrote you a warning that your
he cut his own steps in tlie solid rock thousand is already as good as deposited
ahead of himself. There are dark patch- to my account with the First National
es, just above the line of possible climb- Bank of Bishop; so I’ll see if a change of
ability, that look as if they might be the employment really is as good as a rest.
mouths of caves, caused by deeper erosion amazing what a few weeks of steady
It’s

in softer strata; but no one will ever work will do with a place like this. My
know whether they are caves unless he house is finished. It’s mostly studio liv-

flies in an airplane close enough to look ing-room, witli a little kitchen, bedroom
down and into them; and no level-headed and batli. I’ve cleared off the whole of
aviator is likely to try that, with a variable the top of my hill and sown it to grass,
trade wind pouring itself against the base with a few flowering shrubs to set off the
of the wall, and zooming up straight to house and break the fence corners. Now
the Pearly Gates! I’m clearing a three-foot trail through
 GUARDIANS OF THE GUAVAS 347

the wild guavas down the face of my hill oughly civilized to taJke much stock in
toward the Wall. menehunes; but the scenery md the si-
"You should see it —the Wall, I lence are sure going great. I’ll be a new

mean! It’s never twice the same, what man in less than a year’s time; but you
with the drifting and shifting
clouds can count on my being enough of my old
shadows. There are always half a dozen self to claim that thousand promptly
rainbows arched over its buttresses or when it’s due!’’

woven through the clouds around the * # # # # * «

peaks. It’s a tremendous thing to have *‘'\T ou are going to win your thousand,
right in one’s own back yard! I stop X after all, Jim; and if it were ten,
grubbing guavas, half a hundred times a you’d win it just the same. I am writing
day, to turn toward it and drink it all in. this from a private hospital for 'mental
Reminds me of that old psalm: 'I will lift cases,’ here in Honolulu; but I’m not
up mine eyes unto the hills, whence mad, old man, not that; and just as soon
cometh my strength.’ as the doaor thinks that my nerves are
"Something seems to flow down from calm enough, I’ll be boarding the first
those jagged peaks, sure enough. Maybe boat for the mainland. I suppose I
it’s streams of prana — vital energy —and should wait and tell you all about it then;
the menehunes manufacture it in those but I’ve another week or two to put in
caves I told you about in my first letter. here before they’ll let me leave, and it
Menehunes, by the way, are Hawaiian will pass the "time, and be a sort of a re-
fairies; or perhaps it would be more ac- lief, to tell you in this way, writing a bit
curate to call them gnomes. All the old at a time and then resting.
Hawaiians believe in them. Say they’ve "I scarcely know how to begin. The
been seen, many a time. Describe them whole thing must sound so incredible to
as being a foot or two tall, with long one who hasn’t actually gone through it.
beards, all dressed in the old Hawaiian I’m sure I wouldn’t have believed it my-
style. self, a month ago; and when I tried to ex-

"There was a bit in one of the Hono- plain to the doaor here how my nerves
lulu papers the other day, about the chil- got in such a condition, he merely gave
dren one of the public schools seeing
at me a soothing murmur, and something to
a real live menehune during the noon re- put me to sleep! But it’s true, I tell you,
cess. 'They all said he was about a foot old man,/ every word of it! Well, I’d
high, with a long gray beard, and that better just go back to the beginning and
he went by, grumbling to himself, and let the tale tell itself:

eating peanuts out of a paper bag. That began one night about three weeks
"It
paper bag sort of spoils the picmre, ago, when I was sitting on my lanai, fac-
doesn’t it? Sounds too civilized for a ing the huge dark bulk of the Wall a
menehune. But, anyway, all the children mile and a half away, and smoking my
— and there was about a dozen of them, pipe peacefully. I would sit there al-
—
of all races swore that they really saw most every night, admiring the moonlit
him. An hour or so after the paper was view of range and valley; but that night
out, all the old Hawaiians were down there was no moon, only a powdering of
there in the school grounds, helping the star-dust across the sky making the scene
children to hunt for the menehune! faintly visible. -The old Wall loomed
"Well, I’m afraid I’ve befen too thor- up black as a thunder cloud; and, as I
348 WEIRD TALES
kept mjr eyes turned toward it, idly, I cow trails through the wild guava, and
fancied I saw blue-green lights glowing coming to the open grass land, sloping
here and there, about a third of the way up to the Wall, where the going was
from the crest, I thought of those caves even easier. It couldn’t have taken me
I told you about, and wondered whether much more dian half an hour from the
anyone could jwssibly be living in them. time the notion seized me till I was be-
Then I recalled how utterly inaccessible ginning my scramble up the steep face
they appeared in full daylight, and dis-
of the scarp. I was soon sorry that I
missed die notion from my mind. The hadn’t changed to breeches and boots, in-
blue-green lights persisted, however, and
stead of starting out in the shirt and
the longer I watched them, the more
shorts I’d been wearing all day to work
clearly they seemed to demark the en-
on mytrail; those lava needles and guava
trances to the caves, as I had mentally
roots were surely hard on die naked
placed diem from many observations.
calves and thighs. I cut myself pretty
The came to me, as I puffed my pipe,
idea
badly, once or twice, and must have lost
thatmaybe they really were inhabited by
quite a lot of blood without realizing it.
menehunes, making their old magic over
However, I wasn’t going to be turned
there where man couldn’t get near diem.
back by a little thing like that; so up I
'Then I began to wonder again whether
went, pulling myself up two-thirds of my
a man couldn't manage to scramble up
own height, here and there, by holds on
the wooded scarp to one of the larger
guava roots, and having to work a way
openings, which I had particularly noted
around many a place where the rock face
b^ause it was the only one that seemed
was sheer perpendicular, with no bolds
to present climbable possibilities. Just
for hands or feet.
then the full moon came out, flooding
"It was much more of a climb than I
valley and Wall with power-
light no less
ful than that during a half-eclipse of the
had anticipated, but I couldn’t quit when
I must be only a few himdred feet at
sun, and curiously like that in quality.
So came my crazy notion to hike over to most from my goal. I looked back for a
the Wall in the moonlight, and tackle the moment, with one foot on a lava needle
clinff) to the cave.
and one hand on a guava root, and I
was amazed to see how high I had come.
'"The blue-green light had been blotted
The Wall, and the steep slopes, fell away
out by the moon,' but it was there a min-
into the moonlit valley beneath me with
ute before, and that seemed to say that
what looked like an unbroken drop of
whoever, or whatever, inhabited the cave
a third of a mile. Over across die val-
would surely be at home. Like a fool,
ley, and far beneath the spot where I
I didn’t even stop to get my flashlight,
clung, I could see the lights of my own
though I should have remembered that home on the little hill. I was feeling
there are always heavy clouds oyer and fairly well done in, what with the hard
around die Koolau Range; and I might day’s work and the steep climb to which
have anticipated that the moonlight my muscles were not yet accustomed, and
would fail me before I could complete then the loss of blood may have weak-
that three-mile hike, with the climb in ened me somewhat. How I wished I
the middle of it. were back in my comfortable chair, under
'"The moon shone steadily while I those li^ts on the lanai! I wished it

aossed the wide valley, following the more than ever, a moment later; really.
 I

GUARDIANS OF THE GUAVAS 349

. wished it, as a drowning man must wish "I couldn’t do it. We may tliink such
for air; for, just then, the moon went out. thoughts, but our bodies won’t let us sur-
It went out just as if a giant hand had render to them while tliere is a spark of
readied up and turned off the switch, but, vitality left. 'Tire end came soon enough
when I strained my eyes up into the dark, anyway. I had tested the guava root
I could see a very faint luminosity still with almost the whole weight of my
there, behind a bank of black cloud which body, while my left foot rested firmly
seemed to reach from the Wall to the sea. enough on another; but, as I swung free
I remembered that cloud too late. Al- on it, there was a tearing sound that sent
most every night, I had seen it drift in a clammy claw clutcliing down on my
from the ocean till it blanketed the val- heart muscles. They tell you tltat men
ley from midnight till dawn. It must falling from great heights relive their
have been just about midnight at that lives in a flash, like drowning men. It

moment; and there was I, in almost black may be so with some; but my mind was
dadcness, hanging to a guava root above a blank, an acliing void, as .,my body
a drop of a third of a mile! arched bade and shot into the blackness,
"I think my nerve began to cradc at rbelieve I gave one shrill scream, but I’m
that moment; but the one thing chat I —
not sure of that. ’Tlien and I've no idea
couldn’t possibly do was to stay where I how long it was, since a second can con-
was until morning. Already, I felt my tain under such conditions—
eternity

damp hand slipping on the smooth guava crashed, and tlie world went away from

root. I must move, up or down, and I all my senses.

already knew only too well the impossible

danger in the darkness of the way over RADUALLY
I became conscious^of a

which I had come in the bright moon- VX kind of blue-green luminosity sur-
light. It’s always easier to climb up than rounding me. I remember '•wondering
down, anyway, feeling for one’s holds whedier I had fallen into the sea, and my
with the naked hand rather than with the body was lying in some deep, cool, coral
shod foot. cave. Absurd, of course; the sea was
'T don’t know how long I climbed miles away. 'The moon must have come

through the terrible blackness, or how out again. I looked up, and saw above

far. seemed an age, and a mile or

It a roof of rough rock. I realized that I

more, but it was probably less than an

was lying across a sloping shoulder of
hour, and I doubt whether I had gained the same substance, my legs straddling
it, my arms hanging down on either side
much more than fifty feet on the perpen-
dicular, imder the almost impossible con- of its curved surface, while the not too
ditions of the climb. I was beginning to rounded peak of that bit into my back-
aack with fatigue, too. Each upward bone. Next I realized that I was stark
inch seemed to call for the last possible naked; my shirt and shorts must have
ounce of vital energy, and still there was been ripped away in the fall ... I re-
always another ounce for the next inch. membered the fall. So I was still alive,
It couldn’t last, though, and I caught my- and this must be some rocky cleft which
self deliberately contemplating the possi- had caught and rolled me back under its
bilityof letting go and dropping awiay overhanging roof.
from, unendurable labor into the
all this “I was alive! I started to lift my arms,
peace of the valley. intending to move to a more comfortable
 —

350 WEIRD TALES

position, and itwas then that real fear ing civilization. Did I not hate it, too?
caught at my throat and heart, for I was I must tell them that, explain that I had
chained, chained to the rock at neck, fled from it to their own land; and then
wrist, thigh and ankle, with thin sharp their faces would glow with warm friend-
chains, strong as steel, that bit into my liness, and they would hasten to release

flesh at the least movement. Only the the chains.

neck chain, being just above the collar- "Before I could speak, there came a
bones, allowed me to lift my head a lit- voice so high and thin that I seemed to
tle and peer about me into the weird be hearing it inside my own head rather
blue-green luminosity, seeking a cause than through my ears; yet I knew that it
for my condition, yet fearing to find it, came from the seated figure, and I mar-
"I saw that this was no mere cleft in veled that its English was as perfect as
the rock, but a long wide cavern with a my own at its best.
low roof. Direaly before the rock to "
'Stranger, you venture to question our
which I was chained, there was a sort of hospitality?’
rock throne, tiny, but large enough for
"A guess; a logical deduaion; or, had
the grotesque figure which occupied it.
he read my thought?
He was, perhaps, two feet high. A lei
"Promptly came the reply: 'Your
of brightly colored flowers hung around
thought speaks to me as mine to you;
his scrawny throat and was lost beneath
and now I will put to you another ques-
his long gray beard. He wore a colorful
tion, although without exportation that
waist-cloth, nothing more. His right
you will answer it honestly: 'What are the
hand held a spear about the size of a
limitations of hospitality? Shall a host
clothyard arrow.
suffer his guest to destroy his property
"Surrounding him, in a half moon,
and even the persons of those placed in
but at a respeaful distance behind, there
withhold his hand because
his charge, yet
was a countless aowd of similar figures;
of the claims of hospitality?’
some bearded and gray, some smooth- "What was the meaning of this mad
faced, lithe
same manner
and young;
as their king
all dressed in the
— for such I
rigmarole? — I was not his guest, nor he
my host; but, even if we stood in that re-
took the seated figure to be —and all
lation, certainly I had destroyed none of
armed with tiny weapons.
his property, nor injured the persons of
"Could this be a primitive race of any of his people . Yet might I, per-
. .

Hawaiian pigmies, still surviving un- haps, have done so in a mad delirium,
known to modern man, hidden away in following my fall? Was that why I
these almost inaccessible caves? Or came back to consciousness to find myself
the truth flashed across my
mind, to be in chains?
dismissed as surest it be
folly —could "Again he read my thought. 'You
true, after all, about the menehunes, the have done no harm, except to yourself,
fairy people, and had I fallen into their since you came to this place. You have
power? But surely fairy people would my young men to thank that the harm
be gentle and kindly! They would not was no greater. They caught you as you
crucify a stranger in chains upon their fell, and brought you here to me with

rocks,and stare at him with hard, cold, nothing but a few scratches and bruises.’
unwinking brown Yet perhaps
eyes! "I started to stammer my thanks, for-
they hated the white man and his crush- getting my chains for the moment; but I
 GUARDIANS OF THE GUAVAS 351

was interrupted coldly: 'The words were credible obtuseness of your blundering,
not well supplied. You owe us no destruaive, murdering breed. In your
thanks for your broken fall, because we blind arrogance, you have at last succeed-
drew you here and gave you the oppor- ed in persuading yourselves that you may
tunity to fall. You believe it to have destroy what and where you will, so that
been your own idea, born of moonlight it serves your comfort, your pleasure, or
and curiosity; but came
you across
it to your greed!’
the valley from this cave, carried on die "
'But I own the place on which I have
blue-green radiance whidi first attraacd been clearing away the guavas!’ I burst
your attention. We summoned you here in indignantly.
to our court because a judgment has been "
'You own it.?’ The voice came high
passed upon you, and it is necessary to and incredulous. 'By what superior right
its right execution that you shall know
do you claim personal ownership of any
what it is, and whence it came, and why.’ part of die King’s domain, granted in
"I forgot my chains, and diey bit sav- common to His children in return for
agely at my flesh as I attempted "to rise their loving labor u^xin it.?’
in my indignation. 'What kind of court "
'What king are you talking about?’
is diis, that passes judgment in the ab-
I demanded petulantly. 'I understand
sence of the defendant, without hearing
diat Hawaii is a part of the Republic of
his plea or admitting evidence.?’
"
the United States. No king has any
'It is a court in whicli no mental eva- rights here!’
sions are at all possible,’ the voice replied, "
'Him whom we call the King has His
more mildly dian before, diough perhaps rights everywhere on land and sea and in
it only seemed so in contrast to my own the air. He is the King of the World
hotness. 'Your crimes were committed
. . . but enough of that; your droughts no
before our very eyes. Day after day,
less than your aaions proclaim that you
hundreds of us have seen and by thought
know Him not. What of this absurd
power have tried to dieck your mad de- claim to ownership which you advance
struaiveness; but it seemed that you re-
in defense of your murderous invasions
sponded to our impulses only by swing- upon our sacred cliarges, the guavas.? If
ing your blade faster and harder!’
any truly own diat land, must it not be
"What, in God’s name, could this lu- the elemental spirits diat co-operated to
natic be talking, or rather thinking about! create die soil, the earthworms that pre-
He answered me in two words: 'The pared it for plant food, the guavas them-
guavas!’ and I laughed aloud. It was a selves, that laboriously^juilded it into the
mad thing to do, for the little old man tissues of their living bodies —why have
seemed serious enough; but the idea of they not better title to the land than you?
being charged with the murder of wild They have been there for half a century,
guava bushes! and you for little more than one moon!’
"
"My ill-judged mirth quite altered the 'But I bouglit and paid for the place!’
quality of the voice that continued to ring I protested widi half-incredulous resent-
in my head. No longer had it even tlie ment.
"
slightest suggestion of a thin silver flute, 'From what Great Chief did you buy
as before, but rather that of an angry it.? With what aa of splendid service
bumblebee. did you pay for it.?’
"
'Your laughter is evidence of the in- "My temper was tiring of this inaed-
 4 —

352 WEIRD TALES

ible conversation. 'I bought it from the nation. It was almost a foot in length,
legal owner, and paid for it in hard, cold jetty black, glistening black, as though
American dollars, I answered shortly, carved out of polished hard rubber, yet
realizing, as I spoke, that my adjeaives every inch, every atom of its contours
had not been well chosen. was tremendously, horribly alive. The
"Sure enough, he repeated them: sense of the vitality packed into that small
'Hard, cold; but the hard may be softened compass was shocking. I saw it more
and the cold warmed by the White clearly drew its dreadful length
as it

Flame, whose ministers and servants are across my It had a head, but
kneecap.
we.’ no face. body was simply a proces-
Its

"FortunatelyI had already learned that sion of tiny claws mounted in black knobs
the andent Hawaiians those of them— which moved with the regularity of some
who were deemed worthy of initiation mechanical thing. Up my thigh, and to
into their Mysteries —worship the White my chest just below my Aroat, it came,
Flame of the eternal life force; or I might and there it paused.
"
have taken that last statement as a threat 'We note, with surprize, that you are
of ordeal by fire. Perhaps it would have not already acquainted with our little
been more pleasant, after all, than what friend,’ said the voice with what seemed
aaually came. tome to be dreadful irony. 'Were you
"
'Pain, and Fear of pain,’ said the an Hawaiian, with some knowledge of
voice. "Thus does the White Flame the land you presume to claim, you would
burn the dross out of the brains of be- have tom those chains deeply into your
ings like yourself, corrupted by the false own flesh at the sight of him, before you
sense of the self separated from the One could recall that you were chained and —
Self. We may not kill’ — I—drew a breath you are chained, you know.’
of relief at that statement 'we may not "
'What is it?’ I croaked.
ourselves execute the judgment of the
'"The response was disconcertingly
guavas upon your person, but, fortunate-
prompt: 'It is the one being in Ais
we have humbler
ly for
ministers
the Occasion,
who are not so bound.’ He land of love —excluding those your- like
self who are here by fraud or by force
pronounced a name which could not
remember it; but my re-
I
which rules and conquers —even Man
all
spell if I could
newed apprehension prevented me even
—by Fear. the Great Centipede.’
It is

from paying attention to it.What ter-

"A centipede! —but those were tiny

rorwould be loosed upon me now? pallid things never more than an inch
or so in length. This giant, waving his
“Tn the utter silence of the cavern, blind tentacles almost at my throat, and
A there came to my strained sense of opening and closing his mighty tail
hearing a sound as of the scratching of shears with clearly audible sound, was no
innumerable tiny claws upon the rock. tme centipede, but rather a ghastly night-
Crabs? Spiders? What —an army of mare of one, seen through a blackened
them? I felt a scratching at my left and disordered brain, magnified a mil-
ankle, a procession of tiny claws rhythmi- lionfold!
"
cally climbing to the bone. 'It is not a vision,’ said the voice,
"Pressing my throat toutmost
the with gentle insistence; 'it is an actual be-
against its chain, I saw that which had ing, as you shall soon have ample cause
never before existed even in my imagi- to know.’
W. T.—
 5

GUARDIANS OF THE GUAVAS 353

"So my
was to be stinging to
fate — shodt of awful agony. This waiting,
death by this hateful and malodorous in* surely, was worse than the event could
sect! I felt a cold wind blow between possibly be! Why did not the accursed
the epidermis and the dermis all over my insea do its deadly worir? —or was it,

body, and I fancied I could hear the hair perhaps, awaiting the final command
at the base of my head crackle as it rose from the king of the menehunes.^
on end! "That command came, like the crack
"As though obeying some unspoken of a tiny pistol shot in the stillness. It
command, the nightmare insect renewed was, I think, the same word with which
its rhythmical march, aaoss my throat, the awful insea had been summoned;
over myand paused again only
chii;, but, once again, my nervous tension was
when its blindly waving tentacles seemed too great for me to pay attention to any-
to command a view of my face. thing but that. Instinctively, as the com-
" mand
'Look closely; look well, O king of came, I drewstill tighter the al-

the centipedes!’ said the voice; 'for this ready terrible tension of nerve and ten-
one lies under the curse of the centipedes. don and muscle.- Something seemed to
Let it follow him, let it pursue him, till snap. There was a flashing blaze of
he be frenzied widi fear: this for the blue-white brilliance; then bladmess, in-
harm he has wrought; let it follow, let stantaneous and absolute,
it pursue till he lift the curse of his pres-

ence from our land, and so ^and only — SEEMED to drift upward to the sur-
so —
lift the curse from himself! 'This A face of the sea of consciousness
for the harm that must not be wrought through miles of blue-green water; but
by him!’ always with the same horrible sensation
"As the voice ceased, the mighty in- of something dreadful and unclean cling-
sea deliberately turned about. For a ing about my throat. The light grew
second saw the glistening plier-jaws
I clearer, yellower. I became conscious of
with whidi its tail was armed, waving my limbs pressing into the woven cane of
direateningly beneath my very nose; then —the chair on my own lanai. I was
it its rhythmicd march over my
resumed there; and dawn was just breaking over

chin, coming again to my throat, where the Needles in the east —but these facts
it paused, apparently with its head about, were verbalized later. For the time I
over one carotid artery and its terrible tail was frightfully conscious only of one sen-
over the other. Now, if the insea were sation —
^there was something, clammy,

indeed as deadly as the voice had sug- and close-clinging, like a necklace of tiny
gested it to be, and if it were to be the tiger claws, about my throat!

instrument of my destruaion, it was in "With a saeam, I leapt to my

shrill
position to spread its venom swiftly fea. Perhaps the saeam, the vibration
throughout the blood stream. in my throat, was what saved me, for I
"The pause lengthened out intermi- have learned since that these deadly in-
nably, while the cavern was caught in sects are apt to clamp down instinaively
breathless silence. Not alone my nerves upon feeling a sudden loss of support.
were at unbearable tension, but every ten- 'There was a scratching thud on the ce-
don was tightly stretched, every muscle ment floor of the lanai; and there at my
rock-hard, tensed to receive, and, if pos- fea, eight or ten inches of liquid legs
sible, to endure I knew not what fiendish churned and thrashed in blind semicir-
W.T.—
354 WEIRD TALES
cles. Then it straightened out, and flowed even an ant could make its way. I threw
—toward me! — for all the world like a back the bedclothes, and yes, I had —
thick streak of black oil flowing down a sensed that it would be inevitable but —
steeply sloping floor. not one, two of the giant centipedes lay
"My first instina was to leap upon it coiled together just under the front edge

with my shod feet, and it was then that of the pillow!

I realized that my feet were not shod; "At the sight, suprizingly enough, I
that my body was as naked as it had been lost my moment, and grew
fear for the
in the cavern. You will say as the doc- — cold with rage. first weapon
I seized the
tor said — that it was all a dream, brought that —
came to hand it happened to be a
on by the contaa of the real centi-
actual —
shoe and brought it down with terrific
pede’s claws; but how will you account force upon both of them. It seemed im-
for this fact: that I was stark naked; my possible to kill them. I seemed to pound
clothes were gone, and I have never and pound at them for hours. Even after
foimd them to this day? Realizing my they were ground into the sheet, ruining
defenseless condition, I made no further it forever, still flickers and tremors of

move toward the terror, you may well horrible vitality shook the fragments as
believe. Instead, I dashed for the door though they would again imite and attack
faster than I have ever run before; yet, me! After that, I stripped the bed, turned
fast though I ran, the cursed creature was the mattress, and lay down under the
at my heels as I slammed the d(X)r be- single upper sheet after shaking it till I
tween myself and it, and sank, with deep almost tore the hem. I lay there, but not
sobbing breaths, into an easy-chair. to sleep. No sooner would I close my
"God, what a ghastly experience! eyes, than I would see armies of giant
Dream, nightmare, or not — and I did centipedes flowing toward me through
not stop to analyze then — at least there the darkness, and I would start up with
was the faa of that giant centipede on a half-suppressed scream.
the doorstep outside. If this lovely coun- "Fortunately there was but an hour or
try was infested with such terrors, would so of that. My Japanese servant came at
it not prove more of a purgatory than a seven. Had he been late that morning,
paradise? I seemed to hear the baffled he might have found a madman for a
horror scratching, scratching with its master! As it was, I was dangerously irri-
tiny terrible claws at my door —and there table. I cursed him for a sloven, in per-
was a scratching, louder and louder as I mitting these poisonous pests to get foot-
listened intently; but it was not at /the hold in my house. In vain he protested
door — it was, it was on the back of the that he had seen none of the great centi-
chair in which I lay exhausted! pedes; that they were, indeed, exceedingly
"I leapt to my feet again, and in the rare, and that one might live a lifetime
clear light of dawn, saw another — or in the islands and never see one. Had I
could it possibly be the sartie? — ^giant not seen four — ^no, f^ve, counting the one

centipede just flowing, over the head-rest, in the cavern! —during that very night of

where my
head had rested a half-second horror? I seized the sheet and found the
ago! I sped to my bedroom. I slammed dreadful remains of my battleand shook
the door. I stuffed ties and handkerchiefs it in his face.
"
into the crack beneath it, and into every 'See! See for yourself!’ I screamed,
opening through which it seemed that rather than spoke.
 GUARDIANS OF THE GUAVAS 355

"He examined the remains carefully, showed them where it had been, and
and shook his head, ''fihat danger’,’ he where I thought it had gone. They were
said, 'most danger’ — bite, swell up, interested, and sympathetic — too much
mebbe die, dunno.’ so. I could see that they were infeaed by

"But the sole effect of the ocular dem- the belief of my neighbor, the one who
had brought me to the hospital. 'The doc-
onstration was that I lost my Japanese
tor says I shall be all right in a few days,
servant. He slipped away shortly before
or a week or two at most; but I know
noon, and I never saw him again.
better. *11x6 faa that these omnipresent
"Well, I dare not, for my ovra sake,
centipedes never seem to bite has brou^t
retrace the details of the next three days. a certain dull apathy into my feeling
They were one continuous nightmare, about them; and yet I have a certain inner
with the added horror of knowing clear- sense that warns me to hold to my resolve
ly that one was wide awake. Whenever to leave the islands as soon as I can, or a
I turned, wherever I turned, my eyes secondary stage of the curse may man-
would fallupon one of these poisonous ifest!
pests. I went about armed with a tightly "I have sold my place at a great saai-
rolled magazine, and got so that I would ffce. In faa, it brought me just a little
strike out as I turned without waiting to over the thousand I shall pay you when I

verify the presence of the pest. That was see you in a couple of weeks’ time."
how all my crockery got broken. When
—
my neighbor called
the end of the third day
that made him so sure that
as
—
he did near to
it was that fact

I must have
D ear Mr. Worthington: The enclosed
letter, or manuscript, was found

under the pillow of the bed occupied by

been drinking the native 'oke’ to the verge your friend, Mr. John Hoxton, during
of delirium tremens. I told him the his stay here at the hospital. As you
whole tale as calmly as possible; but that already know from our cables, he was
only served to increase his conviaion. He found dead by the night nurse, and when
suggested that I had better let him take the body was lifted from the bed, a giant
me to town in his car ^said he knew a — centipede was crushed around the back
doaor, knew the very place for me. I of his neck. 'The virus appears to have
consented, not because I needed a doaor, entered at the carotids, and, in the en-
but just to get away. feebled state of the patient, death must
"I might have known that I couldn’t have followed very quickly. It is indeed
get away so easily as that. *1116 curse of strange that his amazing illusion should
the centipedes was clearly in my mind. have been brought to a conclusion by a
Not till I —not
left till I leave — ^these real insea of the type he feared; and it
islands shall I be free from it. There was is the more to be regretted, because Dr.

one waiting for me on the pillow of the Benson was very hopeful of a complae
hospital bed. It slipped away, like a cure. Just the day before, he had suc-
streak of black oil, as I struck at it, and ceeded in convincing Mr. Hoxton that he
vanished throu^ some aack in the base must remain and fight and defeat this
boarding. It was gone when the doaor fear here in the islands, or it would leave
and the nurse turned at my scream. I a permanent psychopathic complex.
 N A
O
frosted
August a
man
glass
dismal rainy afternoon in
tall,

tapped
window of
very thin gentle-
timidly
the
on the
curator’s
asinine inquiries
fled
torian novelist
cred precincts.
and conduaed the muf-
gentleman straight to what a Vic-
would have called the sa-

office in a certain New England museum. Having tapped, the gentleman waited.
He wore a dark blue Qiinchilla over- He waited patiently, but something in
coat, olive-green Homburg hat with high his manner suggested that he was ex-
tapering crown, yellow gloves, and spats. tremely nervous and perturbed and de-
A blue silk muffler with white dots en- cidely on edge to talk to the curator.
circled his neck and entirely concealed And yet when the door of the office at
the lower portion of his face and vir- swung open, and the curator peered
last
tually all of his nose. Only a small ex- out fastidiously from behind gold-
panse of pink and very wrinkled flesh rimmed speaacles, he merely coughed
was above the muffler and below
visible and extended a visiting-card.
his forehead, but as this exposed portion The card was conservatively fashion-
of his physiognomy contained his eyes it able in size and exquisitely engraved, and
was as arresting as it was meager. So as soon as the curator perused it his
arresting indeed was it that it command- countenance underwent an extraordinary
ed instant respect, and the attendants, alteration. He was ordinarily a supreme-
who were granted liberal weekly emolu- ly reticent individual with long, pale
ments for merely putting yards of red face and lugubrious, condescending eyes,
tape between the main entrance and the but he suddenly became preposterously
narrow corridor that led to the curator’s friendly and gteeted his visitor with an
office, waived all of their habitual and eflfusiveness that was almost hysterical
356
 —

A VISITOR FROM EGYPT 357

He seized his visitor’s ' somewhat flabby moved his hat nor withdrew the muffler
gloved hand and gave it a Babbittesque from his pinkish visage.
squeeze. He nodded and bowed and 'The curator seleaed a seat on the op-
smirked and seemed almost beside him- posite side of the table and politely ex-
self with gratification. tended a box of Havana panetelas. “Ex-
''If only I had known, Sir Richard, tremely mild,” he murmured. “Won’t
that you were in America! The papers you try one. Sir Richard?”
were unusually silent outrageously si- — Sir Richard shook his head. “I have
lent, you know. I can not imagine how never smoked,’^ he said, and coug^ied.
you managed to elude the reporters. 'There ensued a silence. Then Sir
They are usually so persistent, so inde- Richard apologized for the muffler. “I
cently curious. I really can not imagine had an unfortunate accident on the ship,”
how you achieved it!”
he explained. “I stumbled in one of
*'I did not wish to talk to idiotic old the deck games and cut my face rather
women, to lecture before mattords, to badly. It’s in a positively unpresentable
have my photo reproduced in yoor ab- condition. I know you-’ll pardon me if
surd papers.” Sir Richard’s voice was I don’t remove this muffler.”
oddly high-pitched, almost effeminate,
The curator gasped. “How horrible.
and it quivered with the intensity of his Sir Richard! I can sympathize, believe
emotion. "I detest publicity, and I re-
me. I hope that it will not leave a scar.
gret that I am not utterly unknown in
One should have the most expert advice
this — — er region.”
in such matters. hope Sir Richard,
I —
"I quite understand. Sir Richard,” have you consulted a specialist, may I
murmured the curator soothingly. “You ask?”
naturally desired leisure for research, for
Sir Richard nodded, '"rhe wounds are
discussion. You were not interested in
what the vulgar would say or think about
not deep —nothing serious, I assure you.
And now, Mr. Buzzby, I should like to
you. A commendable and eminently discuss with you the mission that has
scholarly attitude to take. Sir Richard!
brought me to Boston. Are the pre-
A splendid attitude! I quite understand
dynastic remains from Luxor on exhibi-
and sympathize. We Americans have to tion?”
be polite to the press occasionally, but ’The curator was a trifle disconcerted.
you have no idea how it cramps our He had placed the Luxor remains on ex-
style, if I may use an expressiye but ex- hibition that very morning, but he had
ceedingly coarse colloquialism. It really
not as yet arranged them to his satisfac-
does. Sir Richard. You have no idea
tion, and he would have preferred that
but do come in. Come in, by all means. his distinguished guest should view them
We are honored immeasurably by the at a later date. But he very clearly per-
visit of so eminent a scholar.” ceived that Sir Richard was so intensely
interested that nothing that he could say
IR RICHARD bowed stiffly and preceded would induce him to wait, and he was
S the curator into die office. He se- proud of the remains and flattered that
leaed the most comfortable of the five England’s ablest Egyptologist should
leather-backed chairs that encircled the have come to the city expressly to see
curator’s desk and sank into it with a them. So he nodded amiably and <pn-
faintly audible sigh. He neither re- fessed that the bones were on exhibition.
 —

3$8 .WEIRD TALES

and he added that he would be delighted "Yes, I know,” murmured Sir Richard.
and honored if Sir Richard would view "They coimted a good deal on Osiris. It
them. is curious that it never occurred to them
"They are truly marvelous,” he ex- that the god might be offended by their
plained. "The pure Egyptian type —do- presumptions.”
lichocephalic, with relatively primitive "You are forgetting the Book of the
features. And they date — Sir Richard, Dead, Sir Richard. The promises in
they date from at least 8000 B. C.” that are very definite. And it is an in-
"Are the bones tinted?” conceivably ancient book. I am strongly
"I should say so, Sir Richard! They convinced that it was in existence in
are wonderfully tinted, and the original 10,000 B. C. You have read my brochure
colors have scarcely faded at all. Blue on the subjea?”
and red. Sir Richard, with red predom- Sir Richard nodded. "A very schol-
inating.” arly work. But I believe that the Book
"Hm. A most absurd custom,” mur- of the Dead as we know it was a for-
mured Sir Richard. gery!”
Mr. Buzzby smiled. "I have always "Sir Richard!”
considered it pathetic. Sir Richard. In- "Parts of it are undoubtedly pre-dy-
finitely amusing, but pathetic. They nastic, but I believe that the Judgment
thought that by painting the bones they of the Dead, which defines the judicial
could preserve Ae vitality of the cor- prerogatives of Osiris, was inserted by
ruptible body. Cormption putting on some meddling priest as late as the his-
incorruption, as it were.” torical period. It is a deliberate attempt
"It was blasphemous!” Sir Richard to modify the relentless charaaer of
had from his chair. His face,
arisen Egypt’s supreme deity. Osiris does not
above the muffler, was curiously white, judge, he takes.”
and thete was a hard, metallic glitter in "He takes. Sir Richard?”
his small dark eyes. "They sought to • "Precisely. Do you imagine anyone
cheat Osiris! They had no conception of can ever cheat death? Do you imagine
hyperphysical realities!” that, Mr. Buzzby? Do you imagine for
The curator stared curiously. "Pre- one moment that Osiris would restore to
cisely what do you mean. Sir Richard?” life the fools that returned to him?”
Sir Richard started a trifle at the ques- Mr. Buzzby colored. It was difficult
tion, asthough he were awakening from to believe that Sir Richard was really in
some strange nightmare, and his emo- earnest. "Then you honestly believe
tion ebbed as rapidly as it had arisen. that the charaaer of Osiris as we know it

The glitter died out of his eyes and he is

sank back in his chair. *T

listlessly "A myth, yes. A deliberate and child-
I was merely amused by your comment. ish evasion. No man can ever compre-
As thou^ by merely painting their mum- hend the charaaer of Osiris. He is the
mies they could restore the circulation of Dark God. But he treasures his own."
the blood!” "Eh?” Mr. Buzzby was genuinely
“But that, as you know. Sir Richard, startled by the tone of ferocity in which
would occur in the other world. It was the last remark was uttered. "What did
one of the most distinctive prerogatives you say. Sir Richard?”
of Osiris. He alone could restore the “NoAing.” Sir Richard had risen
dead.” and was standing before a small revolv-
 —

A VISITOR FROM EGYPT 359

ing bookcase in the center of the room. assuredly itwas on old face, very old and dead
and dry, for the world was young when tall
"Nothing, Mr. Bu2zby. But your taste Osiris died.”
in fiaion interests me extremely. I had
Sir ESchard snapped the book shut and
no idea you read young Finchley!"
replaced it in the shelf. "What do you
Mr. Buzzby blushed and looked gen-
think of that, Mr. Buzzby?” he inquired.
uinely distressed. "I don’t ordinarily,”
"Rot,” murmured the curator. "Sheer,
he said. "I despise fiction ordinarily.
unadulterated rot.”
And young Finchley’s romances are un-
"Of course, of course. Mr. Buzzby,
utterably silly. He isn’t even a passable
scholar. But that book has ^well, there — did it ever occur to you that a
live, figuratively, a dog’s life?”
god may
are a few good things in it. I was read-
"Eh?”
ing it this morning on the train and put
"Gods are transfigured, you know.
it with the other books temporarily be-
They go up in smgke, as it were. In
cause I had no other place to put it. You
smoke and flame. 'They become pure
understand. Sir Richard? all have We flame, pure spirit, creatures with no visi-
our little foibles, eh? A work of fiaion
now and then is sometimes — — er ^well,
ble body.”
"Dear, dear. Sir Richard, that had not
suggestive. And H. E. Finchley is rath-
occurred to me.” The curator laughed
er suggestive occasionally.”
and nudged Sir Richard’s arm. "Beastly
"He is, indeed. His Egyptian redac-
sense of humor,” he murmured, to him-
tions are imaginative masterpieces!”
self. "The man is unutterably silly.”
"You amaze me. Sir Richard. Imag-
"It would be dreadful, for example,”
ination in a scholar is to be deplored.
continued Sir Richard, "if the god had no
But of course, as I said, H. E. Finchley
control over his transfiguration; if the
is not a scholar and his work is occasion-
change occurred frequently and unex-
ally illuminating if one doesn’t take it too
peaedly; if he shared, as it were, the
seriously.”
ghastly fate of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
"He knows his Egypt.”
Hyde.”
"Sir Richard, I can’t believe you really
” Sir Richard was advancing toward the
approve of him. A
mere fiaionist
door. He moved with a curious, shuf-
Sir Richard had removed the book and
and his shoes scraped peculiarly
fling gait
opened it casually. "May I ask, Mr.
upon the floor. Mr. Buzzby was in-
Buzzby, if you are familiar with Qiapter
stantly at his elbow. "What is the mat-
13, The Transfiguration of Osiris?”
ter, SirRichard? What has happened?”
"Bless me. Sir Richard, I am not. I
"Nothing!” Sir Richard’s voice rose in
skipped that portion. Such purely gro-
hysterical denial. "Nothing. Where is
tesque rubbish repelled me.”
the lavatory, Mr. Buzzby?”
"Did it, Mr. Buzzby? But the repel-
lent is usually arresting. Just listen to
"Down one flight of stairs on yoiu:

this:
left as you leave the corridor,” muttered

"It is beyond dispute that Osiris made his wor-

Mr. Buzzby. —
"Are are you ill?”
shipers dream strange things of him, and that he
"It is nothing, nothing,” murmured
possessed their bodies and souls forever. There Sir Richard. "I must have a drink of
is a devilish wrath against mankind with which
Osiris was for Death’s sake inspired. In the cool
water, that is all. The injury has — er
of the evening he walked among men, and upon affeaed my throat. When it becomes
his head was the Crown of Upper Egypt, and his
too dry it pains dreadfully.”
cheeks were inflated with a wind that slew. His
face was veiled so that no man could see it, but "Good heavens!” murmured the cura-
36Q WEIRD TALES
tor. “I can send for water, Sir Richard. "What was that?” he cried. "Did
I can indeed. I beg you not to disturb anyone call?”
yourself." He heard hurried steps and the sound
"No, no, I insist that you do not. I of someone shouting, and then an at-
shall return immediately. Please do not tendant appeared at the end of the corri-
send for anything.” dor. "Come quickly, sir!” he exclaimed.
Before the curator could renew his '"There’s fire and smoke cornin’ out of the
protestations Sir Richard had passed basement!”
throu^ the door and disappeared down Mr. Buzzby groaned. What a dread-
the corridor. ful thing to happen when he had such a
distinguished guest! He raced down the

M buzzby shrugged his shoulders

r.
and returned to his desk. "A
most extraordinary person," he muttered.
corridor and seized the attendant angrily
by the arm. "Did Sir Richard get out?”
he demanded. "Answer me! Is Sir
"Erudite and original, but queer. De- Richard down there now?”
cidedly queer. Still, it is pleasant to re- "Who?” gasped the attendant.
flea that he has read my brochure. A "The gentleman who went down a
scholar of his distinaion might very par- few minutes ago, you idiot. A tall gen-
donably have overlooked it. He called tleman wearing a blue coat?”
it a scholarly work. A scholarly work. "I dunno, sir. I didn’t see nobody
Hmm. Very I’m sure.”
gratifying, come up.”
Mr. Buzzby clipped and lit a cigar. "Good God!” Mr. Buzzby was fran-
"Of course he is wrong about the tic. "We must get him out immediate-
Book of the Dead,” he mused. "Osiris ly. I believe that he was ill. He’s
was a most benevolent god. It Is true probably fainted.”
that the Egyptians feared him, but only He strode to the end of the corridor
because he was supposed to judge the and stared down the smoke-filled stair-
dead. 'There was
nothing essentially case leading to the lavatory. Immediate-
evil or cruel about him. Sir Richard is ly beneath him three attendants were
quite wrong about that. It is curious cautiously advancing. Wet handker-
that a man so eminent could go so sensa- chiefs,bound securely about their faces,
tionally astray. I can use no other proteaed them from Ae aaid fumes, and
phrase. Sensationally astray. I really each held at arm’s length a cylindrical
believe that my arguments impressed fire extinguisher. As they descended the
him, though. I could see that he was stairs they squirted the liquid contents of
impressed.” the extinguishers into the rapidly rising
'The curator’s pleasant refleaions were spirals of lethal blue smoke.
coarsely and unexpectedly interrupted by "It was much worse a minute ago,”
a shout in the corridor. "Get them ex- exclaimed the attendant at Mr. Buzzby’s
tinguishers down! Quick, you b .” elbow. "'The smoke was thicker and
’The curator gasped and rose hastily to had a most awful smell. Like them
his feet. Profanity violated all the rules dinosaur eggs smelt when you first un-
of the museum and he had always firmly packed ’em last spring, sir.”

insisted that the rules should be obeyed. had now reached the
’The attendants
Striding quickly to the door he threw it base of the staircase and were peering
open and stared incredulously down the cautiously into the lavatory. For a mo-
corridor. ment they peered in silence, and then one
 A VISITOR FROM EGYPT 361

of them shouted up at Mr. Bu22by. "Fool!” A muffled form emerged

"The smoke’s dreadfully dense here, sir.. from the lavatory and ponderously as-
We can’t see any flames. Shall we go cended the stairs. "Fool! You ^you —
in, sir?’’ have sinned irretrievably!” *1116 voice
"Yes, do!” Mr. Buzzby’s voice was was guttural, harsh, remote, and seemed
tragically shrill "Do all you can. to come from an immeasurable distance.
Please!” "Sir Richard! Sir Richard!” The
curator got stumblingly to his feet and

T
an
he attendants disappeared into the
and the curator waited with
lavatory
and expectant ait. His
agonized
staggered toward the ascending figure.
"Protea me. Sir Richard. There’s some-
thing unspeakable down there. I thought
heart was wnmg at the thought of the — for a moment I thought — Sir Richard,
fate which had in all probability over- did you see it.^ Did you hear anything.?
”
taken his distinguished guest, but he those shrieks
could not think of anything further to But Sir Richard did not reply. He
do. Sinister fordbodings crowded into did not even look at the curator. He
his mind, but he was powerless to act. brushed past the unfortunate man as
'Then it was that the shrieks com- though he were a mere meddling fool,
menced. From whatever cause arising and grimly began to climb the stairs that
they were truly ghastly, but they began led to the Hall of Egyptian Antiquities.
so suddenly, so imexpeaedly, that at fost He ascended so rapidly that the curator
the curator could form no theory as to could not catch up with him, and before
what had caused them. 'They issued so the frightened man had reached the half-
horribly and suddenly from the lavatory, way landing his steps were resounding on
echoing and re-echoing through the the tiled floor above.
empty corridors, that the curator could "Wait, Sir Richard!” shrieked Buzzby.
only stare and gasp. "Wait, please! I am sure that you can
But when they became fairly coherent, explain everything. I am afraid. Please
when the screams of affright turned to wait for me!”
appeals for mercy, for pity, and when A spasm of coughing seized him, and
the language in which they found grim at that moment there ensued a most
expression changed too, becoming famil- dreadful crash. Fragments of broken
iar to the curator but incomprehensible glass tinkled suggestively upon the stone
to the man beside him, a dreadful inci- floor, and awoke ominous echoes in the
dent occurred which the latter has never corridor and up and down the winding
been able to consign to a merciful mne- stairway. Mr. Buzzby clung to the ban-
monic oblivion. isters and moaned. His face was pur-
upon his knees, liter-
'The curator fell plish and distorted with fear and beads
allywent down upon his knees at the of sweat glistened on his high forehead.
head of the staircase and raised both arms For a moment he remained thus cowering
in an unmistakid>le gesture of supplica- and whimpering on the staircase. 'Then,
tion. And then from his ashen lips miraculously, his courage returned. He
there poured a torrent of grotesque gib- ascended the last flight three steps at a
berish: time and dashed wildly forward.
"sdmw s«a Osiris! sdmw stn Osiris! An intolerable thought had abruptly
sdmw sm Osiris! sdm-f Osiris! Oh, been bom in the poor, bewildered brain
sdm-f Osiris! sdmw stn Osiris!” of Mr. Buzzby. It had suddenly occurred
362 WEIRD TALES
to him that Sir Richard wais an impostor, In a lucid, unemotional moment Mr.
a murderous madman intent only upon Buzzby would have called it a nasty, ma-
destruction,and that his collections were lignant back, but in juxtaposition with
in immediate danger. Whatever Mr. Buzz- the crown that topped it there is no
by’s human deficiencies, in his profession- Aryan polysyllable suggestive enough to
al capacity he was conscientious and ag- describe For the crown was very tall
it.

gressive to an almost abnormal degree. and ponderous with jewels and unspeak-
And the crash had been unmistakable and ably luminous, and it accentuated the vile-
susceptible of only one explanation. Mr. ness of the back. It was a green back.
Buzzby completely forgot his fear in his Sapless was the word that ran through
concern for his precious colleaions. Sir Mr. Buzzby’s mind as he stood and stared
Richard had smashed one of the cases at it. And it was wrinkled, too, horribly
and was extraaing its contents! There wrinkled, all crisscrossed with centuried
was little doubt in Mr. Buzzby’ s mind grooves.
as to which of the cases Sir Richard had Mr. Buzzby did not even notice his
smashed. “The Luxor remains can never visitor’s neck, which glistened and was

be duplicated,” he moaned. “I have as thin as a bean-pole, nor the small

been horribly duped!” round scaly head that bobbed and nodded
Suddenly he stopped, and stared. At ominously. He saw only the hideous
the very entrance to the Hall lay an as- back, and the tmbelievably awesome
sortment of garments which he instantly crown. The aown shed a fiery radiance
recognized. There was the blue chin- upon the reddish tiles of the dim, vast
chilla coat and the Alpine Homburg hall, and the starkly nude body twisted
with its high tapering crown, and the and turned and writhed shockingly.
blue silk muffler that had concealed so Blade horror clutched at Mr. Buzzby’s
effectively the face of his visitor. And throat, and his lips trembled as though
on the very top of the heap lay a pair of he were about to cry out. But he spoke
yellow suede gloves. no word. He had staggered back against
“Good God!” muttered Mr. Buzzby. the wall and was making curious futile
“The man has shed all of his clothes!” gestures with his arms, as though he
He stood there for a moment staring sought to embrace the darkness, to wrap
in utter bewilderment and then with the darkness in the hall about him, to
long, hysterical strides he advanced into make himself as inconspicuous as possi-
the hall. "A hopeless maniac,” he mut- ble and invisible to the thing that was
tered, under his breath. “A sheer, rav- bending over the case. But apparently
”
ing lunatic. Why did I not he soon found to his infinite dismay that
Then, abruptly, he ceased to reproach the thing was aware of his presence, and
himself. He forgot entirely his folly, as it turned slowly toward him he made
the heap of clothes, and the smashed no further attempt to obliterate himself,
case. Everything that had up to that but went down on his knees and
moment occupied his mind was instantly screamed and screamed and screamed.
extruded and he shriveled and shrank Silently the figure advanced toward
with fear. Never had the unwilling gaze him. It seemed to glide rather than to
of Mr. Buzzby encountered such a sight. walk, and in its terribly lean arms it held

Mr. Buzzby’s visitor was bending over a queer assortment of brilliant scarlet
the shattered case and only his back was bones. And it cackled loathsomely as it

visible. But it was not an ordinary back. advanced.

 THE PHANTOMS OF THE FIRE 363

And was that Mr. Buzzby’s

dien it For some time remained in a stooping
it

sanity departed utterly. He groveled and posture, glaring glassily, and when it
gibbered and dragged himself along the arose Mr. Buzzby made no effort to de-
floor like a man in the grip of an instan- tain it. Holding the scarlet bones very
taneous catalepsy. And all the while he firmly in its horribly thin arms it glided
murmured incoherently about how spot- rapidly away in the direaion of the stairs.
lesshe was and would Osiris spare him The attendants did not see it descend.
and how he longed to reconcile himself No one ever saw it again.
with Osiris., And when the coroner, arriving in re-
But the figure, when it got to him, sponse to the tardy summons of an at-

merely stooped and breathed on him. tendant, examined Mr. Buzzby’s body,
Three times it breathed on his ashen face the conclusion was unavoidable that the
and one could almost see the face shrivel curator had been dead for a long, long
and blacken beneath its warm breath. time.

A Briefs Strange Story

THE PHANTOMS
OF THE FIRE
By CLARK ASHTON SMITH
T WAS late summer, and the George- general aspea was almost that of a pro-
town road was deep with dust, which and the people of the
I had settled like a dun pall on the bor-
fessional tramp;
countryside were suspicious of tramps.
dering chaparral and pines. Since he had “Well, I guess I’ll have t’ walk all the
walked all the way from Auburn without way,’’ he said to himself, whining a little
securing a single lift, the man who was even in his thoughts. “But it ain’t much
trudging along the toad with the broil- further now. . . . Gosh, but things is

ing afternoon sun on his back was hardly hot an’ dry.’’ He looked about him at
less dusty than the trees. He paused now the familiar landscape of parched grass,
and then to mop his face with a discol- brushwood and yellow pines with an
ored handkerchief, or to peer rather appraising eye. “Wonder there ain’t
wistfully at the occasional cars which b^ more fires — there alluz is at this
passed him without offering to stop. His time o’ year.’’

clothing, though not actually ragged, 'The man was Jonas McGillicuddy, and
was old and worn, and had the indescrib- he was on his way home after a some-
able shapelessness of clothing that has what prolonged absence. His return was
been slept in. He was very thin, stoop- unannounced, and would prove as unex-
^
shouldered, and discouraged-looking; his pected to his wife and three diildren as
 —

364 WEIRD TALES

his departure had been. Tired of trying an uneasy surmise that Matilda might
to extort a living from a small vineyard give him a terrific scolding for his ab-
and pear-orchard of rocky El Dorado sence. "But mebbe she’ll be mighty glad
land, and tired also of the perennial nag- t’ me, after all,” he consoled himself.
see
ging of his frail, sensitive-nerved and ’Then he tried to picture his children, the
sorely disappointed wife, Jonas had left five-year old boy and the girl-babies of
abruptly, three years before, after a quar- three and two respeaively whom he had
rel of more than customary bitterness and last seen.

acerbity with his helpmate. Since then, "Guess they’ll have forgotten they had
he had heard nothing from his family, a papa,” he mused. 'The afternoon had
for the good and sufficient reason that been utterly still and airless, with a sul-
he had not sought to commimicate witli try brooding in its silence. Now, from
them. His various attempts to earn a the northeast, along the road he was travel-
livelihood had proved scarcely more suc- ling, there came a gust of wind, and with it
cessful than the fruit-ranching venture, the unmistakable acrid odor of burnt grass
and he had drifted aimlessly and ineffec- and trees.
tually from place to place, from situation "Hell, there has been a fire after all,”
to situation —
a forlorn and increasingly muttered Jonas, with an imeasy start. He
desperate figure. For a man of such peered anxiously ahead, but could see no
shifting, unstable temperament, when all smoke above the dun and gray-green
else had failed him, and he had wearied hills. "Guess it’s all out now, anyway.”
of the hopeless struggle, it was not un- He came to the top of the low slope
natural to think of returning. Time had he was climbing, and saw before him the
softened hismemory of his wife’s unde- burnt area, which lay on both sides of the
pendable temper, of her shrewish out- road and was of indeterminable extent.
bursts; but he had not forgotten her ’The brown foliage of heat-seared oaks
motherly ways when she was in a more and the black skeletons of bushes and
traaable hiunor, nor her excellent cook- pines were everywhere. A few fallen logs
ing. and old stumps were still smoking a little,
Now, with empty pockets, since his as is their wont for days after the ex-
last money had sufficed merely to pay his tinguishment of a forest fire. It was a
train-fare to Sacramento, Jonas was near- scene of complete and irremediable deso-
ing the hills in* which lay his forest-sur- lation.
rounded ranch beyond Georgetown. 'The Jonas hurried on, with a sense of
country through which he tramped was growing panic, for he was now little

sparsely peopled, and there were great more than a mile from his own property.
stretches of softly rolling hills and low He thought of the yellow pines that
valleys that had not known the touch of stood so close and tall about his cabin
cultivation. The ranches were often the pines which he had wished to fell,
quite isolated. Beyond all, in the hazy but had spared at the earnest solicitation
blue of the distance, were the vague and of the nature-loving Matilda.
spearal snows of the Sierras. "’They’re so pretty, Jonas,” she had
"Gosh, but one of Matilda’s pear said, pleadingly. "I just can’t see them
pies’ll taste good,” thought the wanderer. go-”
His mouth began to water. He was not "Hope the fire didn’t get into them
refleaive enough, however, to wonder pines,” thought Jonas now. "Gosh, but I
just what his reception would be. beyond wish I’d cut ’em down when I wuz
 THE PHANTOMS OF THE FIRE 365

plannin’ to. It would have been a lot a long breath, inhaling the clean balsams
safer; and I’d have had the money for that the hot sun had drawn from the for-
the wood, too.” est, and feeling as he did so a vague
The road was strewn in places with pleasure.
ashen leaves, with the charcoal of fallen Now he could see his cabin, a long,
brands, and several trees had crashed four-roomed shack of plain, unpainted
across but had now been removed to
it, boards and weather-darkened shingles. A
permit the passage of traffic. It was hot- woman was standing in front of
in calico
ter than ever, in this charred and black- the steps. Two
little girls were beside

ened waste, for the brief gust of wind her, and he wondered as to the where-
had fallen. The dust on Jonas’ cheeks abouts of the boy, who had been a fragile
was runneled with sweat which he no youngster, always ailing and fretful.
longer paused to wipe away. Irrespon- "Mebbe Bill is sick agin,” mused Jonas.
sible as he was, a strange gravity had He was very glad to be home, but he felt
come over the wastrel, and he felt an a little doubtful, a trifle tremulous, as to
ever-deepening premonition of calamity. the greeting he would receive from Ma-
He came at last to the little by-road tilda.

which turned off to his ranch from the 'The woman looked up as he ap-
Georgetown highway. Here, he found proached, shading her eyes with her hand
with a sinking heart, the fire had also from the last rays of the sun, which fell

been, and had left nothing but devasta- horizontally through the wood. He could
tion. In spite of his fatigue, he almost see her apron, which was quite clean, as
ran, with long, shambling steps, and always, though worn and faded from
rounding a turn in the by-road, saw that many washings, like her dress. She did
the fire had stopped at the very verge of not seem to perceive him, but was appar-
his own property. 'The hillside orchard ently staring with great intenmess at
of stunted pear trees, the straggling vines something among the trees. 'The chil-
of Mission and Muscat grapes, were quite dren also stared, and huddled closer to
as he remembered them; and beyond, in her, clinging to the hem of her gown.
the grove of yellow pines, he could see Jonas tried to call out: "Hello, Matil-
the wreathing smoke that arose from the da,” but his throat was so dry and dusty
chimney of his cabin. Panting heavily, that the words were no more than a
he paused, with a sense of relief and hoarse whisper. He started to clear his
thanksgiving as poignant as anything of throat, but the simple aa was never fin-
which his dulled heart was capable. ished, for at that moment, the whole
'The sun had almost touched the scene before him, the trees, the cabin, the
horizon, as he climbed the winding road woman and the children, were lost in a
through the orchard and entered the roaring sheet of ruddy flame that seemed
grove above. Aisles of light perceptibly to come from all sides at once and blot
tinged with gold lay between the elon- out the entire world and the very sky as
gated shadows. Even to the sodden, in- ittowered full-grown in what could have
sensitive Jonas, the beauty of the wood- no more than the fraaion of a sec-
land scene, the magic of the sunset, the ond. A blast of intolerable heat, fierce
high, solemn, dark-green pines and the as the breath of a thousand furnaces, blew
rich glow sifting among them on man- in Jonas’ face and swept him backward
zanita-bushes and beds of brown needles, like a hurricane. 'The mighty roaring
were not without their charm. He drew pounded in his ears like a sea, and was
J66 WEIRD TALES
mingled with human screams, as he went wreckage of the cabin, furtively dropping
down into pitch-black gulfs of uncon- some objea which he held in his hands.
sciousness. Seeing Jonas, the man came forward
hastily. He was a gaunt individual in
T WAS day when Jonas awoke, but he dirty overalls, with the profile and the
I was too confused for a few instants to general air of a somewhat elderly ruid
was slanting through
realize that the light dilapidated buzzard. Jonas recognized
the tree-tops from a different direction, him as Samuel Slocum, one of his nei^-
or that there was more of it than seemed bors.
normal in an evergreen forest. When "Wal, Jonas McGillicuddy, so you've
his wits returned sufficiently to permit come back," explained this individual in
the comprdiension of the faa that it was raucous tones of unfeigned surprize.
morning, he began to notice other things
"Ye’re a little too late,though,” he went
that were equally singular. He found on, without pausing to let Jonas speak.
that he was lying on his bade among
"Everythin' burnt up clean, four days
burnt needles, and above him towered
ago.”
the dark boles of fire-swept trees with
"But the cabin wuz here las’ night,”
the pitiful stumps of their cauterized
stammered Jonas. "I came through the
branches. Darkly, indistinaly, in a sort
woods ’bout sunset, an’ I saw Matilda an'
of dull astonishment, he began to re-
the children in front o’ the steps, jus’ as
membd? the events of the previous day,
plain as I see you. Then everythin'
his return at sunset to the cabin, his
seemed to go up in a burst o' flame, an'
glimpse of Matilda and the two children,
I didn’t know nothin’ till I woke up jus’
and the all-engulfing sheet of flame. He now.”
looked instinaively at his clothes, widi
"Ye’re crazy, Jonas,” assured the
the feeling diat he must have been badly
neighbor. "There weren’t no cabin here
burnt; but there was no trace of fire on
his raiment, and the black ashes about
las’ night, an’ no Matildy an’ no children,
neither. They wuz all burnt up, along
him were cold. Nor, when he reared
with the rest o’ the coimtery hereabouts.
himself on his elbow and peered around,
was there the faintest thread of smoke to We heerd yer wife an’ babies a-screamin',
but the fire wuz all aroun’ before ye
indicate a recent conflagration.
could say Jack Robinson, an’ the trees
He arose and stepped toward the place
fell across yer road, an’ no one could git
where the cabin had stood. It was a heap
of ashes, from which protruded the ends
in an’ no one could git out. ... I alluz

told ye, Jonas, t’ cut them yeller pines

of charred beams.
down.
"My God!” muttered Jonas. He felt
utterly dazed, and his dboughts refused to "My folks wuz all burnt up.^” faltered
aline themselves, failing to form any sort Jonas.

of intelligible order. "Wal, yer little boy died a year ago,

As Jonas spoke, a man arose from so they wuz jus' Matildy an’ die two
where he had been stooping behind the gals.”
 \The Story Thus Far
on the planet Mars a voyuge
Landing safely
from Earth, Professor Hervy and
member
after
-daushter
his
Bath send Joseph Kiser, the third of their
party, to reconnoiter the Martian city which lies
across the canal. Kiser is captured by Kabo, a Mar^
tian scientist, who transplants Kiser’s pineal gland
into the brain of a **jnarb’*, one of a race of sub-
''He grasps
men who live on Mars, laser’s memory is thus
transferred to the body of a marb, and the marb's before noose Imd
intelligence is transferred to Kiser’s body. Professor tightened upon him.*’
Hervy and Ruth are hospitably received by the Mar-
tians, who know nothing of i^bo’s perfidy. Nebond*
the marb whose intelligence has been transplanted
Into Kiser’s body, abducts Ruth and carri^ her into
the forest where the rest of the marbs live. Kabo’s
niece, Delam Oblene, learns of Kabo’s terrible experi-
13, A Phobian Tribunal

T
ment, and he transplants her intelligence into the
body of a f(unale marb to prevent her informing he realization that the female
the Council of his deed. She and Kiser, in the bodies
of tile two rnarl^. are then marooned on Phobus, one math marooned with him upon
of^the moons of Mars.
the desolate Martian satellite was
none other than the beautiful Delam
Oblene and that on his account she had
been transformed by her heartless uncle
into a grotesque beast caused Kiser a dis-
tinct thrill of apprehension regarding her
probable danger at the hands of the Res-
cue-men — or the Phobians, as they might
more properly be called.
Where had she found shelter from the
ravages of the weather? How had she
avoided the very apparent wrath of the
Phobians? What might they not attempt
to do to her now that she had been the
means of their failure in their attack
upon him?
This story beran In WKIUD TAliISS tor July 387
 5

368 WEIRD TALES

Kiser opened die door of his cabin and He pictured the horror of her position,
strode out once more, intentupon find- a refined, beautiful and highly intelleaual
ing Deiam Oblene and attempting to maiden forced to occupy the physical
reach some understanding with her. He body of a horrid marb whose brain was
must assist her to provide a shelter for so construaed as to limit her mental ac-
herself, and it had best be near his own tivity. She could not communicate with
for their mutual proteaion. her friends by means of telepathy be-
The had ceased and he walked at
rain cause the brain-mechanism by means of
once to the shore of the lava lake. Here whidi that wonderful feat was accom-
he found no trace of her whom he plished by the Martians was ladting in
sou^t, although he walked for some dis- the marb; neither could she remember
tance back and forth along die margin her previous incarnations, except prob-
of the forest calling her name. ably such experiences as she might have
When he had explored as far as he happened to discuss during her existence
tbou^ she mi^t have ventured and as a Martian.
was on the verge of turning bade toward Early the next morning he renewed his
his cabin, he heard a slight noise above quest and again he failed to find any
him and glanced up |ust in time to see trace of her near the lava lake. He called
one of the Pht^ans cast a lariat which her name often and loudly but to no
sailed with unerring precision and settled avail.
about his neck. He berated himself for not having
Having seen k coming, he grasped the guessed her identity from the first. She
rope before the noose had tightened upon had good as told him that she was
as
him, and with a quidt pull, which took his Deiam Oblene and yet for many days he
adversary compl^y by surprize, he dis- had been blinded to the truth.
lodged the fellow from his footing in
him sprawling and
the tree and stretched
wounded upon the ground near by.
There was a severe cut on the creature’s
K
not
iserhad ventured some distance into
some time he had
the forest and for
called
out. Suddenly he heard
arm, whidi was bleeding profusely. Kiser voices; he stopped to listen. There could
bound it with strips cut from his own be no mistal^ k was the jumbled and
tunic, as the Phobian’s clothing was of distant sound of conversation.
skins and would not serve his purpose. He drew cautiously nearer until he
This task was performed while the came upon the opening of a cave. This
wounded Phobian lay helpless but quite opening was guarded by one of the Pho-
conscious, and he gazed at Kiser without bians who appeared to have been placed
any show of emotion whatsoever. there as a sentinel, and he dared not ap-
When he had finished bandaging die proach too near.
wound, Kiser placed the Phobian in as Crouching bdiind the verdure in an
comfortable a position as possible, added effort to see and yet remain unseen, he
the rope to his eqtiipment, and went back suddenly felt a paroxysm of severe pain
to his cabin to spend a restless night of in his hand, which almost caused him to
anxiety regarding Deiam Oblene, regret- cry out. Upon investigation he found
ing her fearful misfortune inflicted be- that he had touched another of the nu-
cause of her attempt to intercede in his merous "nettle trees” sudi as the one he
behalf,and fearing lest she might suffer had encountered upon that first day upon
from exposure or attack. the satellite. This one was much larger,
W.T,—
 6

EARTHWOmS OF KARMA 369

however, and was loaded with large yel- phosphorescent substance suspended from
low fruit resembling the tomato. This overhead; and seated in the ten-foot
was the terrible "tear gas fruit” with square of level floor in the center of tlie

which the Phobians had meant to sere- chamber, her hands securely bound and
nade him in his cabin! a blind placed about her eyes, was the
He plucked several of these "tear-gas grotesque marb which he now felt so cer-
tomatoes," as he chose to name them, tain was Delam Oblene, while at either
and placed them in a near-by spot for his one of the gross Phobians
side of her stood
own convenience in case he might need and each was talking in loud, quarrelsome
them. tones. They gesticulated and pounded
Presently another of the Phobians themselves on their chests until the en-
came to the opening of the cave and held closed amphitheater fairly reverberated
a brief conversation with the sentinel. with the echo. They were undoubtedly
He spoke in a commanding tone and engaged in a heated argument, though
pointed in the direaion of the lava lake. what the point of contention was Kiser
Evidently he was one in authority, for the could not guess. They both talked at
sentinel at once set out in the direction once, and yet, somehow, their listeners
indicated and the other disappeared in- appeared to have no difiiculty on this ac-

side the cave. count and they seemed to understand.

The rendezvous of the Phobians was At sight of Delam Oblene’s plight a
left unguarded; should he attempt to go cold rage filled Kiser’s heart. He clutched
doser? He did not know when the for- the largest of the tear tomatoes and, for-
mer sentinel might return nor that an- getful of its probable effect upon Delam
other might not be sent from within to Oblene, threw it with all his strength,
replace him, but after some moments his dashing it to fragments upon the face of
curiosity overcame his caution, and filling one of the orators. Then before any-
his pockets with tear tomatoes, he aept one knew what had happened he dealt
forward to the entrance of the cave and the other a like blow upon his chest.
stepped inside. There was a howl of pain from both
TTiere was a high narrow tunnel ex- victims of his marksmanship and both
tending back some ten feet, where it went down with hands to eyes, while oth-
opened into a large amphitheater with ers scampered back in an effort to escape
many ledges or seats rising in terrace the pungent fumes which were now per-
fashion from the center toward all four meating the air.
sides. These seats appeared to have Now thoroughly aroused to aaion,
been hewn out of solid stone; they were Kiser dashed another of the miniature
about twenty inches wide, each being gas bombs into the face of still another
some two feet above the next one in of the creatures who had gained the en-
front,with gradually sloping aisles ap- trance to the tutmel and sent him screech-
proaching each of the four corners, the ing back into the arms of those behind
widest narrowing into the exit in which him.
he stood, and upon these
seats were about The din inside the amphitheater now
conduaing
forty of the savage Phobians became an uproar of screaming, cough-
what appeared to be some form of ing and the shuffling of many feet, for
tribunal. the Phobians wore heavy wooden shoes.
The amphitheater was well lighted by Not wishing to injure the marb whom he
means of great luminous balls of some sought to rescue, Kiser now withheld his
W.T.—
370 WEIRD TALES
rain of vegetable gas bombs but stood less. And had it not been so it could
threateningly guarding the entrance of have made but little difference; for when
the cave. he felt the strength of the creature who
But Kiser had reckoned without con- had so easily tossed him upon the floor
sideration for the skill of the Phobians he knew that, even had he had his Earth-
with the and even in the narrow
lariat, ly sinews, he would have been no match
confines of the tunnel he soon found for one of these Phobians.
himself neatly lassoed. He was dragged As the howling crowd grew closer and
forward into the gas-filled chamber, more clamorous the same Phobian whom
where he was thrown rudely to the floor Kiser had encountered upon the margin
and securely bound. of the lava lake stepped into the amphi-
As he entered the amphitheater the ir- theater. Instantly all noise was hushed
ritating gas from his bombardment filled and each of the savage creatures stepped
his eyes and nostrils and he strangled back with an air of deference.
and went temporarily blind, but not be- He walked with a slight limp and he
fore he had seen that all the Phobians still wore the dressing which ffiser had
remaining in the chamber wore a rude placed upon his arm. When this crea-
appliance over their faces and that the ture unsheathed his long knife Kiser
huge marb whom he believed to be Delam thought surely that his time to die had
Oblene lay in the center of the amphi- come indeed, but the Phobian stooped,
theater apparently unconscious. The cut the rope which bound Kiser’s hands
Phobians had hurriedly procured their and feet, and assisted him to his feet!
gas masks, donned them, and were pro-
—
teaed from his attack ^the only ones he
marb was dealt with in like
'The other
manner and the two were then conduaed
had injured were the three whom he
to the exit of the cave and released, ap-
struck and Delam Oblene, if indeed this
parently with the assurance that they
animal were she.
would not be further molested.
Kiser suffered imtold agonies before he
Whatever else might be said of the
was again able to open his eyes, and then,
Phobians it was certain that this one, who
as he glanced about him, he saw several
appeared to be, one in authority, was not
of the Phobians spraying some sort of
without gratitude and appreciation.
fluid into theatmosphere of the room,
By means of gestures and much argu-
presumably to "annul the effeas of the
ment Kiser prevailed upon the huge marb
tear fruit. The other marb was begin-
to start the erection of a cabin like his
ning to awake and several of the Pho-
own a few paces from it.
bians had removed their gas masks. The
three whom he had injured had appar-
14. Pilluth Learns
ently been carried out, for they were no-
where to be seen, but the others began oth Anhui Pilluth and Frambrozo
to gather about them when it was seen
that they were fully conscious.
B Himnun had been suitors for the
hand of Delam Oblene, but, being a
Just what was going to happen to highly skilled microscopist and having
—
them or at any rate to Kiser ^there — mapped out a career for herself, she had
could be but little doubt, for these strange rejeaed both and given her undivided at-

creatures began to clamor for vengeance tention to her work.

and many of them had imsheathed their Pilluthhad spent three years, since his
knives while he lay boimd and quite help- graduation from the university, as Kabo’s
 EARTHWORMS OF KARMA 571

and this training had developed

assistant, is there not some means by vdiich we
him into a worthy scientist and entitled mi^t restore him.> 'That is a thing 1 do
him to a commission from the Council not wish to weigh upon my conscience;
for the asking. Yet he had not meant letus extraa a promise from him that
to mdce application for a commission had he will not reved our duplicity and re-
Kabo’s niece not suddenly left Keto. Or, store him to his rightful body. He
at any rate, Pilluth was informed that she would most certainly be more than will-
had been permanently removed to Norb ing to bargain for restoration."
during one of his short vacations. “That, my friend is impossible. You
'This caused the younger man to alter have no conception of die malice borne
his plans and he at once made applica- us by that degenerate. Restored to his
tion for a commission, and on the very Earth-body wirfi its enormous strength
day that he received it came the news of he would wreak upon us the most terrible
Delam Oblene’s death and the arrival of vengeance his puny mejtitality could con-
her ashes from Norb. ceive. No, I regret the incident as much
As cremation was compulsory and as you but it can not be adjusted now."
must be done before a corpse may be "But do you not diink he would bar-
shipped, no one questioned the identity gain with us for his release? He must
of the ashes in the urn and both of the realize by now how helpless he is.”
lovers mourned Delam Oblene as lost "Bargain indeed! Yes, he would bar-
without entertaining the remotest idea gain with us! And what means the
diat there might have been foul play. promise of an Earthling?”
True, both Pilluth and Himnun had "You are unduly embittered against
attempted to communicate with her after everything pertaining to the Earth. Re-
her departure from Keto and had been member that you and I are but a single
unable to do so. 'This was very perplex- step in evolution above the Earthlings.
ing and they wondered, but neither made But a comparatively short time ago you
any effort to investigate; and when the yourself were an Earthling, and 1 dare
news of her death was received both si- say less well develo^d dian this one; if
lently conceded that she was probably ill I am any judge this Earthman can be
and the seeming discrepancy was all but trusted.”
forgotten. "Pardon me, my dear Pilluth, but there
Pilluthhad made arrangements to open is much that you forget. TTiere are no
a laboratory of his own under his com- Earthlings that may be trusted. Is it not
mission but deferred his arrangements to their untrustworthiness that plunges them
move until after the interment, and on into the throes of misery? Look at their
the heels of this incident came Ndjond’s greed! Loook at their deceit! Look at
escape from his hovel and the consequent their sensuality! Why, a man devoid of
report that the missing man had been dis- these traits of charaaer could not live
covered and lost again, which served to half a yearupon the Earth! During my
remind Pilluth of the f&urful injustice own life I was the same as the
Earth
whidi had been done and sent him to visit others; I was taught these cursed traits
Kabo. After having expressed his grati- of charaaer from infancy to my so-called
tude and appreciation for the guidance death, and I cheated, lied, swindled, and
and advice he had received at the hands hated as the Earthlings must ever do.
of the older man he said, "Regarding this No, his word could not be trusted. We
Earthman whom we so grossly wronged. have him in our power now and we must
372 WEIRD TALES

keep him so. Had you understood Eng- notes regarding each.
lish and heard the vindiaive threats he He visited the hovel where Nebond
made against us the day we visited him was confined, but nowhere could he find
in his bed you would not be so generously the marb bearing the personality of
inclined. The men of Earth live only Joseph Kiser. He searched the entire
for greed, and vengeance.” garden until no portion remained save
"But, sir, on Masovada we presume to the isolated hovel where Kabo had con-
have no such traits; here none are so vile duaed his private laboratory and whither
save you and me —
for are we not deceiv- all others were forbidden to go.
ing the Coimcil of Masovada? Are we Pilluth hesitated to approach this build-
not cowards, that we hide behind this ing for two reasons: first, he had always
poor unfortunate’s misfortune to save respeaed Kabo’s wishes in this respea
ourselves from the wrath of our fellow and was inclined to do so now; and sec-
men? Was it not greed for scientific ond, he feared that Kabo might see him.
knowledge that prompted us to commit The remembrance of the look on Kabo’s
this crime in the first place?” face, however, when he had made what
"Alas, Pilluth, you speak truly and Pilluth was sure was an imintentional re-
well. All of these facts I have pondered mark, spurred him on and he determined
in remorse of soul; in agony of soul I to investigate and, if the Earthman could
sorrow that this thing has gone beyond speak German, to have a talk with him.
the possibility of reparation, but it is so. Too, he felt that he had a right at least
honor to you, Pilluth, that
It is all you to converse with the Earthling if it were
wish to right this wrong, but it can not possible to do so; for was he not equally
be.' To restore these two would be our guilty of the crime? Kabo had been be-
ruin —
^my death, and disgrace for you trayed while he had lived upon the Earth,
forever!” and he was unduly and unjustly embit-
"Why do you say these two?” Pilluth tered against the Earth and its inhab-
was gazing into the other’s eyes as if to itants. Pilluth wanted to Isam what
read his innermost thoughts. terms the Earthman would agree to.
"Nebond has been wronged equally Reaching the door of the small build-
with the Earthling,” quickly responded ing, he knocked. For a moment there
Kabo, his face going deadly pale. How was no response, and he knocked a sec-
much had Pilluth read of that which had ond time. From within came a queru-
involuntarily flashed into his mind? lous protest in the accents of a marb, but
Without further argument the young the pitch of the voice was that of a hu-
man took leave of his preceptor and went man being, and a Martian female at that!
to his room to pack his belongings pre- "Why do you come knocking? It is not
paratory to going away. When he had yet time for my food, and if it were why
finished this task, something prompted do you not fetch it to the slot instead of
him to take one last look ^out the disturbing my sleep at this hour? Go
grounds. He was not satisfied with away. I do not want the food you fetch

Kabo’s answer to his request that the me anyhow; you refuse me the herbs and
Earthling be restored, and he desired to worms I desire and force upon me your
see once more the horrible result of the own rotten food. Why don’t you bring
double operation; so he strolled alone me the kind of food I want? If you
about the enclosure reviewing the results would please me, fetch worms —
fetch
of various experiments and making some worms!”
 —

EARTHWORMS OF KARMA 373

For a moment Pilluth stood as if Kabo imprisoned you here until he has
stunned. What Martian woman had undermined your reason? Come, pull
Kabo performed his terrible experiment yourself together now and think!’’
upon? He knew this was not Kiser, for "I tell you I am Juak! I am going to
this creature had spoken the Martian lan- — —
run amuck now! I will ^will no, no,
guage; and again, the voice had been it’s no use! I have lost all my strength!

unmistakably feminine. What could the Kabo has changed me into a weak thing
answer be? Nebond he had seen already! that can not even have an occasional
Pilluth got a large stone, hastily broke amuck. Look at my arms! White! And
the lock on the door, and, forgetful of so small! What are they good for? Look
any danger to himself, swung the heavy at my legs!’’ She displayed unblushingly
portal wide. One look inside and he ut- a very shapely pair of limbs. "They are
tered a cry of horrified amazement; for, too long and too small and too white!
slouched ungracefully upon a crude bed My body looks as though it had been
at the opposite side of the small room, shaved! Kabo has spoiled me, and if I
lay Delam Oblene! only had the strength to run amuck I
at the unaccustomed light
Blinking would kill you first and then kill Kabo."
which had suddenly flooded her dismal In his surprize at seeing Delam Ob-
chamber, she stared at the astonished lene, Pilluth had forgotten for the
Pilluth without the slightest sign of moment about Kabo and his soul-trans-
recognition; although she was more than ference; now he remembered and sud-
half naked there was no sign of confu- denly the realization of the terrible truth
sion in her manner, nothing of intelli- came to him: Kabo had performed his
gence in her eye. At length, as he con- hideous operation upon Delam Oblene
tinued to stare at her in utter amazement, and had thus transferred her mentality to
she bared her teeth and growled! the body of a marb! This creature with
At this Pilluth recoiled as from a blow which he was conversing was Juak, a
in the face; then with arms outstretched female marb which had possession of
he stepped toward her. "My darling! Delam Oblene’s body!
Kabo told me you were dead ^what — His feeling as this realization came to
—
what don’t you know me, Delam Ob- him was, at first, a sense of dreadful sick-
lene?’’ He attempted to take her hand and ening horror; his hands shook, his lips
she snatched it away; then with a vicious trembled, and something seemed to rise

snarl she bent forward and her teeth up in his throat as if to choke him. This
snapped together with great force, barely feeling rapidly gave way to intense anger
missing his outstretched hand as he re- toward the heartless perpetrator of the
coiled with horror against the half-open infamous deed. For this outrage Kabo
door. —
must be punished swiftly, surely, and
—
"How ^how can you aa like that? terribly. He must be made to suffer even

Don’t you know me, Delam Oblene?’’ as Delam Oblene had suffered but —
"That is not my name! I am Juak. where was the real Delam Oblene?
Now r am going to nm amuck! I shall "My God!” wailed Pilluth. "The
kill you if you do not stand aside!’’ heartless, infamous, damnable brute! I
"No, you are not Juak! You are mad! had not dreamed that anyone could be so
Of course you are not Juak; you are De- base! Never before in all my Masovadan
lam Oblene, and you can not kill me experience have I undertaken to avenge
because I am stronger than you. Why has myself upon any living creature, but this
374 WEIRD TALES
is too much! He shall t>a7! Bjr God, he only as a last resort to find the impristmed
shall pay!" souls of Delam Oblene and the Earthman.
Juak was watching him with amuse-
ment. "You will run amuck?” she asked 14. Beck Protests
with delight. "You will kill Kabo?”
INCE there were none in the tribe who
Anhui
cteature
Pilluth looked pityingly at the
and a great sob rose in his
S might mate with Beck and since Beck
was too old to forage successfully in other
throat. The superb form, the delicate
tribes for a mate and lacked the courage
pink skin was that of the maiden he had
to protest with the conquerer of the
loved, but from her eye now shone only
mighty Pleck for having purloined Pike,
the intelligence of JusJc the filthy female
this surly marb looked with favor upon
marb! His hurt was too great to express
Ruth. Of course Beck knew that she had
in words, so he did not speak, but just
none of the charm and rare beauty so
stared at her in mute, dumfounded an-
manifest in his lost Pike, but even such a
guish. His feelings mingled tenderness,
hollow-eyed, pink-skinned female as she
pity,and horror for this creature who was
would probably be better than no mate
and yet who was not Delam Oblene and
at all; for, to be sure, someone must pro-
an intense resentment toward Kabo who
vide his food for him. Beck was proud
was the author of her present predic-
and he knew the other marbs would taunt
ament. His thoughts flew back to the
and tease, but also he had a vigorous ap-
Delam Oblene he had known as he con-
petite and he was very lazy; rather than
tinued to state at this creature before him
forage for himself he must put his pride
and widi the refinement, the maidenly
aside, for would they not taunt anyhow
modesty, and the simple sweemess of the
should he start providing for himself?
one compared the lowly, sloven, unkempt
baseness of the other, and his blood
He approached Ruth with his most
affeaionate growl, which was also his
seemed to freeze within him as he re-
"Worms! Worms, most commanding, for he was not aware
called her words:
of her participation in the fight with
fetch worms!”
It was a thoroughly aroused Pilluth
Pleck. "Come to me, you imp of perdi-
who strode out of Juak’s shanty, repaired tion!” he said affectionately. "You are

the broken lock, and fastened the door.

not much to look upon, but if you pro-
He could as yet formulate no definite
vide for me well perhaps I shall not beat

plan of action, however, for he had no

you except when I run amuck.”

idea where Kabo had hidden the other When Ruth drew back he growled
two victims of his perfidy —
die marb even more fiercely. "Do not anger me
forms of Delam Oblene and Joseph further!” he roared. "Is it not enough

Kiser. His first thought was to rush at that I must accept you at all? Come!”

once to Kabo and demand an explana- But she did not come, and Bede began
tion, but, on second thought, he rejeaed to foam at the mouth, while the tribe
this plan; for he reasoned that such a crowded about to see the fun. And the
course of aaion would only serve to pending encounter promised to be very
warn Kabo that his crime against his interesting, too, for had not this strange
niece had been discovered and thus put female all but bested Pledc? But the
him on his guard and perhaps stimulate slothful Beck did not know this.
him to further attempt at crime. He Ruth had backed away from him and
would demand an explanation of Kabo stood trembling, although she must have
 EARTHWORMS OF KARMA 375

known that she possessed far greater tan Ray machine and kandiked to the
physical strength than the best of them, habitat of Fleck’s — or rather, Nebond’s
while Nebond stood regarding them with tribe.
the air of a disinterested onlooker. Here they found the marbs loimging
The beast was greatly surprized and about in the sunshine, seemingly quite
angered when Ruth evaded his first well content with the new order of things.
charge and gave him a shove which sent The dead had been disposed of by being
him staggering many steps backward thrown into a deep crevice, and none
while the other marbs taunted him with appeared to resent the intrusion into their
delight. midst of a creature of strange form who
He charged at her again and with re- had wrought such havoc among them but
newed fury, but when his long arm shot a few hours before.
toward her she lightly stepped aside, and Nebond lolled among them as lazy, as
seizing his arm with both her hands, she dirty, and quite as loathsome with his un-
deftly attempted to bend it the wrong washed, blood-stained Hands as were the
—
way as she had seen Kiser do upon that others, but Ruth was nowhere to be seen.
memorable day of their landing. As the kandike landed near them, Ne-
Beck uttered a hoarse scream of an- bond arose and approached them. When
guish and drew back, nursing the he had drawn quite near he stopped and
wounded member and glaring at Ruth began pounding his chest with his fists.
with intense hatred. The marbs tavmted Kabo’s face went dead white when this
him with frantic glee, dancing and hop- creature addressed them in the Martian
ping about in their delight with shrill tongue: "I am Nebond and Nebond does
sounds which very nearly approximated not fear the Masovadans. If you attempt
laughter, but Bede had had enough of to take Nebond back into captivity Ne-
the affray; so he slunk away into the for- bond will kill all of you! Nebond is
est muttering and grimacing in his rage very strong; far stronger than any other
and discomfiture. marb that ever lived, and you had best
Nor did he stop at the canal shore. leave Nebond alone! Go now, before I
He plunged into the water and swam nm amuck and kill the three of you!
across into the dty of Keto. There he Nebond and his tribe will suffer no in-
hailed the first Martian he saw and re- terference from the Masovadan Council!”
quested that he communicate with the Without further ado Kabo brought the
chief of the Coimdl in behalf of the im- Strotan Ray machine into play and Ne-
fortimate tribe of marbs who had been bond fell limp and inert to the ground
invaded by a strange being with sunken even as he started to charge them in the
eyes and such savage strength that many frightful amuck of a Martian marb.
of them had been killed and the others "The Earthman has been among the
subjeaed to much oppression. marbs all the while; I wonder why they
From Beck’s account of the situation it have not reported his presence,” said
was at once recognized that the mad Kabo as he approached the slowly re-
Earthman was among them, and Fram- treating colony of marbs.
brozo Himnun was notified. "Where isthe girl he brought into the
Very soon Himnun, Professor Hervy forest with him?” asked Himnun of one
and Unel Kabo were on the scene, and of the beasts who had not bolted into the
after questioning the marb at some length forest when Nebond fell.

the three armed themselves with a Stro- "She left the tribe as soon as she had
376 WEIRD TALES

bested Beck," replied the marb. "She of the quest while Kabo kandiked the in-
—
went in that direaion” ^he pointed east, ert form of Nebond back to captivity.
then nodded toward the inert form of
Nebond
—"and he forbade any of us to
Even before Kabo returned for them
the ambitious Lune returned triumphant,
follow her. He said she was a dangerous with Ruth walking a few paces behind
she and had best be allowed to go where him, and when she saw them she hurried
she chose.” forward and flung herself sobbing upon
"Has this creature been with you be- her father’s breast.
fore?” askedHimnun. "Oh, Dad! This has been such a hor-
"We never saw him nor his like before rible experience! Dad, I aaually had to
today. He came to us claiming that he
was Nebond who was taken into captiv-
fight them with my hands and Joseph —
is so terrible!”
ity many many small-moons ago for hav-
"It now, my dear,” soothed
is all right
ing run amuck and injured a Masovadan;
her father; "we have found you and
but he is not Nebond —he is not even a
Joseph is in the skilled hands of Dr.
marb, as you can see. But fight! You
Kabo.”
should have seen him slay Fleck and Zib
"No, no. Dad; I fear that he will never
and Liko and Ube and the others of
recover. Oh, if you had seen the terrible
Fleck’s family! was very amusing!”
It
things he did you would realize tliat re-
"Undoubtedly you enjoyed it im-
covery for him is impossible. He is a
mensely, but now we must find the girl.
beast! And he doesn’t appear to have any
Who is the leader of this tribe now?” human characteristics left at all! Dad,
"Who else. Honorable Councilor, but happened
what could have to have
Lune? Lune is the greatest of all the
changed him so?”
marbs and, had this misshapen creature
not appeared I should have killed Fledc
myself before another small-moon had
16. A Discovery

passed.
marbs.”
I, Lune, am now

"Nay!” roared another of the beasts

king of the
A lthough
-would have been much
the

Kiser to learn than English for

Martian language
easier for
Delam
who stood listening; "Lune is a fool! It Oblene, yet she learned English very
is I, who shall be king of the marbs;
Bike, quickly because there lurked in her sub-
if it becomes necessary I shall kill Lune, conscious memory a subdued knowledge
for he shall not stand between me and my of the language, just as a genius is one
right!” who in some previous life has acquired
"Away into the forest and find the some proficiency in the line in which he
girl!”commanded Himnun. '"rhe marb is now so expert and consequently draws
who finds her shall be king of the others involuntarilyupon this subconscious store
and the Council shall stand with him for of knowledge; and within a short time
six small-moons; if he can not maintain the two could converse without difficulty.
his authority after that, why, then he The great soul of Delam Oblene could
must fall. Now go.” funaion but poorly through the undevel-
The remaining marbs scurried away in oped brain of Juak, and yet it is the soul
search of Ruth, and they sought in a way which matters most; for Juak with the*"
known only to the animals of lower order. highly developed brain and beautiful
Himnun and Frofessor Hervy re- body of Delam Oblene was quite as lowly
mained on the scene to await the results and base as she had been before. She
 EARTHWORMS OF KARMA 377

could no more make use of the brain shining mass. It was semi-solid and
cells which were now at her disposal than clung tenaciously to the stick when he
Delam Oblene could properly express pulled it away. The end of the stick
herself through the brain and physique of glowed brightly and when he touched it
Juak. with his hand it imparted this property
Both Kiser and Delam Oblene found to his fingers.

it very difficult to concentrate upon any This was undoubtedly the source of
plan for their own deliverance from this those luminous balls with which the Pho-
horrid predicament, and in their minds bians lighted their cave dwellings; what
there evolved plans for their permanent it was composed of and why it should
residence on the satellite and the embry- exist he could not guess, as also he was
onic idea that they might eventually mate at a loss to account for the presence of

and live quite happily together. And yet the lava lake upon this small satellitc

there was that infinite something which which, because of its small size, should
forbade them yielding to impulse per-
haps a degree of self-control developed
— have cooled many thousands of years ago.
He had marveled also that the atmos-
by hundreds of years more of experience phere should be so much more dense
than the marbs have had. here than on Mars and that the pull of

Delam Oblene could remember her gravity was greater upon this satellite
ex-
periences as a Martian but could not re-
than upon the planet. This last he
call her previous experiences and was
suspeaed was due to the centrifugal force
of the rapidly revolving satellite and won-
prone to forget recent occurrences very
quickly, while Kiser was not so severely
dered vaguely what might happen to one

handicapped because he had never been who might chance to circumnavigate the
satellite and attempt to walk on the sur-
able to remember his previous incarna-
face which was always turned away from
tions.
Mars.
One evening while strolling through
When Kiser noted that the lake im-
the forest Kiser noticed a peculiar glow
parted its phosphorescent property to the
upon the horizon which reminded him of
stick an idea began to formulate in his
the Earthly aurora, and though he had no
slothful brain; he wondered if the Mar-
idea how remote the light might be, he
tians were not quite proficient in astron-
eleaed to make a tour of exploration at
omy. Since they were possessed of supe-
least for a short distance in that direaion.
rior knowledge in other sciences, he
After walking less than a mile he came
reasoned that they probably excelled v in
upon what he first thought was another
undoubtedly they had seen this
this also;
lava lake, until he refleaed that the lava
luminous area and might see such lumi-
lake did not generate light and noted that nous figures or charaaers as he might
this brilliant area gave forth no heat.
make if drawn large enough.
It was a bright phosphorescent lake He hurriedly sought Delam Oblene to
several aaes in area, which illuminated discuss this plan with her. She informed
this portion of the forest with almost daz- him that they knew of the phosphorescent
zling brilliance and outdid the refleaed lake, also that the satellite had a greater
light from Mars in casting dense black gravitational pull due to its centrifugal
shadows back into the surrounding dark- force and an adequate rainfall, but the>’
ness. had not known of the lava lakes or of any
With a long stick he poked into the source of internal heat, having taught for
378 WEIRD TALES
centuries that the satellite was damp, cold, His despair was pitiable to behold, but
and forbidding. Delam Oblene did not cry for the same
When he unfolded his plans to write reason that Kiser did not write. Together
an S O S with the phosphorescent sub- they turned and slunk despondently back
stance she was very enthusiastic and of- into the forest.
fered her whole-hearted co-operation and Kiser spent a sleepless night nursing
help. They set out at once for the lake, his recent disappointment and wondering
and so excited was Kiser over the further- if there might be no way in which they
ance of his plan that he set a pace which might seek deliverance from their tragit
Delam Oblene found difficulty in match- fate. He had not realized the limitation
ing. resulting from the possession of a marb’s
"We will write both our names in large brain, and feared lest he might be over-
charaaers, and when the astronomers see looking some chance of escape for that
our inscription through their telescopes reason. Would the him look
things about
they will deduce that we have been ma- the same if them with
he might look at
rooned here and take steps to liberate us his own eyes? Was some avenue
there not
by means of the Arrogant. Imagine of escape which his submerged mentality
Kabo’s surprize when he learns that his was unable to grasp? But no; what could
’Earthworm’ has turned upon him and be more hopeless than being thus ma-
that his plans have been foiled!’’ rooned on a satellite several thousand
"I have tried to reason from every pos- miles from the planet Mars, which was
sible angle and I can not see wherein inaccessible to the inhabitants of the
there is Such an in-
a chance of failure. planet unless they used the Earth craft,
scription asyou plan will most assuredly which was extremely unlikely? No, they
be seen by our astronomers, who will at had not overlooked any possibility be-
once broadcast the news, and Frambrozo cause there was nothing to overlook.
Himnun will do the rest.’’ Early the next morning he sought De-
When they reached the shore of the lam Oblene.
phosphorescent lake Kiser secured a "We were greatly disappointed last
large stick, wrapped one end of it secure- night at our failure to signal the planet
ly with a thick coating of leaves, tied and the experience serves to disillusion us
these with grasses, and dipped it into the regarding any false hopes of escape from
glowing surface of the lake. the fate which Kabo has placed upon us,’’
Delam Oblene followed his example he said. "Perhaps we should make the
but when her stick was ready for use she best of it and try to be happy. Why
returned to find Kiser floundering in should we not mate and tty to forget our
utter confusion. troubles?’’
"It’s no he cried in despair. "It’s
use!’’ "Do you think there is no hope that
no use; I can’t do it!’’ we might be discovered by your friend
"Why, what is the matter?’’ Delam from Earth and taken back to Masovada,
Oblene was perplexed. where the Council would demand our de-
"I can not remember one single char- liverance at Kabo’s hands?’’
aaer of script! Nebond was never taught "Alas, no, thereis no further hope.

how to write, and he might not have been No one dreams diat we may be on this
had they tried, for it seems that the marb and unless that were suspeaed
satellite,

brain has no graphic center. I can not it would never occur to them to visit Pho-

write, Delam Oblene! I can not write!’’ bus. But it is not because of the faa that
 EARTHWORMS OF KARMA 579

we may never escape our fate dbat 1 wish demand anything of Kabo. Other things
to mate widi you, Delam Oblene; it is that you should recall are that as a re-
because I have learned to care for you cently commissioned scientist, your success
very, very mudi.” will depend largely upon my co-opera-
"Earthman, I fear to make so impor- tion."

tant a decision with my present mental "Be that as it may, you shall hear me
equipment! I do not know what to de- and just this once you shall do as 1 de-
cide; I do not know how I should answer mand. I have seen the creature which
you. Please give me
a few days longer you have imprisoned within your gar-
to think —or try to think.Perhaps it is dens who b^s the physical body of
best (hat we make the best of
attonpt to Delam Oblene. I have not been able to
a bad situation; perhaps it is best that we find Delam Oblene herself nor the marb

should mate and try to forget as you say, form of the Earthman, but you can do so
but do not ask me to decide just now. — and this you are going to do imme-
Sometimes I think that I do love you, diately, for I am very impatient to have
Josq>h Kiser, and I would go through them restored; in fact, the longer their

this experience again to aid you; but I restoration is delayed the more I am im-
do not know how I should answer you ^ pressed with the conviaion that it would
just now. Perhaps tomorrow I shall tell be a virtue to murder you with my two
you my answer.” hands and suffer the consequences!”
"And just how, may I ask, are you go-
Josqjh Kiser readied out a hairy, cal-
ing to enforce your demand? You have
loused hand and clasped another larger
confessed that you can not find the two
and evai more calloused one, and with a
marbs; therefore you can not restore them
horrid grimace whidi was intended for a
yourself; you dare not rqjort me to the
loving smile, he lifted it to his coarse,
Council, for you are as guilty of the
hvid lips. Just then he thmight of Ruth.
Might she not at this moment be think- Earthling’s derangement as I; and you
will not murder me as you have threat-
ing of him.’ Had she allowed another
ened, for then there would be no one
CO r^lace him in her heart? Had she
ceased to love him because of these few
who could tell you where the two whom
months of separation? Kiser could not you seek are hidden. No, Pilluth, as
always Kabo holds the winning cards and
bring himself to believe that she had.
you are quite as helpless as the fools
17. Piliuth's Dilemma
whom you desire to aid.”
"There is one trump, Kabo, on which

H aving sought in vain for the two you failed to reckon.” 'There was a men-
viaims of Kabo’s mania for scien- acing gleam in Piliuth’s eyes, and Kabo
tific advancemeru, Pilluth was forced to paled. "That is my physical strength. I
confer again with Kabo. shall give you just a taste of it now and
"I have come,’' he said, struggling to repeat it each half-hour in increasing
control his einotion, "to make a confes- doses until you are brought to realize that
sion, ask some questions, and demand an I mean business when I tell you that these
adjustmeru.” people must be restored?”
"Your confession and your questions, KUuth caugfit a firm hold upon Kabo’s
my dear Pilluth, I will hear with pleas- long slender throat, and when his finger’s
ure,” replied Kabo, “but you should re- tightened the Martian’s face first red-
call that there are but few who may dened and then grew quite purple as his
380 WEIRD TALES
and
eyes protruded to their extreme limit incident to the Councilor Chief, saying
he struggled impotently while Pilluth that the Earthman had bolted from his
shook him as though he were a mere in- cell and injured Pilluth. "The Earthman
fant. is getting very troublesome,” he reported;
Pilluth retained his self-control, how- "should we not urge his friends to take
ever,and when the other began to relax him back to Earth as soon as possible?
he released his
in his efforts at resistance He has such strength that our walls will
hold and flung the gasping Kabo back hardly contain him and sooner or later
into the chair. he is going to kill someone. I shall attend
"Perhaps it may not be necessary to re- Pilluth personally; perhaps I may be able
peat that performance,” said Pilluth to save him, but I fear that he is fatally
evenly when Kabo had recovered himself hurt. I seriously doubt that he will ever
somewhat, "but just the same I shall de- regain consciousness.”
crease the interval to fifteen minutes and "No,” the Cotmcilor Chief informed
I shall stay here and continue to argue him, "we do not want the Earthlings to
in this manner until you tell me where return, nor could they do so if they would
you have hidden your niece and the until they construa a pump with which
Earthman. And remember: if you have to replenish their air supply. If your
killed them, then there isno further walls are not strong enough we shall con-
reason for my refraining from killing struCT stronger walls. Keep him there
you, as I should like very much to do.” and do the best you can to restore his
"You fool!” gasped Kabo. "I shall reason.”
ruin you for this! No, I will not tell you "You are right; the scientist from Earth
where they are hidden, and you shall rue
should not be allowed to return. I will
the day which gave you the idea that you
do what may be done for the madman,
might cross Kabo and prosper!” but I am sure that he is quite incurable.
Kabo pressed a small button upon his He has lived with some tribe of marbs
desk and sprang to his feet. At once a until he believes himself one of them.
door opened behind Pilluth and Nebond He has even forgotten his own language
stepped into the room.
and has acquired the monotonous speech
"Get him, Nebond!” screamed Kabo. of the marbs. will
I report Pilluth’s
"You may nm amuck and rend him to progress from day to day, and if the poor
your heart’s content! Beat him! Kill him
fellow should pass out I shall attend to
if you like; and if you do not you shall
the details of his cremation.”
have no more food!”
Without hesitation Nebond sprang 18 . Ruth Decides
upon the astonished Pilluth and struck
him a mighty blow between the eyes, and rambrozo himnun had respected
the Martian fell limp and inert to the F Ruth’s love for Kiser and had said
floor without even so much as an effort to nothing to her of love, but they had been
defend himself. thrown much in each other’s company,
After having ascertained that Pilluth and since the reported death of Delam
still lived, Kabo called an ambulance and Oblene, the Martian had found solace
had him conveyed to the Emergency from bereavement in the companion-
his
House, then went about his duties just ship of the Earth-girl and they had con-
as though nothing out of the ordinary fided in each other unreservedly until a
had happened. He calmly reported the sort of comradeship had spnmg up be-
 EARTHWORMS OF KARMA 381

tween them which amounted to an almost and I feel certain that we could live hap-
perfea understanding. pily together, and yet I feel that I should
And since Ruth’s harrowing experience not desert Joseph Kiser while there might
in the Martian forest she could not think be any hope for his recovery, and per-
of Kiser without a shudder of aversion, haps if we might only get him back to
yet amid all of this there persisted the Earth and away from this low pressure
memory of him as she had known him in atmosphere he would recover. I feel that
days gone by, and she had never ceased we should try to perfea pumps large
to long for him as he was then. It was as enough to replenish our reservoirs. If
though his soul had been snatched from you think best we will not divulge the
him; he seemed a man without a soul, a faa that we have succeeded in reaching
physical remnant of his former self with your planet, but I feel that we must at-
even the memory of past events gone tempt to get him back and give him this
from him, speaking a different language chance to recover.”
and fancying himself a beast; this must "But do you have upon Earth any such
indeed be a strange sort of mania. Unel Kabo?”
scientist as

Professor Hervy’s new-found interest "Himnun, dear, I do not know why I

in the Martian’s maiden sister also added should feel so, but I do not trust your
to Ruth’s loneliness, and when at length Unel Kabo. He is so repulsive to me, and
Himnun began to talk to her of love she it seems so strange that poor Joseph
listened willingly. Why should she not should have returned to Kabo’s estate
wed this wonderful Martian and try to that day upon which we discovered him.
live happily upon Mars? 'The Martian The path of destruaion which he had
scientists had told them that the Arrogant wrought started from there, too, and the
would probably not be able to maljr the poor boy seemed to have intended stop-
return voyage and she might never see ping there until he chanced to remember
others of her own kind, and, after all, that everything about him had been
the Earth life would seem quite crude in- destroyed. Do you suppose it is possible,
deed now, since they had had a taste of Himnun, that Kabo may have destroyed
the Martian existence. his reason?”
“We have both had our disappoint- "Oh, no, indeed!I am sure that you do
ments in life,” Himnun said. “My own Kabo a fearful injustice to even so much
hope for happiness seemed dead with the as imagine such a thing. Why, he is our
passing of Delam Oblene, but your com- Councilor Scientist and highly respeaed
panionship has revived it. I refrained and honored all over Masovada. Why
from speaking vmtil today, when the should you distrust Kabo, Ruth?”
Councilor Chief informed me that Kabo “I do not know why, but I do. He
has no further hope of Joseph Kiser’s re- does not impress me as an honorable man,
covery. Now I must tell you that I love and I can not endure his sarcastic attitude.
you; we understand one another and I And he maintains that Joseph is in-
since
know that we can live happily together. curable, why
should he deny us the priv-
Our physical differences need not matter, ilege of seeinghim?”
and who knows but that Earth blood is "I do not know, but I am sure that
just what is needed to remedy our phys- there is some good reason. Perhaps he
ical imperfections?” it may not be safe; only yester-
fears that
"I hardly know how I should answer day the Earthman attacked and probably
you, Himnun. I am sure that I love you fatally injured Kabo’s former assistant,
382 WEIRD TALES
Anhut Pillndi. I fear dtat you have “Don’t you see, Himnun? He has — ^he
allowed yoursdf to become unjustly has — ^my God! Why did we not suspea
prejudiced, Ruth." the truth before.?"
"Perhaps. Perhaps I should feel shame "You can not mean that diat — —why,
"
to diink as I do regarding your Coun- Ruth, surely you do not believe
cilor Scientist, but what has he done "I do not believe —He hasknow!
to entitle him to the respea and confi- put the mentality of a beast widiin die
dence of rifle people of Mars.?’’ body of Joseph IGser!”
"He has struggled upward from the "But, RuA, why do you Aink Kabo
tank of a laboratory technician to that of has done Ais Aing? Sudi Aings are not
Councilor Scientist by hard work and done upon Masovada.”
sheer merit. He is the leader of a certain "But there can be no doubt? Kabo did
school of scientific thought which at- Ais thing and kept Joe imprisoned until
tempts to explain heredity upon the basis he escaped quite by accident. His paA
of natural seleaion and the development of destmaion started wiAin Kabo’s gar-
of brain centers, vhile the contending dens and he returned there wiA me be-
element maintains that heredity can be fore he carried me into the forest. He
explained by means of natural selection spoke the Martian language and claimed
alone. And by natural seleaion we mean to be one of the marbs who had been
diat a soul, upon being incarnated on taken into captivity some monAs before,
Masovada, diooses or sdeas the family and now I remember his having told the
which most nearly harmonizes with its marbs diat Kabo had captured him, al-
needs —or that the parents subconscious- though I did not notice it at Ae time.”
ly choose a kindred spirit for their off- At first Himnun was inclined to doubt
spring. To this theory Kabo has added the Kabo’s guik but he was forced to con-
suggestion that the individual by thous- cede Aat the evidence was overwhelm-
ands of years of culture and development ing, and at lengA he got in communica-
has acquired certain highly specialized tion wdA Kabo and demanded Aat Ae
brain centers which are passed on to the scientist’s garden be opened to Councilar

offspring ready for use when the new in- inspeaion.

dividual is properly trained, and that this Kabo tried to play for time, but Him-
has a bearing upon heredity. Kabo has nun would take no excuses; he demanded
all but proved his contentions by a series an immediate investigation of Kabo’s
of surgical operatitms wherein he has estate and at lengA Kabo came to terms.
successfully transferred the mentality of “Himnun,” he urged, *1 am ready to
one animal to the body of another confess my guilt in Ais matter. I have
"
and suffered the agonies of Ae damned be-
But Ruth was not listening. Sie had cause of having done Ais Aing, but once
risen from her seat and her face was I had started it I feared to stop. Just
deadly pale. stop Ais Councilar investigation and I
"Wiy, what is die matter.?" Himnun will restore Ae EarAling as best I can.
sprang to his feet startled. Of course Aere will be a certain dement
*1 see — I see?" cried Ruth almost in- of danger conneaed with the operation
ctrfierently. "That is what he has done to of restoration because of the scar tissue
Joseph Kiser!" which will be encounter^, but I Aink I
'*Why, what do you mean?" asked can restore Aem. God knows I have
Himnun, bewildered. been punished sufikiently I did Ais —
 EARTHWORMS OF KARMA 383

thing before I knew were oth-

that there a popular idol of the Martians by his
ers in the Earthman’s party, and you may supposed accomplishments, he reasoned
imagine the suspense I have borne since that it would not be best to denounce
the search for him was started. I can him for his crimes and chose to remain
not bear the thought of being disgraced silent. But not so Pilluth.
and deported, and I will bargain with How long Pilluth had been gone from
you for the restoration of the Earthling: the Emergency House before his absence
if you withhold your knowledge of my was discovered none of the attendants
guilt I will restore him, but if you report knew. He had not as yet been allowed
me to the Council he shall remain for- to walk and certainly was not able to
ever as he is.” leave the institution alone.
'The alarm was at once broadcast and
19. Restoration an attempt was made to communicate
with Kabo, but he could 'not be reached.

N ot one word did Kabo broadcast

regarding Delam Oblene, but he
must have known that his whole secret
Many times his vibratory rate was con-
centrated upon but he did not respond.
What could be the matter? And why
would be found out when Kiser was re- had Pilluth disappeared? 'The superin-
stored, and of course the indolent Ne-
tendent was notified and he rushed at
bond would reveal his duplicity in regard once to the landing-terrace to go in
to Pilluth’s injury; so he dared not exe-
search of the missing sick man, but when
cute his original plan regarding his for-
he reached the terrace he uttered an ex-
mer assistant; and so it was that about
clamation of surprize, for his kandike
the time when the Earthman’s "recov-
was gone! ^
ery’’ was announced, Pilluth was able
'The institution was in a fever of ex-
to sit in a wheel-chair for a few minutes •

citement; attendants were questioned,

at a time.
messages were broadcast over the city,
The Earthman’s recovery was another the Gjuncilor Qiief was notified, and,
great triumph for Kabo, who announced attempted communication with Kabo
at the same time that his niece, Delam having failed, an efFort was made to
Oblene, whom he had thought dead for reach Pilluth himself — all without result.
some months, had in reality been affliaed 'The excitement at the Emergency
with the same malady which had crazed House had reached the degree of its
Joseph Kiser and that with an operation maximum intensiveness when the super-
of his own designing he had restored the intendent’s kandike was jokingly parked
reason of both. It was quite a new upon the landing-terrace and Pillutifi stag-
malady, Kabo announced, but now he gered out of it, to fall fainting into the
felt that he had it under perfea control arms of the astonished attendants.
so that there would be no further spread When had been put to bed and
Pilluth
— just as many times before he had con- Himnun.
revived he asked for
trolled other maladies which had harassed "I have done what I considered my
the Masovadans. duty,” said Pilluth as Himnun seated
Although much further incensed at himself at the bedside. 'Then he related
Kabo for his treatment of Delam Oblene, in detailwhat had happened since the
Himnun was overjoyed at her restoration landing of the Earth-craft, and added:
"from the dead,” as it were; and since "Knowing that you must have bargained
the Councilor Scientist had made himself with Kabo I was not content to lie still
 —

384 WEIRD TALES

aad allow lum to go free with the ap- never retom to Aar owm |danet. I have
plause of all Masovada. His depraTity porushed Kabo and ! have destre^ed the
demanded severe punishment, and I Earth-craft; now if death comes I diall
deaed to administer it; so I sneaked be ready, I can face my next incarnation
away from the Emergenqir House and wiAoot remorse, wiAout regrets.”
performed upon him his own operation, "You destroyed Ae EarA-craftl Pil-
transferring his mentality to the body of luA, you are mad! Why did you do
Nebond and die mentality of Nebond to Aat?”
die body of Kabo just as he did in the 'T felt Aat I must Aus safeguard
case of Joseph Kiser.” Masovada against Ac reign of terror Aat
Himnun gasped and sprang to his feet might ensue if Ae strife-loving EaiA-
in his amazement. '"'J^at! You mean lings were to build hundreds of similar

to teH me that you did that horrible craft and invade Ae planet wiA Aeir

dung?” greed and avarice and their implements

of war. 'Theirs is a competitive system,
"Yes, andKabo got no more than he
justly deserved. —
Or I should have said
and to have Aem among us wotild de-

that 1 attempted to make the interchange;

stroy our own co-operative methods; for

for there was so much scar tissue in Ne-

Ae two are incxjmpatible and Ae one
must be evolved. I considered Ae EarA-
bond’s brain and he was so weakened
craft a menace to Ae peace and s^ety
from his previous recent operation that I
of Masovada. True, just now Aey can
do not believe he can recover. That is
— Kabo will die. Kabo in Ndx)nd’s
not replenish Aeir air supply, but it
would be only a short while until Aey
physical body will die, but with proper
should bethink Aemselves of taking Ae
care Kabo’s body and Nebond’ s men-
craft to Trandos, where Ae atmospheric
taliQr will survive.”
pressure is almost as great as on Ae
”My God, Pilludii Why did you do Earth. Kabo confessed to me while par-
that? Is there no way in which your
tiallyunder the influence of Ae Strotan
work may be undone before it is too
Ray Aat he had marooned boA his vic-
late?”
tims on Ae satellite and had secretly
'There are none who can perform that purloined Ae EarA-crrft and made two
opetation excepting Kabo and myself; successful voyages to Trandos; once to
I am
dying and Kabo is probably likewise convey them Aere and once to fetA Aem
dying. Even should he recover there back for Aeir restoration. 'There Ae air
•will be no one left to restore him unless supply could be replenished and they
he mi^ trsun someone else .and teadi could not long resist Ae longing to re-
another his tedinic, even as he taught it turn to EarA and impart Ae truAs of
to me. our advancement, whiA Ae
superior
”I realized that the escapade would Earthlings are not yet ready to receive
probably be fatal to me, but I fek it my not by Aousands of years. I doubt if
duty to punish Kabo as he deserved to be Ae craft may be reproduced on Maso-
punished, since you were in all prob- vada, because here we have none of Ae
abilitybound to secrecy by such promises helium gas wiA whiA Aey fill c«tain
as you must have made in order to obtain of Aeir so-called Vacuum tubes’; not at
the release of Delam Oblene and die any rate for many, many years.”
Earthling. I also felt it my duty to make PilluA’s voice became vety weak. His
sure that the visiting Earthlings should lips were becoming quite blue, due to dr-
 7

EARTHWORMS OF KARMA 385

culatoty failure, and even Himnun, in- upon his memorable expediticKi some
experienced as he was in the branch of three years ago.
science pertaining to disease, knew that At timesI have doubted its authen-
the man was dying. He called a nurse ticity, it all seems so stupendous and
for
to the bedside and hurried out to render unreal,and the chances for fraudulent
what assistance might be given to the commimication must be conceded; but
hapless Kabo and to break the news of
when I stop to consider the charaaer of
the destruaion of the Arrogant to the
Joseph Kiser, a man whose veracity has
Earthlings.
always been quite beyond any shadow of
This news, however, they received reproach, a man whose word has always
with far more fortitude than Himnun been good as a government bond, and
as
had expeaed. All had learned to love who has never had any patience with
the marvelous advantages of the Martian fraud or fraudulent dealings of all kinds,
lifeand their desire to return to the strife I know that he would nbt intentionally
and contention of Eanh had ebbed quite deceive me. I know, too, that it is he
low, save for the desire to tell the inhab- sending, he has proved himself many
itants of the Earth about the unique won- times by relating, with our specially ar-
ders of the Manian civilization in order ranged code, incidents known only to
that they might hasten their own evolu- him and myself.
tionary progress; and now that their last
How well do I recall our last meeting
chance to do this was gone they could live
on the eve of their momentous departure
happily on Mars with no qualms of con-
from Earth, an event which thrilled the
science regarding Earthly progress.
whole world with the base absurdity of
When Himnun saw the glances that the thing!
were exchanged between Ruth and Joseph
I, too, had denounced him as a fool
Kiser he was glad that he had not pushed
for engaging upon such a venture, and
his suit for the hand of the Earth-girl
berated him soundly for allowing his
more vigorously, but more than this was
sweetheart to join in so hazardous a jour-
his heart gladdened by the smile be-
ney; but at the last moment I clasped his
stowed upon him by Delam Oblene, who
hand and tearfully bade him farewell,
was now restored to her rightful body
for to me then it seemed a certainty that
and her wondrous beauty. And so it
he was going forth to his death.
was left for Professor Hervy and Mer-
"Keep faith with me, Lon,” he said in
lene to restore the needed physical
parting; "be sure and do not allow your-
prowess to the Martians if it were to be
self to grow rusty on our code, and keep
restored in this generation.
on trying for at least five years. Wher-
ever we land, if we do land. I’llmanage
20. In Conclusion
somehow to provide for power enough

T he foregoing
fairly detailed account
tures of my
is an accurate
of the adven-
old friend and schoolmate,
and to reach you.
promise
Just keep listening, Lon;
me you’ll keep on listening.”
And I promised, although it grieves
Joseph Kiser, as it came to me at various me now to recall how near I came to
times over my huge "Radograph,” a new breaking that promise, for I had not the
modification of the Morse instrument of least hope then of ever having the oppor-
my own invention, the only existing du- tunity of answering his signals. In fact,
plicate of which Kiser took with him I never approached my instrument with
W.T.—
386 WEIRD TALES
the thought of Kiser in mind that I did strange to say, since that day I have never
not feel quite silly because of the subcon- been able to communicate with him at all.
scious hope that he might be calling me. Although I have tried diligently night
It was more than two years after the and day for many weeks and months, the
departure of the Arrogant when I caught line of communication between Earth
the first signal from Joseph Kiser. At and the planet Mars appeiurs to have been
first it did not register upon my con- permanently broken.
sciousness, and was only an unintelligible What has happened in this conneaion
series of ticks; some amateur perhaps, for I do not have the faintest Perhaps
idea.
my Radograph will receive from any my friend has been killed; perhaps the
Morse instrument. I listened intently, Martian authorities did not want to have
trying to interpret the message. Then the Earthmen know of the success of the
suddenly I was alert; it was Kiser’s call Arrogant’s flight lest others attempt it

in our code. and likewise succeed; perhaps the batter-

I seized the key and sent him my an- ies with which Kiser operated the Rado-

swer. He spent several whole minutes graph have worn out and they are unable
sending nothing but emphatic ejacula- to replace them upon Mars. Or yet per-
tions of joy. He had established com- haps I may hear more from him later,
munication with the Earth, and his joy who knows?
seemed unbounded. Then he spent sev- I know that there are many things
eral hours unfolding to me the foregoing which Joseph Kiser would like to tell me
story. The reception was very poor at and which he will yet tell me if the op-
times and he had even greater difiiculty portunity oflFers, and so I am hoping, lis-
in receiving from me; consequently there tening, signaling, praying for more news
are manythings which he tried to tell me from Mars, more of die culture and
which Ihave been* forced to omit from knowledge that we may the sooner evolve
this narrative because I could not get it to a higher state of teing than that of
dearly enough to comprehend, and Earthworms of Karma.

[THE END]
 —

A Tale of a Fire Elemental

THE FLAME FIEND

By N. J. O’NEAIL
PnpiHANKS, Archer, I’U be glad to hell again, it might ease my mind as I —
I join you, but with just one stipula- said, you won’t believe me; but at least
tion —and it must seem an insane you won’t laugh at me.
one; that you don’t light a fire in that Besides, it should be of particular inter-
huge fireplace of yours. est to you, since it has a bearing on poor

No, I’m not joking. Call it an absurd old Sharpies and his fate. You remem-
whim, if you choose; though God knows ber him, of course, with his deep-sunken,
it’s not that, either; I was never more seri- brooding eyes, gleaming above his big
ous in my life. I know it’s a cool evening, beak of a' nose, and his graying, reddish
with a wind blowing, that bites like sin hair, straggling awiy from under that rum

itself; but I’d rather face a lifetime in the old skull-cap? Why, of course; we were
eternal ice at the pole, than well, no — in his class in applied psychology togeth-
matter about that. er. Can’t you still see him there on the
any Eskimo complex;
It isn’t that I’ve platform, dinning into our adolescent ears
I crave warmth, and shrink from cold, the supremacy of mind over matter?
more dian the average man. But well, — He dabbled, of course, in all kinds of
as I said, there’ s no use trying to explain occult research; "dabbled” isn’t the word,
it. I you wouldn’t
could, of course, but eWier, for it was die absorbing pas^n of
believe me; you’d be a fool if you did. his life. I don’t suppose there have been
Set it down to pyrophobia, if you like. a dozen men in the last century who had
An obsession? Well, yes, perhaps. But delved so deeply into black letter lore. It
you needn’t look at me like diat; diere’s was rumors about some of his experi-
nodiing psychopathic sdbout it. My mind’s ments, you remember, diat finally to M
as sound as it ever was, and as normal; his being cropped from die faculty.
and that’s a wonder, perhaps, after oh, — He confid^ to me, twice, that one of
damn it, Ardier, on second thou^t I’d his favorite theories was that of material-
better not go; I’d only have you studying izadon. I don't mean any spiritualist
me all evening as if I were an object les- seance htdcum, with ectofdasm and table-
son in idiosyncrasies. Just forget that I taf^ing and spirit messages; but the pow-
ever mentioned any such thing. er of thehuman mind, by diought-concen-
No, k’s no use trying to explain; I summon up in tangible, physi-
tration, to
never have, yet. be classed as
I’d sooner calform objects from other worlds, wher-
just plain eccentric than as a combination ever and whatever those other worlds may
of liar, lunatic and hophead. No, you be.
might not, old man, but I couldn’t ask None of us, of course, took much stock
—
even you to believe ^well, damn it, why in his hobbies at that dme; 1 wish to God
not, after all? Now that you’ve got my 1 had, for that might have saved me
thtHights running through that channel of but I’m rather running ahead of myself.
387
 388 WEIRD TALES
After the old chap left the university, growth that twined, snake-like, round my
you remember, he buried himself in an legs.

old hunting-lodge up in the Rockies, and

there kept on with his researches. He T WAS just growing dusk when I finally

wrote me, once, about two years ago; a let- I reached the lodge, a solitary log struc-
ter as curt and enigmatic as most of his ture, bathed in a blood-red glow from the
lectures, but hinting that he was on the setting sun, as I approached it. A single,
verge of triumph in some weird experi- dying pine tree stood like a mournful sen*
ment, and inviting me to visit him when- tinel beside the building; for the rest, the

ever I could find the time. landscape was a boulder-strewn waste,

It was just a couple of weeks later that with an occasional clump of bushes in the
'we read of the poor old beggar’s uncanny distance.

death; you, of course, were abroad at the The place would have been gloomy
time, and may not have heard many of the enough, even at midday; and I give you
details. A couple of hunters found his my word that in the gathering shadows I
body stretched on the floor of his cabin, felt a distina physical chill as I opened
his head and throat incredibly mangled. the door of the lodge.
It might have been the woric of a puma or The building consisted of three rooms;
some other giant cat, so far as appearances a large reaangular living-room, with a
went; but it couldn’t have been, for the tiny bedroom and a kitchen opening off it,
door and every window of the lodge were on the left. A huge stone fireplace, fully
lodted. twelve feet wide, and towering to the ceil-
In faa, there was no end of mystery ing, was built into the right-hand wall.
and to-do about it, for weeks. The thing The furniture, of the simplest, had been
was so inexplicable that the hunters who left apparently just as it was during
had found him were under suspicion, for Sharpies’ lifetime. 'There was a large,
a time; but their records were clean, and plain wooden table, piled high with dog-
there was no possible motive for murder, eared volumes, almost any one of which
so they were released, and the case lapsed would have been evidence enough to send
into the long list of unsolved enigmas. the old man to the stake, a few centuries
Three months or so later, a business trip ago; an armchair, a few other chairs, and a
took me
to the cdast, and set me thinking battered trunk; and every item in the col-
once more of Sharpies. I had always had leaion semed to be enveloped in an al-
a deep admiration for the old chap, and I most tangible aura of sinister isolation.
believe that in his gruff way he was fond The other rooms were furnished in just
of me, too. It hurt me to think that I had- as Spartan style. A tousled cot, a single
n’t had a chance of accepting his invita- chair and a shelf piled high with more
tion to visit him; and then the fancy books were all that were to be seen in the
jseized me to pay a sort of posthumous bedroom; in the kitchen, a few granite
call; at any rate, to visit the spot where he dishes, cooking-utensils and a small shelf,
had met his end. piled with canned foods.
It lay on a God-forsaken slope in the By now, night had fallen in earnest, and
Rockies, twenty miles from the nearest I found the cabin growing momentarily
settlement; and I spent the better part of a chillier, both physically and mentally. And
day scrambling up the rocky incline and it didn’t make matters any the more cheer-

cutting my way through festering under- ful when, playing my electric torch over
 THE FLAME FIEND 389

the floor, I perceived several dark blotches up vistas of things imseen and unthink-
in front of the fireplace; reminders of the able, that appalled me.
unexplained tragedy those walls had wit- I tell you, Archer, there are not only
ness^. more things in heaven and earth than are
I had brought food with me, prepared dreamed of in your philosophy, but there
for an overnight stay in the cabin, but at are far more in hell, too; for in those

that moment the prospea was far from printed pages I saw things hinted at, that
appealing to me. However, I wasn't anx- could only emanate from the deepest hell
ious to tackle that twenty-mile trek back of hells. And
as for what followed

to the village, by dark; and then, a sudden between the pages of one in-
Finally,

savage patter of rain on the roof helped credible tome, a translation from the an-
me make up my mind. The cabin would cient Egyptian, I fell upon something of

be my shelter, until dawn, at least. a far deeper personal interest a pad of —

scribbling-paper, covered with a familiar
I found a pile of pine knots beside the
cabin, and with an armful of these soon
scrawl —
^the handwriting of old Sharpies

himself, as cryptic a hieroglyph as any

had a fire blazing, which helped to dispel
ever inscribed on the oldest pyramids.
the gloom. As I munched my solitary
It appeared to be a diary, in which he
meal, the rain kept up its tattoo on the
had recorded his progress with experi-
roof, and several vicious lightning flashes
ments of some sort, but so laconically
tore a passage through the air, just outside
that I could gather little from them. The
the window; but I preferred even the
storm’s accompaniment to the tomb-like
last entry was dated —
as nearly as I could

stillness that had preceded it.

recall —four or five days before the find-
ing of his body.
After supper, with the aid of a kero-
"Threshold of trjumfdi at last,” it read.
sene lamp that
I started
I discovered in the kitchen,

on a more thorough inspeaion of

"Tonight —
final proof . . . danger if
control falters . . . formula of Sothmi
the place, and my heart was touched at the
should suffice.”
evidences of the hermit-like life poor old
'Then I glanced at the book in which I
Sharpies must have led; to say nothing of
had found the notes. From the page at
the unexplained gruesomeness of his
which it was open, I read:
death.
I could hardly hope to find anything
Notable among such elementals is the sala>
that would shed any light on that, of mander, the spirit of fire. This being, Sothmi
describes as having the aspect of a giant lizard,
course, since the cabin had been thorough-
with protruding fangs and claws . . .
ly searched at the time; so I
turned to an
examination of the old man’s books. At that moment the light of the kero-
I doubt if anywhere else on this conti- sene lamp flickered and vanished, leaving
nent you could have found such a library the room illuminated only by the dancing
of occult lore, of sorcery and necromancy rays of the fire. I saw that the lamp was

from the days of earliest Egypt down to empty; so I heaped another armful of pine
Twentieth Century psychic research. As knots on the blaze, and drew the armchair
the tempest’s fury swelled, outside, I up closer to it.

turned the pages of one cabalistic volume

after another. They weren’t the sort of HAD brought the book with me, but as
thing to be fathomed at a glance; but the Ia particularly vivid flash of lightning
little that I gathered from them opened stabbed the darkness outside, and a clap
390 WEIRD TALES
of thunder siiarled in its wake, I hesitated dread, as no sound has ever dene before
to read on. My mind and
seemed to feet or since.
be treading a dangerous labyrinth, whose It was a peculiar, sibilant hiss, which
tortuous windings might lead at least to came to my ears as clearly as though all
madness, if not to some abyss of hell. else had been dead silence. It wasn’t un-
As the fire crackled, and the flames like the hiss of an angry cobra, if you’ve
leaped hungrily ever higher toward the ever heard that none-too-pleasant sound;
ceiling, I gazed into their glowing depths. but it possessed, too, some incredible, ur^-

Strange, I thou^t, that my mind should earthly quality which set my head reeling
so focus on the &e when a moment before with involuntary nausea.
I had been reading of the mythical spirit And above all, it appeared to come
of fire. But after all, was it so strange.’ from the very center of the fire.

lhat uncanny snatch of description was

running through my mind "the aspea
— For a moment I
ward the door, and pondered the possi-
looked backward to-

of a giant lizard, with protruding fangs bility of breaking away and spending the
—
and claws” and I tried, blind fool that I night even in the open, in that downpour
was, to conjure up a mental image of such of rain, if necessary. But then I got a
a being. tighter grip on my nerves; and, trying to
Of course, I told myself, it was prepos- convince myself against my own knowl-
terous to sit in the Twentieth Century of edge, that it was all imagination, I turned
Christian civilization and dream of a aea- to face the fire once more.
ture of five-thousand-year-old fable. And As I did so, that diabolical hiss came
3^, those words obtruded still on every
cell of my brain
—
"the aspea of a giant
once more, followed by a peculiar, stertor-
ous grunting; and then, in the very heart
lizard, with protruding fangs and claws.” of the flame, I beheld something gradual-
By now, I was staring into the fire with ly assuming visible form.
the fixed fascination of a crystal-gazer. First it appeared to be a mist, or vapor;
There’s a hypnotic force about a blazing and then, out of the mist, two dreadful
flame. Archer; small wonder, I refleaed, green spots glowed, like searchlights play-
that primitive races had either deified it, ing from the very bowels of hell. And
or at least imbued it with a personal spirit then the mist seemed to settle into a solid
— the salamandef. outline —
sudi an outline that I screamed
As I gazed into the fire, an illusion aloud in horror of soul, and sprang from
gradually grew upon me that my brain my chair, and would have burst out into
was whirling round and round in a circle, the night, but in a twinkling the ungodly
at the center of which aouched the figure
the book had desaibed
—
"a giant lizard,
thing had leaped straight from the heart
of the flame and gripped me by the throat.
with protruding fangs and claws.” . . . Archer, this is the living truth, I swear
I grant you. Archer, that that was pure it, as I am a living man this moment. I
illusion; auto-hypnosis, if you will. But haven’t words — human tongue hasn’p
what followed wasn’t. —
power to describe adequately that foul
For suddenly, above the roar of the spawn of Satan that had materialized
storm outside, and the crackling of the fire from thin air before my very eyes.
— which had now grown so hot that I 'The description I had just read "a
—
had moved my chair back from it I — giant lizard, with protruding fangs and
heard a sound which turned me cold with claws” — fitted it, as far as it went, but it
 THE FLAME FIEND 391

didn’t begin to picture the soul-sickening with that awful ’Thing. I felt, in my heart
repulsiveness of the objea. of hearts, that the struggle was vain; that
It wasn’t unlike a Gila monster in gen- I couldn’t hope to kill, or even to over-
eral appearance, if you can conceive of a come, this Thing which wasn’t of earth.
Gila monster five feet in length, with a But still, with the frenzy of despair, I
slimy black body and ghastly horned head, tore at its neck and kicked at its pulpy
eyes that glowed alternately red and body, as those savage talons bit into my
green, fang-like teeth projeaing from a shoulders and that unspeakable mouth,
satanically slaveringmouth, and forelegs with its protruding fangs, hovered close
with claws like those of an eagle. above mine.
And this unutterable horror was the And then the bestial jaws opened wid-
Thing that had torn the life from poor er, and I knew the end was at hand, and

old Sharpies’ body. I realized that, in the I prayed to God as I’ve never prayed be-

same twinkling of an eye that it had cata- fore, that it might come with merciful
pulted itself upon me. quickness.
I was so unnerved in soul and body that And it did. There was a sudden, blind-
a breath of wind could almost have ing flash, and then a crumbling, rattling,
floored me, and I collapsed like a rag be- roaring sound as though the universe it-

neath the spring of the monster. "Then, as self were falling in ruins; something
I found myself flat on the floor, with its crashed on my head, and then —oblivion.
ruthless talons sinking into my throat, and
its foul face pressed close to mine,
breath searing
despair gave
me like a blast from
me new strength.
its

hell, Y
night.
ou
acles,
probably don’t believe in mir-
Archer, but I

I’m firmly convinced that it is due

do, ever since that

I don’t know whether old Sharpies was to divine intervention that I’m alive today.
there in spirit, aiding me in my battle When the mists lifted from my brain,
against that atrocity from the shades, or I lay in a pile of stone wreckage on the
not, but I dug both hands into the crea- floor of the cabin, racked with agony in
ture’s throat, and twined its legs about its every limb. My
first conscious thought

flopping body, with the grip of a boa con- was of from the shades; then,
that fiend
striaor. as I raised my
head slowly, to look for it,
Even in that heaic accumulation of I realized that it had vanished, and that
horror upon horror, I experienced a fresh the blessed light of day was streaming in
twinge of nausea to find that although the the windows.
Thing had emerged from the heart of the No, no. Archer, it wasn’t a dream.
flame, its body was as iqr cold as though

fresh from a tomb.

Here — just a minute until I loosen my
wear it particu-
collar; you’ll notice that I
Old Dante himself^ Archer, could larly high. Do
you see those scars on my
scarcely have painted in one-tenth of its throat? No dream could have put them
ghastliness a word-piaure of the struggle there. If those unholy claws had gone a
there in that lonely cabin, with thunder, quarter of an inch farther, they’d have
lightning and rain outside lending a fit- torn my jugular vein open.
ting accompaniment. Well, explanations are always an anti-
It seemed like hours — in reality it can’t climax, soI’ll cut mine as short as pos-

have been five minutes, for no human be- combining what I observed there
sible,
ing could have lived so long in such un- and what I learned later, from a closer
equal combat — that I tossed and grappled study of Sharpies’ books.
392 WEIRD TALES
The thing that had killed Sharpies, and at the moment when it seemed that scarce-
come within an ace of doing the same to ly even a miracle could intervene.
me, Archer
— was,
—you won’t believe it, I know In that instant when that hell-born
literally, a salamander, one of creature’s fangs were at the point of meet-
chose elemental beings which form a con- ing in my throat, a lightning bolt bad
neaing link between this world and some struck the stone chimney of the cabin,
world beyond. and had sent it crashing inward, shatter-
An elemental, of course, is a disem- ing the fireplace and instantly extinguish-

bodied thing, only capable of aaion if it —

ing the flames with the consequence

can get control of a physical body as an

that the salamander’s material body had
evaporated into the air from which it had
instrument. And old Sharpies had aeated
emanated.
such an instrument for this creature.
Those diabolical old volumes of his
'That’s my story, Archer, and — well,
just a point or two more, perhaps.
contained,among many secrets, the ritual
As I say, I realized later that that
to be followed in the summoning of an
damnable 'Thing was still lurking invisi-
elemenul in material form. The theory
ble within the cabin, thirsting with all its
was that by sheer concentration of will-
unholy force for another opportunity of
power, an adept, or sorcerer call him — taking physical form.
what you will —could create a material
There wasn’t much likelihood of that,
body or shell for such a spirit.
perhaps, since the fireplace was irrewiev-
In the case of the salamander, there ably shattered, and even if any wayfarer
were two essentials: first, the concentra- in that desolate region had chanced to
tion of the mind, and secondly, a strong, build afire there, there’ d be praaically no
—
hot fire the native element of the aea- chance of his turning his thoughts in a
ture. And old Sharpies had succeeded, as dangerous direaion.
he had dreamed of doing, in actually in-
But, I was resolved to take no chances
carnating the monster which had cost him
on its ever being loosed on human eyes
his life.
again; so I did probably a high-handed
The materialization was a limited one, and unlawful thing. A week later I
as all such materializations are, thank climbed tonuous mountain slope
that
God; limited as to place and time. The again, and dynamite be-
laid a charge of
salamander was fettered, you might say, neath the cabin, which leveled it in a tan-
to that spot; it could move only a few gle of wreckage, to the ground.
feet from the flames- in whidi it had
Sharpies’ books I removed first, poured
sprung into being, and it demateriallzed kerosene over them, and set them alight
once more, the moment the flames died. — with a long fuse, incidentally, for I
But once summoned into aaual exist- preferred to be a couple of miles from
ence, probably for the first time in a score the spot when those sinister pages flared
of centuries, the Thing was still chained, into flame.
unseen, at that spot; and hence, far less There’s nothing more to add, except
concentration of thought was necessary that from that day to this I’ve never dared
o summon it a second time. 'The fire, to face flame, for fear my mind, in sheer
md the involuntary focusing of my mind defiance of my may focus
sanity, there
on what I had read, were sufficient. once more, and summon up some other
Then came the miracle that saved me. lurking messenger from hell.
H And
ALLOWE'EN
cazar.

in a
Jazz,
masks, carnival!
at the Hotel Al-
rainbow balloons,

room on the fourth floor a

themouth which six weeks ago
That music! Every note was drawn
from her taut nerves.
Hallowe’en! The eve of All Hallows’
. . .

girl, returned from a rendezvous with the Day, of the day of the blessed dead. He
dead. had given his life for another. For a little
She pressed cold fingers against her ears, child whom he did not know. Inasmuch as
tillher head filled with a hollow roaring. ye do it unto the least of one of these little

She could not do that for long. Let them children. . . . Yes, of a certainty he was
play! Dance music for the gay, the young! among the "blessed dead.’’
Dropping her hands, she resumed her She had come eagerly, as to a tryst. The
pacing of the room, only to halt yet again hope of this journey had been anodyne.
before a photograph on the dressing-table. For it she had schemed and deceived, had
"Peter!” written to a friend; not a friend attuned to
She stood looking into the large eyes, at her despair, a very gay friend, but a friend
393
 —

394 WEIRD TALES

now prized because living in New York. posted it at once, he would have it before
And the reply had been both gay and he left New York to come to her for the
friendly. week-end. As she put on her hat and coat,
"By all means, come. New York will she had been called to the telephone.
do you good. Moping never helped any- A telegram that Peter was dead. Killed
body, alive or dead.” in a street accident, saving a strange child
Her parents had consented, surprized, from an oncoming motorbus.
relieved. Telling no one of the message, she had
But between the date which she had returned to her room, had locked the door,
given her family and that which she had and had burned her letter to Peter.
given her light-hearted friend there was a ’Then she had sat down, and had stared
discrepancy. She had cheated from the at the opposite wall. Her brain had be-
pattern two days for herself in New York come a gramophone record. It rasped out
— days of rendezvous. words of the telephone message, scraps of
For she had not been able to accept the letter just destroyed.
death submissively. The family clergy- ...regret to inform you that Peter
.

man had come, wise and kind. She had —

Edgington dear Peter for some time I
thanked him. No tears. No unburdening. —
have been fighting killed in a street acci-
She had found that she had no faith. —
dent fighting the realization that you and
—saving a
She had found that faith would not do. I child . . .

She must know. It became incredible that an hour ago

She had haunted public libraries, had she had decided Peter too iminteresting to
bought many books. She read all she could spend her life with; had decided that even
find for and against a future life. Oh, yes, as a lover he had a little too much manner,
both sides. Ray Lankester, Clodd, other was a little theatrical!
agnostics. The stiffer-brained psychic re- She remembered only their swift ro-
searchers. The vast literature of slop about mance, his impulsive ardor. And having
survival she discarded as an insult. G)ld tired of him living, she had fallen the
academic things like Balfour’s Ear of more desperately in love with him dead.
Dionysius brought comfort. It seemed that Of the burned letter, the disloyalty, she
she could hope, and yet be rational. told no one. Remorse edged her grief.
Then she had .taken her resolve. She She — false to her word, false to the beauty,
would communicate with Peter. It had be- radiant if nebulous, of their dramatic
come an obsession. To hear from him that courtship —she had presumed think him to
he lived, that he forgave. dull! His might not have been
letters

In New York she would ask the Insti- well, brilliant —but he had been he loyal,
tute of Psychic Science for a medium had been fine, in death he had been heroic.
known to them as honest. She would be Her mind knew only the beauty of their
rational, she would not fool herself. She love, the tragedy of his death, and a pas-
would ask Peter to give her something sionate remorse.
evidential. 'Then, proof of Peter’s identity
having been given, she would beg him to
forgive,
she now
would tell

loved him.
him how desperately A rrived that morning in New York,
- she had gone at once to the Institute

of Psychic Science.
Yes, they could recommend a medium,
ive weeks today. She had just finished absolutely trustworthy, and with a record
F that difficult letter to Peter. If she of excellent results.
 —

GESTURE 395

Could she have a sitting today? If suc- —

gentleman has a gray mustache says —
cessful, another tomorrow? She was only he is your grandfather —
very sorry for
inNew York for a brief time. you.”
The secretary, a brisk, intelligent It was all in the notes. All futile and
woman, had offered to telephone Mrs. pointless. A grandfather was a safe guess.
Parmenter. She did so. Mrs. Parmenter was doubtless honest. But
Yes, that afternoon at five o’clock. Mrs. Parmenter’s subconscious no sane
What name? person could trust.
And her name had soimded in her own There had followed generalities appli-
ears like that of a stranger. For these two cable to any grandfather. True, they did
days were to be quite outside the pattern of apply to her own grandfather, but not
her life, beyond the strange human labels necessarily exclusively to him.
people bore. "You are in trouble — oh, yes, in deep
what did it matter? 'The secre-
Besides, trouble!”
tary was used to such requests. No one So were most clients of mediums.
else was in the room, excepting a man who 'Then that saccharine message: "Your
had entered and who was engrossed in grandfather says that you are not to be so
some pamphlets spread out on a table. unhappy, that happiness is close to you.”
The secretary then wrote Mrs. Par- Kind, that. Of Mrs. Parmenter’s sub-
menter’s address on a slip of paper. conscious.
"Would itbe all tight if I were to take Next had come a jumble of incoheren-
notes? I might want to consult them cies, irrelevant things that were disturb-
later.” ingly reminiscent of ignominious fortune-
"By all means. Mrs. Parmenter prefers telling. And yet —a strange, eery feeling
her clients to take notes.” was creeping over her, a feeling as if some
As she put the slip of paper in her hand- third presencewere in the room.
bag and turned to go, she saw the seaetary —
"A dark man” Peter had had bright
—"I something
smile familiarly to the next "customer.” red hair ! getabout dancing
"So glad the sittings are being success- —dance music—and a mask!”
ful. I have that list of books ready for She tried to be scientific. She knew that
you, and I am arranging for a third me- genuine messages had to filter throu^ the
dium for you to try.” subconscious mind of the medium, that
It was all as crisp and business-like as they were often interlarded between hap-
the selling of groceries. hazard tags of the conscious mind. Mrs.
Parmenter was getting muddled up with
—
A nd
-
the seance had been
failure!
Mrs. Parmenter, a plump woman in a
a ghastly Hallowe’en festivities.
Suddenly Mrs. Parmenter stiffened. "I
—
can’t get through confusion. But I get
neglig^, had greeted her with kind im-
and had told her to sit quietly.
personality,
help for you. I see a black mask ” (most —
masks were black) "and, yes, a dark
Mrs. Parmenter had closed her eyes, man.” (Oh, those dark men of the palm-
and after a few minutes had begun to ists!)
breathe in an odd, heavy manner, then to And despite her skepticism, a shudder
mumble. At last words had come: as if a chill from another world passed
"Confusion — oh, so much confusion! —
over her at the words a black mask.
Conditions are bad —very bad. Several "I’m sorry, Mrs. Parmenter, I know you
people want to speak to you. An old are trying.” The sitter must show a sympa-
 —

396 WEIRD TALES

thetic attitude. "Won’t you, please, try a "Oh, where have you been all my life?"
little longer.^’’
A bellboy handed her a snull packet. It
She realized that the seance was about was addressed to her. But ho one knew she
to —
dose a failure. She threw overboard was here!
hopes of evidential proofs. The boy gone, she tore off the wrap-
"Mrs. Parmenter, I want very much, pings.
very much, to communicate with a red- A black velvet mask! Nothing more.
haired man who died recently." Some mistake. But her name on the
And this she said, not for her own sake, paper! She examined it as if it were a
but on the remote chance of it reaching cipher. She could find nothing unusual,
Peter. No comfort for her in helping out unless a small flaw in the edge that would
Mrs. Parmenter. But if Mrs. Parmenter rest on the left cheek were of importance.
had power, if this were merely one of A small flaw, as if someone had snipped
those inexplicable bad sittings which even out a V.
great mediums at times had, it might reach She dropped it on the bed.
Peter.
Again she heard Mrs. Parmenter’s en-
"Only this, Mrs. Parmenter, ask him to
forgive me.”
—
tranced voice a mask a black mask!
But she had read of nothing like this.
Oh, it had been too distressing. Poor True, the other world was 'reported often
Mrs. Parmenter’s subconscious, or control, to signal through normal channels. But a
or whatever it was that was bungling so
ludicrously, caught at that word "for-
bellboy, a scrap of velvet —
it was too mun-

* II
dane for her to accept.
give. But from where then did it come?
"Yes —yes—he is here—he HERE—
is
Oh, was it all a monstrous delusion?
oh, very distressed —forgive—forgive— Were the results of even the sanest investi-
—
h^s saying that, dear begs you to forgive gators the mere amassing of data on some
— —
him to forgive him why, that’s what as yet not-understood vagaries of the sub-
—
you said yourself says forgive and forget conscious mind?
him" .. .
She looked at the black mask. Was this
She had risen. "Thank you, Mrs. Par- her sign? And what
menter. That — ^will do.” Still
if so, its

dance music drifted up to her

significance?

room:
HE stood looking at his photograph.
S She was very For weeks she had
tired.
"Oh, where have you been all my life?”
eaten hardly anything. For weeks she had It must be that she was to join the revel-
slept badly. For weeks her awakenings lers, there to receive some message, meet
had been recurring shocks; that nightmare some envoy.
return of consciousness, return of memory. Opening her trunk, she feverishly
She turned again to the notes of the se- pulled out an evening gown. As she flung
ance. They were already flabby from much off the negligee she had been wearing,
handling. Was there something she had part of her brain smiled derisively. People
missed? Some chink through which a had warned her that dabbling in "Spirit-
glimmer had shone for her? ualism” ended in lunacy.
As she turned the pages, a knock sound- At this moment she might be insane.
ed on her door. She started. Then she 'That mask, black on the white bed, might
opened. The music came more loudly to be a figment of her disordered brain. She
her: had read those notes too often. No bell-
 GESTURE 397

boy, perhaps, had called at her door. Well, "Thank you. Why must I not see your
of course, if she were to reason that way, face?” she asked in the accentless tones she
jinything might |>e nothing.- She might not had used through their interview.
even be in New York. '’You do not want the message from a
She picked up the mask. concrete personality. Let me remain a
Was she going to meet Peter, or a mes- mask. Unless,” he hesitated, "knowing
sage from him? She rouged her lips. Was all Ibring you, you still wish otherwise.”
this the fantasy of hysteria, was there no "I am tired. Say what you have to say,
future, was Peter dead? By all means then and let me return to my room.”
let her gaud herself to meet such a mock- His voice was kind. "I don’t want you
ery. to do that. You go back to unhappiness. I
am very sure he does not want you to do

F rom the elevator she alighted on the

mezzanine floor. She would wait. It
that.”
"How long am I to sit here —waiting?
was crowded here than on the ground
less I can not go on talking. It leads nowhere.”
floor. Her mask made her indifferent to He drew up a chair. For a moment
stray glances. neither spoke. A moment? She could not
And to her they were a drifting picture say. A moment, or ten minutes. She had
— these hadcneyed carnival marionettes. no way of telling.
A black-and-white Pierrot was looking "May I tell you what I think he wants
at her. He was alone. He approached. He you to do?”
was at her side. He bent to her. "Tell me.”
"Thank you for coming.” His voice "He wants you for a little while to for-
was deferential. get everything. He wants you to come with
She looked up into a black velvet mask. me and to have supper. He wants you to
His gaze seemed on the missing in her V forget everything.” His voice had a soft
own mask. even quality, as if he were trying to hypno-
“From whom do you come?” she said tize her. "He wants you to dance. To
slowly. dance on Hallowe’en night, knowing that
"From no one. None the less, Ihave a the dead are not unhappy.”
message. But —not yet. It is a question of She was past astonishment. She made
— forgiveness.” no protest at his incongruous words. He
She could not answer. seemed speaking to her from a distance.
"Messages do come through human She looked wearily at him.
'
channels. You know that?” "You are a man and young. Scores of
"Yes. I know that. I have tried.” pretty girls are about you, some not too
"I can not speak clearly while you are so severe. I will remain here. Return when
tired — so weak.” you feel you can give me what it is you
Her notes beat through her mind. Dance have for me.”
music —
a black mask —
a dark man. The "Won’t you let me give you this one
skull-cap of Pierrot hid his hair, the mask evening? I am very sorry for you.”
his face. Pity from a stranger! But she was too
"Will you take oflt your cap?” weak for resentment.
"My cap?” surprizedly. Without dis- Suddenly he asked in praaical tones, al-
lodging his mask, he carefully removed most the tones of a physician. "Exaaly
the cap. how much have you eaten today?”
Darit hair. Eaten! She looked up. And then she
398 WEIRD TALES
knew it was all Those rose-velvet
unreal. Her hands clutched the edges of the
chair-things, those rugs from somewhere table.
men called "China,” those carnival shad- "I have something that Peter Edgington
ows —they were but veils drifting across wants me to tell you. He asks you to for-
her perception. give him.” His voice became concise, as
Again his quiet, level tones. "Exaaly if he knew the scalpel must be used.
how much have you eaten today?” Clearly he was a doaor. "What I have to
"Doaors” they called people who tell will hurt. Peter died a hero, but in life

talked that way. he was very human. He was to have gone

to you the week-end after his death to ask
"So you are a doaor?”
your forgiveness and release. He had
"Never mind that. Tell me.”
fallen in love with another woman.”
Since such a trifle mattered to him, she
At last she spoke.
told him. He rose abruptly.
"'The dead are not here to defend them-
"Come.”
selves. I must have some proof.”
"I’m not hungry, not interested in
He removed his mask. Honest eyes, an
food."
honest face.
She seemed quite outside her body, but
he reddened, "my ovra sister
"It was,”
she heard a dull voice and knew it to be
whom Peter Edgington wanted to marry
the voice she used.
when he died.”
And he was no longer envoy of the be-
yond. He was a very physical
A weight was slipping from her. Life,
identity, by
long entranced, stirred again.
his will leading her into the elevator . . .
"You will not judge my sister. She
down ...
It took
to a garish supper room.

less effort to do what he bid her.

thought Peter was free, imtil there —
seemed to them no going back.”
'Those soothing, even repetitions of his. "1 judge!!’ She told him of the unposted
Some chidcen thing. Some tingling drink letter, the remorse, the return of love.
which he helped to prepare. It burned
"He told my sister your name, but not
through her. It lit up her physical brain, where you my
lived. After his death sis-
a bescrawled palimpsest — indelible phrases ter confided in me. My sister, distraaed,
— there shall no heat strike them, neither determined to communicate with Peter
shall the sun . . . Behold, I make all Edgington’s spirit. I begged that at least
things new . . . eat, drink, and be she avoid the harpies that cheat people
merry. . . .
who long to be cheated. I went for her to
She was again in her body; leaning over the Institute of Psychical Science. She
an emptied plate, and emptied glass, gaz- found comfort. She had a series of sittings.
ing into dark eyes behind a black mask. Then she wished to try other mediums,
And on the table lay the mask which she something about obtaining ’cross-refer-
had been wearing. ences.’ She began to study psychical re-
Her hand went to her face in quick dis- search. It seemed to be calming her, so I
may. have gone often to the Institute to make
He was talking to her. She reached out necessary arrangements for her. ’This
to his voice. TTie words didn’t matter. morning I was there, turning over some
"Now I can tell you my message. I know pamphlets, when I heard your name, the
your name. I know that you were pledged hour and address of your appointment
to marry Peter Edgington.” with Mrs. Parmenter. I saw you. I knew
 I

THE INVISIBLE BOND 399

the truth would hurt, but also that it was It’s theatrical. have written, asking
I’d
due to you.” the privilege of a brief interview. But
"Poor Peter!” as I stood in the lobby this afternoon,
"I kept your appointment this after- the idea dropped into my brain from
noon. I followed you back to this hotel, outside. I seemed to hear 'a black mask!
so as to know where to reach you. You It became an urge. I had the incredible
went to your room. I noticed the prepara- feeling that Peter Edgington wished me
tions for tonight’s masquerade. Then — to tellyou that way.”
thought of sending you the mask.” He looked ashamed at talking so
"But you could not know I would wear frayedly, and hastened to add sanely, "Of
it.Coincidence alone brought that about. course I knew that tomorrow I could still
The medium’s subconscious was muddled ask for my interview, if you did not come
up with Hallowe’en, and so she spoke of tonight.”
”
a mask, a black mask She gazed at him .with clear, steady
A strange look crossed his face. eyes.
"Of course, I don’t believe in this at "Will you dance?” he asked shyly.
all — all this occult. stuflF. As a medical She rose. And as she smiled, she
man I know and use hypnotism. 'The knew why it was that Peter would have
rest I mistrust. But — it’s most extraor- none of the “privilege of a brief inter-
dinary. I would never have thought of view” idea. Also, dear Peter had always
sending you that mask. It isn’t sensible. loved a gesture!

i..

The Invisible Bond

(Continued from page 301 )

came. Presently we caught the faint glint of bushes. “They are fifty to one. You
of firelight through the trees. will not help Elna by throwing away your
"Hurry!” cried Leslie in a voice I life.”
scarcely recognized. "We are on the way 'The spot where we were crouching
to Elna. Hurry!” was about twenty yards from the fire
Rightly or wrongly, he was convinced which burnt brightly in the center of the
that the drums were leading him to his small clearing. By the light of the leap-
lost bride. He seemed to throw all cau- ing flames we were able to pick out the
tion to the winds as he crashed his way huge form of the witch-doctor as he sat
through the tangled scrub, heedless of a little apart from the rest, on a throne-
everything except the red glimmer ahead. like seat of carved wood. By his side,
Had I not forcibly restrained him, I ver- upon the ground, there crouched a
ily believe he would have dashed for- slighter figure muffled from head to foot
ward and attacked single-handed the in a cloak of leopard skins. About ten
horde of savages that were seated round feet away was Leon, the missing steward,
the fire. I had to drag him under cover lying bound hand and foot.
by main force. Some sort of ritual was in progress.
"Are you mad?” I whispered, when I Ever and again N’Zahgi would lift up
had got him behind the shelter of a clump his voice and intone a string of words,
 — 7

400 WEIRD TALES

and the rest would chant a response in Her blood? The truth rushed upon me
thunderous unison, keeping time to the like an overwhelming torrent as the
booming of the drums. Although neither thought crossed my mind. It was not her
Leslie nor I understood the language, we blood that now flowed in her veins it —
guessed from the growing excitement was the blood of the naked savage who
that the climax of the ceremony was near towered behind her with the light of tri-
at band. umph gleaming in his eyes. N’Zahgi had
Nor were we mistaken. The weird lit- given his blood that she might live, and
any culminated in a sudden mighty shout; now he was about to lay claim to his own!
then there followed a tense, expeaant Suddenly Leslie caught my shoulder
silence, and every eye was turned toward and twisted me around so that I faced
the muffled hgiue which crouched beside him. Heavens! the boy was smiling. Had
the throne. For a space, during which he gone mad?
one might count a hundred slowly, the "Don’t you understand?” he whispered
seated savages remained as still and mo- in a tone of immeasurable relief. "Elna
tionless as efflgies of gleaming bronze. is aaing a part. She is dancing to fix
Then the drums began to beat a faster their attention —
to gain time. She knows
rhythm, and the aouching figure leapt that help is at hand, and she’s just fool-
to its feet and cast aside the leopardskin ing the niggers so that they will not harm
cloak, standing poised like some beautiful her until we can strike.” And he pushed
ivory statue in the firelight’s glare. forward the safety-catch of his rifle and
A convulsive gasp came from the boy looked along the sights.
at my side. I made no reply, mercifully allowing
"Elna!” His voice was so loud that the poor lad to extraa what comfort he
but for the drums it would have led to might from his idea. In my own mind I
our discovery. "My God! it’s Elna!” — was sure that Elna was not aaing. She
But it was Elna in a new and dreadful was dancing and leaping like one pos-
guise. When I had seen her l^t she had sessed; in herhand she brandished a long,
been dressed like an ordinary English straight-bladed knife. Her features were
girl; now every vestige of civilization had working convulsively, her eyes blazing
been cast aside. Had it not been for the with mad excitement. And as she danced
dazzling whiteness of her ^un and the she drew nearer and ever nearer to the
glory of her hair, bright as sun-kissed helpless steward on the ground.
corn, she might have passed for one of A horrible fascination gripped me as
the women of the tribe. I watched the ghastly drama, so that I

My emotion was a sense of dull

first seemed to lose all sense of my surroiuid-
incredulity. Could this shameless jungle ings. All the while, floating through the
—
amazon be Elna the girl whom I had mist of horror and dreadful expeaancy
watched over and reared, whom I had that clouded my brain, came the memory
uught to ride straight, shoot straight, of Kemp’s words when he had hinted at
and live straight? Impossible! ^the thing — the unhallowed rites praaised by the
was absurd! 'That painted and feather- "Red Drinkers.”
decked savage was not my little girl At last the end came.
rather was it some foul, flaunting demon With a laugh that was like the shrill
who had gained possession of her white screech of a wild beast, the frenzied girl
and flawless body— sotiie poisonous spirit leapt at the helpless prisoner and plunged
that had entered into her blood. . . . her knife into his throat. The horrified
W.T.—
 8

THE INVISIBLE BOND 401

cry that rose to my lips was stifled by his readi, without a thou^t for his own
another, and even greater horror; for the life. I verily believe that at that moment
creature who bore the outward semblance Leslie wished to die. If so, he had his
to Elna Fanshaw had thrown herself full wish. The savages broke and ran for
length on her writhing viaim and was cover, but an arrow whizzed out of the
greedily sucking the living blood as it darkness and buried itself in his heart. . . .

gushed from the wound. As the dawn was stealing into the
I can only conjecture what must have eastern sky I laid the young husband and
been Leslie’s state of mind at that mo- wife in a grave which I dug near the spot
mem. For myself, I seemed to be the vic- where they had died. If fate had sun-
tim of some ghastly nightmare from dered their lives so strangely, in deatfi, at
which I must presently awake. I simply least, they were not divided.
could not believe die evidence of my own
I returned to the vill^e to find it in
eyes as I saw the girl raise herself from
the hands of the natives. The rest of our
her ghoulish her victim’s life-blood
feast,
party had been surprized in their sleep
staining her delicate lips and running in
and killed. Then I wandered into the
tiny rivulets down her ivory breasts, and,
bush, on and on, until I saw your smoke
standing erea widi wide-flung arms, give
voice to die exultam blood-call of the
Ghu-Fanti,
on the horizon. ...
• ««**** 1

At the si^t, something must have

snaj^ped in the brain of the boy at my T hat was
gasping sentences as
the story told

dered her way over the long rollers of

me in
my ship
weak,
shoul-

side. He threw his rifle to his shoulder,

and the next moment the crash of its
the tropic sea. Of its truth or falsity the
reader must judge for himself.
discharge awcJce the echoes of the forest.
I like he imended the bul-
to think diat It may be possible that the infusion of
let for N’Zahgi, but if so, he must have savage blood formed a bond, invisible
aimed badly. It was Elna who stiffened but unbreakable, between the gently
suddenly as she stcxid poised like a crim- nurtured white girl and the fierce devil-
soned vampire —
stiffened, swayed, then worshipper; it may be that the whole ep-
pitched forward and lay still. isode is but a figment of a fever-ridden
A second later I pressed my trigger brain.

and sent the witch-doaor down with a At least it is certain that more will
bullet through his skull. 'Then Leslie never be known, for the sole survivor of
dashed into the throng of startled sav- the ill-fated Primrose died at sundown
ages, swinging his clubbed rifle, dealing that day, and the next morning we com-
out death to every living thing within mitted his body to the deep.

W.T.—
A Wdrd Story of Upper Michigan
The Tree of Life
By PAUL ERNST
T WAS cold. God, it was cold! Out- Whilom, our nearest farm neighbor.
The old couple had been swindl^ out
I snow showed
side the cabin a blanket of February
leaden white under the of their modest Ohio farm five years be-
heavy, midafternoon clouds. A keening fore. In their old age they had been
wind growled through the bare-limbed forced to come to upper Midiigan, bare-
trees. It rattled the dry boughs like the handed, to wrest v>a living from the un-
fingers of skeletons; and stole between familiar soil. And now — this!
the slatsof the crude window to twitch That noon my father and I had
at the shroud of the thing beneath. hitched up for the twelve-mile drive over
It was from that sheeted, stark figure laborious roads to town. (This was be-
on the long bench that the greatest cold fore the day of teeming autos and cement
seemed to emanate. Nothing can be colder highways.) In front of the Whilom ca-
that a corpse. Nothing! A corpse seems bin my father had pulled up the horses
to radiate a deathly chill that numbs die and stopped.
heart of whoever is near it. Standing before us was Ab —a spare,
Because of the shrouded body more gnarled man in whom age had curdled
than because of the actual temperature, like milk in a thimderstorm.
I was chilled to the bone in spite of my "Jest a minute,” he called, coming to
inches of heavy clothing. I got to my feet the side of the wagon. "I need help.”
and walked up and down the one room "An)rthing we can do ” my father
of the cabin, averting my eyes from the began amiably. He stopped at the look
figure on the bench. in Ab’s eyes.
Then, in an effort to conquer fear with "My old woman’s jest died,” he said.
familiarity, I crossed the room and lifted The words were as perfunctory as though
the shroud from the hatchet face be- he had just announced that his hogs had
neath. cholera. But his eyes spoke for him. 'They
An old woman, looking far older than were da2ed, hollowed out with sense of
her years because of her lifetime of loss.
toil and disappointments! The hair was "Somebody’d ought to stay with her
scant and yellow-gray. The eyes, open while I go to town for the undertaker,”
and staring, were like gray stones. The continued Ab. "She couldn’t never bide
nose seemed to have projeaed even far- being alone. I’d hate to leave her alone
ther in death than in life. It jutted out now.”
like the point of a wedge. There was My father turned to me, doubtfully,
nothing lovely in this pilgrim, set out speculatively.
for the farther shore. There was nothing "Think you can keep her company,
reposeful here. son?”
It was Mrs. Whilom, wife of Ab My look must have showed how re-
402
 THE TREE OF LIFE 405

pulsive found the idea of a lonely vigil

I meant anything to her the only light —
in the squalid cabin with a dead woman, that had shone in her warped, blind
for he hastened on. —
world her mother? Was the dau^-
"Never mind. I’ll do it. You’re pretty ter’s spirit hovering somewhere near, come

young. . . to escort the spirit of her beloved parent?

Now the youth of youth is a sore point. I thought of these things as I huddled
His reminding me of my sixteen years miserably over a fire that could not warm

was sufficient to make me insist on stay- me, and prayed the time would not be
ing there while he drove Ab on into too long in passing till my father and
town. Ab got back with the imdertaker.
So here I was, shivering in the mean
hut beside the dead Mrs. Whilom,
little TURNED to the wood-box, which was
blue with a cold that did not come en- I full to overflowing, and dumped a
tirely from the winter wind but that big armful of split branches into the
emanated straight from the shrouded fire. ’This awful cold!
thing on the bench under the window. ’The fire roared hi^er as I fed it more
wood. In an effort to counteraa that
REPLACED die sheet over the hawk chilling cold I built a blaze that threat-
1 features, and sat down before the ened the safety of the cabin.
fireplace. That psychic cold that struck 'The first keen edge of my formless ter-
through jacket and maddnaw, knee-high ror gradually wore off, as all keen edges
boots and heavy socks! I huddled closer do in time. The psychic chill was less
to the fire, resolutely turning my eyes to numbing. Or, possibly, it was more
the leaping flames. I did not want to look numbing. I don’t know. Perhaps my
toward the dead woman. fear was now so great diat my nerves re-
I wondered if life, housed
the body, in fused to twitch to its stimulus any more.
a deathless most people claim it
spirit, as At any rate, calm, of a sort, came over
does. I wondered where this woman’s me. And with diis unnatural, stunned
spirit was. I fancied I knew what other calm there came a relief from the cold-
spirit it was with at the moment. ness.
Just before the land deal that had In spite of the open window, covered
cheated the Whiloms out of their little only by the few meager slats, in spite of
farm, Ab’s daughter had died. The the low temperature outside, I began to
daughter was an unfortunate creature, feel suffocated. I was dressed to be com-
born blind and dull-witted and ugly. fortable at zero. It must have been near-
Her whole life had been filled by Mrs. ly 60“ now in the low, small room.
Whilom. And the old lady, to hear Ab I took off my maddnaw and loosened
tell it, had concentrated all her frustrated my collar. ’Then, as my feet felt the
hopes and ambitions in a ferocious ma- heat, my boots began to bother me. ’They
ternal flame of love for her unfortunate were new —and stiff as only new knee-
child. high boots can be. I took Aem off, too,

’The two had talked without words, and padded about in my heavy socks. I
Ab had once said. ’The girl’s soul, he opened the door for a foot or so and
said, was twisted around the mother’s propped it with a piece of firewood.
like a creeper around a tree. ’Trying to make my mind a blank, I
Now was the daughter rejoined in sat down, a good way from the scordi-
death by the only person that had ever ing fire. Another two hours would be
404 WEIRD TALES
needed before the trip to town and back most before I could follow its move-
could be concluded. Two hours. Two ments, it had streaked for the door again,
centuries! and was gone.
I sat there,keeping my eyes on the Almost at once it was back again. And
partly opened door so that I would not in its mouth was a green leaf, about the
see the way the drafts twitched like size and shape of an oak leaf.
ghostly fingers at the edge of the shroud.
A
green leaf! Green! In the middle
There was a faint scratching on the of February in a region where winter is
bare-swept step outside. A small, ta-
unrelenting and iron-boimd!
pered head, in which were set two beady
eyes, was poked inquisitively around the
My face must have been a mask of stu-
pidity as I stared at that leaf. Where in
edge of the door. wood-rat. And an A the name of was miraculous could
all that
astonishingly bold one! Driven past fear,
the rodent have found it? 'There were no
no doubt, by the attraaion of the warmth
green trees in the countryside at that time
and the smell of food in the cupboard.
of year! I knew there were none. Yet
Giutiously, with many a spasmodic re-
treat, it came into the cabin. It kept its
— ^here was this leaf!

hard little eyes warily on me. I stayed

motionless, glad of any distraaion.
After perhaps five minutes of maneu-
T he
bold.
stiffening
rat was
It
body of
less qtudc this time,
crept slowly toward the
its mate. As it
less

ad-
vering, it reached the center of the room
vanced it kept its glittering little eyes
and aouched, staring
me. I reached slowly down beside me
impudently up at
direaed —
not toward me, cuiriously
enough, but toward the corpse.
for one of my boots. Slowly
The wood-rat jerked toward the door, There followed a most astoimding
but stopped as my descending hand was speaacle.

stayed. It came back. And now my 'The rat began to scurry aimlessly
fingers were around the boot-top. around the room as though something
My hand snapped back and up. The were chasing it. Gu^fully holding the
rat raced for the door, but a foot away amazing leaf clear of the floor, it d^ged
from it the flung boot chanced to catch wildly from one wall to the other, al-
it squarely. It kicked a little, and lay ways keeping its eyes fixed on thin air in
still, with a fleidc of red dabbling its
front of it. I was as completely disre-

spiky, repulsive whiskers. garded as though I had not been there.

I started up to throw the dead rat out Toward the improvised bier the rat
of the cabin, when another scratching scurried, only to double spasmodically
soimd on the step outside came to my away from and tun under my very
it

ears. chair. Had the thing gone mad? I b^

It was a second wood-rat. And this gan to fumble for my other boot, fear of
one was either entirely fearless or lost to a bite overcoming my curiosity to see the
caution in its discovery of its fellow’s outcome of this inexplicable play.
fate. The rat approached its dead mate
Without even a glance at me, it again, keeping its eyes on a spot on the
streaked from the door to the furry body wall over the body —
as if there were
lying beside my boot. It sniffed around something there that was invisible to my
the dead rat with inquisitive nose, and eyes.
stared at it with beady eyes. Then, al- With a quick move it placed the green
 ,

THE TREE OF LIFE 405

leaf squarely on the little stark body. that had paralyzed me before, laid hold
And behold — a miracle! of me again. And suddenly, as though

The was dead was no longer

rat that the touch of the leaf had given my eyes

dead! Under my very gaze it quivered new power, I saw something

thought I

and came to life. The legs jerked once wavering proteaively over the dead body.
or twice. The body twitched. The crea- I say "thought” because by now it was

ture rose, limping and stiff, and followed early dusk, and the misty shape I seemed

its mate out dhe door! to see was so intermingled with the
gathering shadows that I could not be
My mindwhirled in a blind chaos.
That impossible green leaf its contact — sure. Also, when I blinked my eyes to

with the dead rat —the resurrection of the

test their veracity,
I lifted
the vision disappeared.
up the shroud, and started to
little pest!
touch the leaf to the dead woman’s
As had everyone else who lived in
face
had heard tales of
that part of the state, I
Icy fingers seemed to catch at my
a fabulous Tree of Life. Somewhere in
wrist! My hand was tom away!
the region there was said to be a tree that
"Will!”
could raise the dead at a mere touch. The
myth had been handed down to the old- It was like a shower of ice-cold water,

timers by the Indians. My father had that whip-like crack of my name sound-
heard the yarn from his father, and had ing behind me. gasped with the sud-
I

denness of it, combined as it was with

told it to me when I was a yoimgster and
the sheer terror that had crept through
begged for a fairy-story.
me at the fancied touch of those unseen
It was a myth. Of course it was a
fingers.
myth! There could be no truth in such
My hand opened convulsively. As
—
a thing! But that wood-rat had surely
though caught up by some invisible force,
been dead. And now it was alive!
window and was
the leaf whirled out the
I stated at the leaf, still lying on the
gone.
floor. Like an oak leaf, it was, but of a
"Has anything happened to upset
softer texture and a lighter green. A you?” asked my father, putting his hand
leaf from the Tree
anxiously on my shoulder.
My gaze went, fascinated, from the
"No,”I mumbled. "No. Nothing
leaf to thebody imder the window. at all hashappened.”
A dead rat had come to life. Why "I thought I saw something blow out
could not a dead human being? Both of the window,” he persisted. I made no
were flesh. Both were made of the same answer.
stuff. And here, to my hand, was this Ab, meanwhile, was taking a last look
incredible green leaf.
at the woman who had helped and cared
I left my chair and picked it up. It for him for so long.
seemed to curl about my fingers with a "She’s happier now, I reckon,” he
life of its own. It was soft as the softest muttered. "She’s with Patty, prob’ly,
silk, and warm —
no other leaf I’d
like with our poor blind daughter. . .
.”
ever touched. The feel of it went through
me like wine. I seemed to expand, to NEVER told them what had happened
grow larger than my own self. I in that cabin. A kid of sixteen doesn’t
Clutching the leaf, I started toward tell such things. He’s too sure he’ll be
the corpse. As I went the numbing chill laughed at. It’s only now, when I am
 — — —

406 WEIRD TALES

well along in years, diat I dare to relate first chase the rat and then clutch at my
the a£Fair and speculate about it. wrist in an effort to keep the mother from
Was the rat really dead? Possibly being resurrected? It sounds unbeliev-
not; I am in no position to prove it. Did able.
I merely imagine that wavering thing by The only faa that I can reiterate is

die corpse, and the touch of those cold that the leaf — in the midst of winter
fingers? Perhaps; one’s imagination is was green. I saw it, held it in my hand.
apt to work overtime during such a vigil. What would have happened had 1
Could the spirit of the dead daughter touched it to the corpse? I don’t know,
have really been in that room, and did it of course, but I think ... I think. . . .

Black Chant Imperial

By ROBERT E. HOWARD
Trumpets triumph in red disaster.
White skulls litter the broken sod.
And we who ride for the one Black Master
Howl at the iron gates of God.

Temples rock and the singers falter.

Lights go out in the rushinggloom
Slay the prieston his blackened altar,
Rip the babe from the woman’s womb!

Black be the night that locks around them,

'They who chant of the Good and Light,
Black be the pinions that shall confound them.
Breaking their brains with a deadly fright.

Praised be the Prince that reigns forever

'Throned in the shadows stark and grim.
Where cypress moans by the midnight river
Lift your goblas and drink to him!

Virgins wail and a babe is whining

Nailed like a fly on a gory lance;
White on the skulls the stars are shining.
Over them sweeps our demon’s dance.

Trumpets bray and the stars are riven!

Shatter the altar, blot the light!
From the bursting hells to the falling heaven
We are kings of the world tonight!
 —

His W^ild Dream Was Interwoven With Reality

The Phantom Bus

By W. ELWYN BACKUS

O
To Arthur
UT of the vagueness of the half-
dawn a dark bulk loomed to the
accompaniment of a dull rumble.
Strite, waiting for his regular
"Oh,” said Strite,

sort of cross-country service

lying sections of Cincinnati.
mentally categorying
the bus line with several that operated a
between out-
Of course,
bus— the big, orange six-forty-five to the he some concern had to serve
refleaed,
—
city ^this nondescript contraption which this need. But he was conscious of a feel-
usually preceded it by a minute or two ing of relief that he did not have to use
seemed more like a ghostly coffin than a that service.
public conveyance. Its sweating black Arthur Strite was boarding in Emery-
sides glistened oilily in the gray light as it mont with the Ransons, not because of
passed him. A
dim incandescent
single any liking for the make-believes, the rab-
lamp seen through the windows silhou- ble of teurgeoisie and scandalmongers
etted stiffly nodding heads against the that peopled the little suburb, but because
background of a dingy interior. Then he did enjoy the shrubbery and lawns and
the black bus was gone, swallowed up in the quaintly designed houses, despite the
the swirling December mist and fog. crazy butting of garbage-can-studded
As always, a feeling of odd disquiet bade yards against living-room windows
possessed Strite with the passing of this of adjoining homes. He minded his own
conveyance — a fleeting impression of business, displaying no curiosity in the
mystery, strangely repellent and defying neighbors or affairs of the place —^which
description; of ill omen. What manner was one of the reasons why he had not
of passengers it carried or whence and discovered sooner the purpose of the bus
whither it traveled, he did not know line mentioned.
and cared less. Yet, queerly enough, the The night of the same day he had
affair had increasingly irritated and dis- asked about the bus, he found himself
turbedhim ever since his moving to pondering, with some intentness in the
Emerymont three weeks before. midst of an absent-minded perusal of the
"Just an old junk-heap that loops out evening comic sheet, on the dingy con-
through Norwood and back over this veyance that passed him each morning.
direction,” a fellow commuter said in Why should that silly bus thus intrude
answer to his question. Until this morn- itself into his mind? He smiled self-in-
ing Strite had refrained from what he dulgently and turned over to the sports
deemed the weakness of a query about page. The thing actually was becoming a
this thing. For he had hesitated to give nuisance! And for no logical reason.
definiteshape to his senseless disquiet by What should it matter to him how unin-
admitting any curiosity, even to himself, viting, how disagreeable a box on wheels
"I believe a couple of death-traps like that those people rode in every morning?
one comprise the company’s entire roll- Nevertheless, he dropped off to sleep
ing-stock,” his informant finished. thinking about the ghostly bus.
40 ]
408 WEIRD TALES

The same diing began to be the rule feel. Startled more by this unnatural
on the nights that followed. Always that quiet than he could have been by the
ridiculous feeling of indefinable dread loudest of banging or jolting, he raised
would come over him, would cling ten- toward the occupants of the bus.
his eyes
aciously to his thoughts from the moment Perhaps it was the strange effort this aa

he happened to think of having seen the seemed to impose upon him; at any rate,
shadowy bus that morning. He had half he awoke in that instant, seized by un-
a notion to hail the confounded contrap- reasoning, incomprehensible terror!
tion some morning and see where it took It was an hour before his taut nerves

him, just to dispel all this absurd air of had relaxed enough to let him drop off to
mystery about it which had so unaccount- sleep —
and not before he had vowed to
ably fastened upon him. Though perhaps ride that bus in faa the next morning.
there was some reason for his strange
2
obsession after all. Not quite one year
before, his fianc^, Doris Tway, had been TRITE did not ride the black bus the
killed in a terrible bus crash. He remem- S next morning. It was nearly seven
bered the crumpled remains of the fatal o’dock when he opened his eyes from a
bus, vdiich he had seen afterward, vivid- troubled sleep. This meant that he would
ly. It, too, had been black and shabby. be late to the office where he worked, on
—
An odd girl she had always said chat if the other side of the dty. Of course he
she left first, she would return for him. missed his regular bus, and, with it, the
Her idea of a joke, of course, but un- other. Too, the daylight put a different
usual. aspect upon things. It would have been
In spite of his notion about hailing the ridiculous, after all, to board a bus bound
ocher bus, Strite did not ride it —not for for another part of the dty merely to
severalweeks anyway, although its daily humor a crazy impulse.
rumbling and jangling iq}ptoach, made Yet, when that night came, Strite hes-
more eery by the shortening of die days, go to bed. He told himself that
itated to
had driven ^at impression of weird mys- he was hopeless, a fool and a coward.
tery deeper than ever into his waking Then he undressed and resolutely turned
thoughts. Waking, because, so far, the out the li^t.
datk bus had troubled him only during His hesitancy had not been unfounded.
the evenings before he retired. Again he found himself boarding the
However, diere came a night when he mysterious, sweating conveyance with its

dreamed that he obeyed an impulse and leaning operator and strange, illusive
boarded the strange bus! odor. And again a sudden, agonized
He was conscious of a sickly odor as he awakening.
entered the rickety door, which had slid But this time he saw the other occu-
back widi a softness in strange contrast to pants before he awoke. They all — there
the outward datter of the conveyance. —
were six of them ^had their eyes closed
The viaor of the operator’s caq> was pulled as they sat nodding slightly with the
wdl down over his face as he leaned over almost imperceptible swaying of the bus.
his levers. Strite felt the bus begin to There was a repellent something about
move. Oddly, there was no vibration, those faces, other than their dosed eye-
none of the jarring rattle smd bang he lids, diat struck a chill into Strite's heart.
had eiqiected. He mig^t have been on a He wondered whedier they were just

river barge, for all the motion he could weary, like him, or
 —

THE PHANTOM BUS 409

A cold finger touched his wrist. He dime he dutched —the dime he had been
managed to turn and face the operator. ready to drop in the fare box o£ bis
The latter, his face still hidden, was point- dream!
ing to the fare box. Of course, these ill-

built, ill-kept buses would reverse things 3

by demanding their fare when one
entered. He
a dime, and in that
reached into his pocket for
moment caugjit sight
O F cotTRSE he found that die <x>in evi-
dently had fallen out of his vest
vdien he sat on the bed while undressing.
of a seventh passenger, seated in front on
In fact, he usually kept some change in
the other side. The operator's head and
his vest pocket so as to have it handy for
shoulders had partly hidden her from
tips, newspapers, and such. Perhaps the
him before, despite her slender tallness.
acddental finding and touching of that
As his fingers found and automatically coin in his slumbers had even started the
brought forth a dime, he observed that train of thought that had made him dream
this passenger’s eyes were not closed like
—
the test djat they were pale gray and
of the fare box —
and the other things. But
there was no more sleep for Strife. After
staring at him. They were like oh, God, — tossing about for the rest of the night, he
it couldn’t be —
Doris! But it was ^it — got up about five o' clock.
was! How could he have failed to recog-
This morning he was determined upon
nize her sooner, despite her position on
one thing. He would ride the blade bus
the other side of the operator.^ Now he
"the phantom bus,’* as he had come to
could tmderstand why this bus had
drawn him so strangely, irresistibly.
—
term it privately this morning, and kill
for once and all this persistent stdicon-
As he stated back at her, speechless
scious illusion that had taken root In his
with amazement, her eyes left his face,
mind from the seed of his first absurd im-
turned toward the windshield. Her pale
pression of the rickety conveyance in the
lips twitched oddly, as if, mute with fear
eery light of half-dawn.
at what she saw there, she sought vainly
Once more his intention was to be de-
to screana.
feated, however. The blade bus failed to
*nien abruptly the spell was broken.
appear before the though
six-forty-five,
She leaped to her feet, throwing one arm had arrived at its stop more than a quar-
across her face in a gesture of one ward-
ter-hour before it was due. He even
ing ofiF some fearful harm. A shrill, hys-
waited for it ten minutes after his regular
terical scream pierced the quiet of that
dosed space like the stab of a knife!
bus had gone —only to learn later ditt the
other line finally had been discontimied.
'That cry jarred Strife back to con- His first reaction to diis information
sdousness with a suddenness that jerked was an overwhelming relief. No ItMiger
him upri^t in bed. would he be reminded by this shadowy
As he sat there trembling widi the rumbling hulk each morning, of thingr
realism of his dream and th« agonized he wanted to forget.
scream, he became aware that he held But on the he^ of this thou^ came
something tightly in one dosed hand. A the realization that die very disoondnu-
fresh chill passed through his body at the ance of the line had removed all diascc
familiar feel of that something. He of his ever killing the illusion if the latter
needed no li^t to tell him that it was a continued to troid>le him.
 —

410 WEIRD TALES

That day at he walked along a
noon as
downtown street a peculiar odor halted
him. There was an illusive, dread
familiarity about it. He was before a
T he six-forty-five
utes late
dition of the roads; they
bus was four min-
on accoimt of the icy con-
had been that
florist’s open shop, and a great bowl of
way for two days. A little group of com-
tuberoses, those once choice flowers for all
muters on the roadside were talking in
those departed, was set out in front. He subdued tones, for once unmindful of the
knew now where he had smelled their delay as they waited.
scent before —
on the phantom bus of his
"Personally,” a pompous, red-faced
dream.
man was saying, "I believe Ranson killed
4 and —mauled— ^him for attentions to
Mrs. Ranson.”

O
time he
NCE
bus —
again Strife was in the
in his subconscious mind. This
knew exaaly what was coming.
phantom
"But Strite didn’t
type,” objeaed a
appear to be that
young member of the
group. "Nor is Mrs. Ranson the sort who
He seemed powerless to change a single
would encourage him. Besides, consider
detail of it all. The pause just inside the
the condition of the body. Why, Ranson
doorway as he forced his gaze up to where
or no one else could have so mangled an-
the six passengers sat in plain view, their
other — ^to say nothing of leaving it in bed
eyes closed, in death-like weariness or he didn’t
and persistently claiming that
worse. The icy touch of a finger on his know how happened, except that he
it
wrist, the reaching for a coin, and the dis- and his wife were awakened in the mid-
covery of the slender, tall girl up front. dle of the night by a frightful cry and —
Doris! found him that way! No, I say there is
At this point the sequence of events some deeper mystery about the affair, the
suddenly galvanized him into a feverish nature of which we haven’t suspected.”
alertness for the next thing. As Doris’ 'The big, orange-colored bus hove into
hysterical scream rang in his ears, he was view at this jimcture, interrupting the dis-
abruptly released from the grip of im- cussion for the time. Presently they all
mobility. He turned quickly and looked had boarded it and foimd seats at various
out of the front of the bus. vantage-points. A little distance along the
What he saw there made him throw up road one of them pointed out to his neigh-
his hands in an involuntary gesture simi- bor a twisted and splintered mass of
lar to her own instinaive gesture of ter- wreckage at the foot of an embankment
ror. He heard the brakes squealing of the narrow bridge they were just then
shrilly — felt the bus skid on the sleet- crossing.

covered road even as he caught a side "Lucky it jumped off when it struck
glimpse of the operator’s face saw with — didn’t even delay us yesterday when we
sudden added horror that half the face followed a few minutes after it was dis-

was missing. Beyond that fleeting glimpse, covered.”

he had time for no further examination; "Queer thing about how it got there,”
for just ahead a heavily loaded truck was said the other. "Nobody witnessed the
emerging from a narrow bridge-end, accident, and the defima bus company’s
blocking their way. 'Then a terrific, rend- ofiSicials last they saw of
swear that the
ing crash. . . . their 'death trap’ was when it was locked
 BEYOND THE DOOR 411

away in an old garage on the other side ‘No queerer dian thatmess in- — that
of Norwood. Can you imagine any one side the wreck —
as if some one had been
swiping a can like that for a ride? But the —
crushed like ^well, like poor Strite, for
present-day young cc4ce-head will grab instance. Yet they could find no trace of
anything for a joy-ride.*’ a body!"

Beyond the Door

By PAUL SUTER
“'^^OU haven’t told me yet how it parts of the house, suppose we rest a
haj^)ened,’* I said to Mrs. Mal- little,” I suggested, in my most unctuous

kin. manner. “The place rather gets on one’s

She set her lips and eyed me, sharply. nerves —
don’t you think so?”
"Didn’t you talk with die coroner, It was sheer luck — I claim no credit
sir?” for it. My chance refleaion found the
"Yes, of course,’’ I admitted; “but as weak spot She re-
in her fortifications.
I understand you found my uncle, I plied to it with an undoubted smack of
’’
thought satisfaaion:
"Well, I wouldn’t care to say anything "It’s more than seven years that I’ve
about it,”she interrupted, with decision. been doing for Mr, Sarston, sir: bring-
’This housekeeper of my uncle’s was ing him his meals regular as clockwork,
somewhat taller than I, and much heavier —
keeping the house clean ^as clean as he’d
— ^twophysical preponderances which let me —
and sleeping at my own home
afford any woman possessing them an o’ nights; and in all that time I’ve said,
advantage over the inferior male. She over and over, there ain’t a house in New
appeared a subjea for diplomacy rather York the equal of this for queemess.”
than argument. “Nor anywhere else,” I encouraged
Noting her ample jaw, her breadth of her, with a laugh;^ and her confidences
cheek, the unsentimental glint of her eye, opened another notch:
I decided on conciliaticm. I placed a chair “You’re likely right in that, too, sir.
for her, there in my Uncle Godfrey’s As I’ve said to poor Mr. Sarston, many a
study, and dropped into another, myself. time, 'It’s all well enough,’ says I, 'to
“At least, before we go over the other have bugs for a hobby. You can afford
•BYom WEIRD TAX.E3. April, 1923. it; and being a bachelor and by your-
412 WEIRD TALES

self, you don’t have to consider other Uncle Godfrey’s, the whole affair had
people’s likes and dislikes. And it’s all been a mystery of lips which closed and
well enough if you want to,’ says I, 'to faces which were averted at my approach.
keep thousands and thousands o’ them in Even the coroner seemed unwilling to tell
cabinets, all over the place, the way you me just how my luicle had died.
do. But when it comes to pinnin’ them
on the walls in regular armies,’ I says, ID you understand she was going to
’and on the ceiling of your own study; live with him, sir?’’ asked Mrs.
and even on difFerent parts of the furni- Malkin, looking hard at me.
tme, so that a body don’t know what I confined myself to a nod.
awful thing she’s a-goin’ to find imder "Well, so did 1. Yet, after a year, back
her hand of a sudden when she does the she went.”
dusting; why, then,’ I says to him, 'it’s "She went suddenly?” I suggested.
woman too far.’ ”
drivin’ a decent "So suddenly that I never knew a thing
"And did he never try to reform his about it till after she was gone. I came
ways when you told him that?’’ 1 asked, to do my chores one day, and she was
smiling. here. I came the next, and she had

"To be frank with you, Mr. Robinson, started back to Australia. 'That’s how
when I talked like that to him, he gener- sudden she went.”
ally raised my pay. And what was a body '"They must have had a falling-out,” I
to do then?’’ conjectured. "I suppose it was because of
"I can’t see how Lucy Lawton stood the house.”
the place as long as she did,’’ I observed, "Maybe it was and maybe it wasn’t.”
watting Mrs. Malkin’s red face very "You know of other reasons?”
closely. "I have eyes in my head,” she said.
She swallowed the bait, and leaned "But I’m not going to talk about it. Shall
forward, hands on knees. we be getting on now, sir?”
"Poor girl, it got on her nerves. But I tried another lead:
she was the quiet kind. You never saw "I hadn’t seen my uncle in five years,
her, sir?’’ you know. He seemed terribly changed.
I shook my head. ,
He was not an old man, by any means,
”
"One of Aem, slim, faded girls, with yet when I saw him at the funeral
light hair, and hardly a word to say for I paused, expeaantly.
herself. I don’t believe she got to know To my relief, she responded readily:
the next-door neighbor in the whole year ' "He looked that way for the last few
she lived with your uncle. She was an or- months, especially the last week. I spoke
phan, wasn’t she, sir?’’ to him about it, two days before —before
"Godfrey Sarston and
"Yes,’’ I said. it happened, sir —and told him he’d do
I were her only living relatives. That well to see the doaot) again. But he cut
was why she came from Australia to stay me off short. My sister took sick the same
with him, after her father’s death.’’ day, and I was called out of town. 'The
”
Mrs. Malkin nodded. I was hoping next time I saw him, he was

that, by putting a check on my eagerness, She paused, and then went on, sob-
I could lead her on to a number of things bing: "To think of him lyin’ there in that

I greatly desired to know. Up to the time awful place, and callin’ and callin’ for
I had induced the housekeeper to show me, as I know he must, and me not
me through this strange house of my around to hear him!”
 —

BEYOND THE DOOR 413

.. As she stopped again, suddenly, and were over, as if she had prepared my
threw a suspicious glance at me, I has- mind sufficiently, she produced some-
tened to insert a matter-of-faa question: thing from under her apron. She must
"Did he appear ill on that last day?” have been holding it there all the time.
”
"Not so much ill, as "It’s his diary, sir. It was lying here
"Yes?” I prompted. on the floor. I saved it for you, before the
She was silent a long time, while I police could get their hands on it.”

waited, afraid thatsome word of mine I opened the little book. One of the
had brought back her former attitude of sheets near the back was crumpled, and
hostility. Then she seemed to make up I glanced at it, idly. What I read there
her mind. impelled me to slap the covers shut again.
"I oughtn’t to say another word. I’ve "Did you read this?” I demanded.
said too much, already. But you’ve been She met my gaze, frankly.
liberal with me, sir, and I know some- "I looked into it, sir,, just as you did
thin’ you’ve a right to be told, which I’m only just looked into it. Not for worlds
thinkin’ no one else is a-goin’ to tell you. would I do even that again!”
Look at the bottom of his study door a "I noticed some reference here to a slab
minute, sir.” in the cellar. What slab is that?”
followed her direction. What I saw
I "It covers an old, dried-up well, sir.”
led jme to drop to. my hands and knees, "Will you show it to me?”
the better to examine it.
"You can find it for yourself, sir, if
"Why should he put a rubber strip on you wish. I’m not goin’ down there,”
the bottom of his door?” I asked, getting she said, decidedly.
“P- "Ah, well. I’ve seen enough for to-
She replied with another enigmatical day,” I told her. "I’ll take the diary bade
suggestion: "Look at these, if you will, to my hotel and read it.”
sir. You’ll remember that he slept in this

study. That was his bed, over there in the DID not return to my hotel, however.
alcove.” I In my one brief glance into the linle
"Bolts!” I exclaimed. And I reinforced book, I had seen something which had
sight with touch by shootingone of them bitten into my soul; only a few words,
back and forth a few times. "Double but they had brought me very near to that
boltson the inside of his bedroom door! queer, solitary man who had been my
An upstairs room, at that. What was the unde.
idea?” I dismissed Mrs. Malkin, and remained
Mrs. Malkin portentously shook her in the study. There was the fitting place
head and sighed, as one unburdening her to read the diary he had left behind him.
mind. His personality lingered like a vapor in
"Only this can I say, sir: He was that study. I settled into his deep morris
afraid of something — terribly afraid, sir. chair, and turned it to catch the light

Something that came in the night.” from the single, narrow window the —
"What was it?” I demanded. light, doubtless, by which he had written

"I don’t know, sir.” much of his work on entomology.

"It was in the night that it hap- — That same struggling illumination
pened?” I asked. played shadowy tricks with hosts of wall-
She nodded; then, as if the prologue crucified insects, which seemed engaged
414 WEIRD TALES
in a united effort to crawl upward in sin- "I wish I had been more gentle with
uous lines. Some of Aeir number, im- her, especially when she sank to her
paled to the ceiling itself, peered qurver- knees before me, tonight. She kissed my
ingly down on the aspiring multitude. hand. I should not have repulsed her so
The whole house, with its crisp dead, roughly. In particular, my words could
rustling in any vagrant breeze, brought have been better chosen. I said to her,
back to my mind the hand that had bitterly:*Get up, and don't nuzzle my
pinned them, one by one, on wall and hand like a dog.* She rose, wiAout a
ceiling and furniture. A kindly hand, I word, and left me. How was I to know
refleaed, though eccentric; one not to be Aat, wiAin an hour
turned aside from its single hobby. "I am largely to blame. Yet had I

When quiet, peering Uncle Godfrey taken any oAer course afterward Aan‘ Ae
went, there passed out another of those one I did, the auAorities would have mis-
scientific enthusiasts, whose passion for understood."
exaa truth in some one direaion has ex-
tended the bounds of
Could not
human knowledge.
his unquestioned merits have
A
from
gain, Acre followed a space from
L which
Ae
Ae sheets had been tom; but
sixteenA of July, all Ae pages
been balanced against his sin? Was it

necessary to even-handed justice that he

were intact. SomeAing had come over
die face-to-face with Horror, struggling
Ae writing, too. It was still precise and-

with the thing he most feared? ponder

clear —my Uncle Godfrey’s dtaracteristic

the question still, thbu^ his body

I
— hand —but Ac were
letters less firm. As
strangely bruised — has been long at rest.
the entries
ference became
approaAed the end, Ais
still more marked.
dif-

Ae
T he entries in the little
with the fifteenth of June.
thing before that date had t^en torn out.
book began
Every-
Here
story; or as
known.
follows, Aen,
much of
1 shall let his
it
whole of his
as will ever be
words speak for
There; in the room where it had been him, wiAout furAer intermptioa:
written, I read nqr Unde Godfrey's diary: "My nerves
are becoming more serious-

"It is done. Iam trembling so that the ly aff^ed. If certain annoyances do not
words will hardly form under my pen, Aali be obliged to procure
shortly cease, I

but my mind is collected. My course was medk^ advke. To be more specific, I

for Ae best. Suppose I had married her? find myself, at times, obsessed by an ai-

She would have been unwilling to live in most unconttollable desire to descend to
this house. At the outset, her wishes Ae cellar and lift Ae slab over Ae old
would have come between me and my well.

woik, and Aat would have been only Ae "1 never have yidded to Ae impulse,
beginning. but it has persisted for minutes togeAer
"As a married man, I could not have wlA such intensity Aat 1 have had to put
concentrated properly, ! o>uld not have woik aside, and literally hold mysdf
surrounded mysdf wiA Ac atmosphere down in my chair. This insane desire
indispensable to Ae writing of book. comes only in Ae
dead of nigbt, when
My scientific message would never have its disquieting effea is heightened by Ae
bera delivered. As it is, Aough my heart various noises peculiar to Ae house.
is sore, I shall sdfle Aese memories in "For instance, there often is a draft of
work. air along Ae hallways, which causes a
 BEYOND THE DOOR 415

rustling among the specimens impaled on over my shoulder at the stone slab cover-
the wails. Lately, too, there have been ing the old well. At that, a violent uem-
other nocturnal sounds, strongly sugges- or came over me, and, losing dl com-
tive of the busy clamor of rats and mice. mand, I rushed back up the cellar stairs,

This calls for investigation. I have been thence to this study. My nerves are play-
at considerable expense to make the house ing me sorry tricks.
proof against rodents, which might de- "July 30th. For more than a week, all
stroy some of my best specimens. If some has been well. The tone of my nerves
structural defea has opened a way for seems distinaly better. Mrs. Malkin,
them, the situation must be correaed at who has remarked several times lately
once. upon my paleness, expressed the convic-
"July 17th. The foimdations and cel- tion this afternoon that I am nearly my
lar were examined today by a workman. old self again. This is encouraging. I

He states positively that there is no place was beginning to fear that the severe
of ingress for rodents. He contented him- strain of the past few months had left an
self with looking at the slab over the old indelible mark upon me. With contin-
well, without lifting it. ued health, I shall be able to finish my
"July 19th. While I was sitting in this book by spring.
chair, late last night, writing, the impulse "July 31st. Mrs. Malkin remained
to-descend to the cellar suddenly came rather late tonight in connection with
upon me with tremendous insistence. I some item of housework, and it was quite
yielded —
which, perhaps, was as well. dark when I returned to my study from
For at least I satisfied myself that the dis- bolting the street door after her. The
quiet which possessed me has no external blackness of the upper hall, which the
catise. former owner of the house inexplicably
"The long journey through the hall- failed to wire for elearicity, was pro-
ways was difl5.cult. Several times, I was found. As I came to the top of the sec-
keenly aware of the same sounds (per- ond flight of stairs, something clutched
haps I should say, the same impressions at my foot, and, for an instant, almost
of sounds) that I had erroneously laid to pulled me back. I freed myself and ran
rats. I am convinced now that they are to the study.
mere symptoms of my nervous condition. "August 3rd. Again the awful insist-
Further indications of this came in the ence. I sat here, with this diary upon my
faa that, as I opened the cellar door, the knee, and it seems that fingers of iron are
small noises abruptly ceased. There was tearing at me. I will not go! My nerves
no final scamper of tiny footfalls to sug- may be utterly imstrung again (I fear
gest rats disturbed at their occupations. they are), but I am still their master.
was conscious of a
"Indeed, I certain "August 4th. I did not yield, last
impression of expeaant silence — as if which must
night. After a bitter struggle,
the thing behind the noises, whatever it have lasted nearly an hour, the desire to
was, had paused to watch me enter its go to the cellar suddenly departed. I
dominion. Throughout my time in the must not give in at any time.
cellar, I seemed surrounded by this same "August 5th. Tonight, the rat noises
atmosphere. Sheer 'nerves,’ of course. (I shall call them that for want of a more
"In the main, I held myself well under appropriate term) are very noticeable. I
control. As I was about to leave the cel- went to the length of unbolting my door
lar, however, I unguardedly glanced back and stepping into the hallway to listen.
 —8

4t6 WEIRD TALES

After a few ininutes, I seemed to be strips,being something definite and tan-
aware of something large and gtaj watdi* gible,have had a salutary effea upcm my
ing me from the daricness at the end of nerves. Perhaps I shall not need to see a
the passage. This is a bizarre statement, doaor.
of course, but it exaaly describes my im- "August 17di. Once more I have been
pression. I withdrew hastily into the aroused from sleep. The interruptions
study, and bolted the door. seem to come always same hourat the
“Now that my nervous condition is so about three o’clock in the morning. I had
palpably affecting the c^tic nerve, I must been dreaming of the well in the cellar
notmuch longer delay seeing a specialist. — the same dream, over and over every- —
—
But ^how much shall I tell him.^ thing black except the slab, and a figure
“August 8th. Several times, tonight, with bowed head and averted face sitting
while sitting here at my work, I have there. Ako, I had vague dreams about a
seemed to hear soft footsteps in the pas- dog. Can it be that my last words to her
sage. 'Nerves’ again, of course, or else have impressed that on my mind.’ I must
some new trick of the wind among die pull myself together. In panicular, I
specimens on the walls. must not, under any pressure, yield, and
"August 9th. By my watdi it is four visit the cellar after nightfalL
o’clock in the morning. My mind is made "August 18th. Am feeling much more
up to record the experience 1 have passed hc^>eful. Mrs. Malkin remarked on it,
through. Calmness may come diat way. while serving dinner. 'This improvement
“Feeling rather fatigued last ni^t, is due largely to a consultation I have had
from the strain of a weary day of re- widi Dr. Sartwell, the distinguished spe-
search, I retired early. My sleep was more cialist in nervous diseases. I went into
it is likely to be
refreshing than usual, as full details with him, excepting certain
when one is genuinely
tired. I awakened, reservations. He scouted die idea that my
however (it must have been about an experiences could be other than purely
hour ago), with a start of tremendous menul.
violence. “When he reoimmended a change of
“There was moonlight in the room. scene (which I had been expecting), I
My nerves were 'on edge,’ but, for a mo- told him positively that it was out of the

ment, I saw nothing unusual. Then, quesdon. He said then that, with the aid
glancing toward die door, I perceived of a tonic and an occasioiul sleeping-
what appeared to be thin, white fingers, draft, I am likely to progress well enough
thrust under it —
exaaly as if some one at home. This is distinaly encouraging.
outside the door were trying to attraa my I erred in not going to him at the surt.
attenrion in that manner. I rose and Without doubt, most, if not all, of my
turned on the light, but the fingers were hallucinations could have been averted.
gone. “I have been suffering a needless pen-
“Needless to say, I did not open the alty from my nerves for an action I took
door. I write the occurrence down, just solely in the interests of science. I have
as it took place, or as it seemed; but I can no disposition to tolerate it furdier. From
not trust myself to comment upon it. today I shall report regularly to Dr. Sart-
“August 10th. Have fastened heavy well.
rubber strips on the bottom of my door. “August lS>th. Used the sleeping-draft
“August l^h. All quiet, for several last night, with gratifying results. The
nights. I am hoping that the rubber doaor says I must repeat the dose for
W.T,—
 9

BEYOND THE DOOR 417

several nights, until tnjr nerves are well ing at night. Without confiding the fact
under control again. to Dr. Sartweil, I have begun to take the
“August 21$t. Ail well. It seems that drug in the daytime. At first, Mrs. Mal-
I have found the way out a very simple — kin’s views on the subjea were pro-
and prosaic way. I might have avoided nounced, but my explanation of ‘doaor's
much needless annoyance by seeking ex- orders’ has silenced her. I am awake for
pert advice at the beginning. Before re- breakfast and supper, and sleep in the
tiring, last night, I unbolted my study hours between, ^e
is leaving me, each

door and took a turn up and down the evening, a cold lunch to be eaten at mid-
passage. I felt no trepidation. The place night.
was asused to be, before these fancies
it "August 26th. Several times I have
assailed me. A visit to the cellar after caught myself nodding in my chair. The
nightfall will be the test for my complete last time, I am sure that, on arousing, 1
recovery, but I am not yet <juite ready perceived the rubber strip under the door
for that. Patience! bent inward, as if someAing were push-
"August 22nd. I have just read yes- ing it from the other side. I must not,
terday's entry, thinking to steady myself. under any circumstances, permit myself to
It is cheerful —almost gay; and there are fall asleep.
other entries like it in preceding pages. "September 2nd. Mrs. Malkin is to be
am a mouse, in the grip of a cat. Let away, because of her sister’s illness. I can
me have freedom for ever so short a time, not help dreading her absence. Though
and I begin to rejoice at my escape. Then she is here only in the daytime, even that
the paw descends again. companionship is very welcome.
"It is four in the morning — ^the usual "September 3rd. Let me put this into
hour. I retired rather late, last night, writing. The mere labor of composition
after administering the draft. Instead of has a soothing influence upon me. God
the dreamless sleep, which heretofore has knows, I need such an influence now, as
followed the use of the drug, the slumber never before!
into which I fell was punctuated by recur- "In spite of all my watchfulness, I fell
rent visions of the slab, with the bowed asleep, tonight —
across my bed. I must
figure upon it Also, I had one poignant have been utterly exhaust^. The dream
dream in which the dog was involved. I had was the one about the dog. I was
"At length, I awakened, and reached patting the creature’s head, over and over.
mechanically for the light switdi beside "I awoke, at last, to find myself in
my bed. When my hand encountered darkness, and in a standing position.
nothing, I suddenly realized the truth. I There was a suggestion of chill and
was standing in my study, with my other earthiness in the air.While I was drow-
hand upon the doorknob. It required sily trying toget my bearings, I became
only a moment, of course, to find the aware that something was nuzzling my
light and switdi it on. I saw then that hand, as a dog might do.
the bolt had been drawn bade. "Still saturated with my dream, I was
"The door was quite unlocked. My not greatly astonished. I extended my
awakening must have interrupted me in hand, to pat the dog’s head. That
the very aa of opening it. I could hear brou^t me to my senses. I was stand-
something moving restlessly in the pas- ing in the cellar.
sage outside the door. "The thing before me was not a dog!
"August 23rd. I must beware of sleep- "I can not tell how I fled back up the
W.T.—
418 WEIRD TALES
cellar stairs. know, however, that, as I
I Oh, my God, anything but that! Any-
”
turned, the slab was visible, in spite of thing
the darkness, with something sitting upon By what strange compulsion was the
it. All the way up the stairs, hands hand forced to write down what was in
snatched at my feet.” the brain; even to the ultimate thoughts;
even to those final words?

T his entry seemed to finish the diary,

for blank pages followed
remembered the crumpled sheet, near the
it; but I

T he gray light from

down through two
outside, slanting
dull little win-
back of the book. It was partly torn out, dows, sank into the sodden hole near the
as if a hand had clutched it, convulsively. inner wall. The coroner and I stood in
The writing on it, too, was markedly in the cellar, but not too near the hole.
contrast to the precise, albeit nervous pen- A small, demonstrative, dark man —
manship of even the last entry I had the chief of daeaives — stood a little
perused. I was forced to hold the scrawl apart from us, his eyes intent, his natural
up to the light to decipher it. This is animation suppressed. We
were watch-
what I read: ing the stooped shoulders of a police con-
"My hand keeps on writing, in spite stable, who was angling in the well.
of myself. What is this? I do not wish
"See anything, Walters?” inquired the
to write, but it compels me. Yes, yes, I
deteaive, raspingly.
will tell the truth, I will tell the truth.”
A heavy blot followed, partly covering
The policeman shook his head.
the writing. With difficulty, I made it The little man turned his questioning
out: to me.
"The guilt is mine — mine only. I "You’re quite sure?” he demanded.
loved her too well, yet was unwilling to
I "Ask the coroner. He saw the diary,”
marry, though she entreated me on her I told him.
knees —
though she kissed my hand. I
"I’m afraid there can be no doubt,”
told her my scientific work came first.
the coroner confirmed, in his heavy, tired
She did it, herself. I was not expeaing
that —
I swear I was not expeaing it. But
voice.

He was an old man, with lack-luster

I was afraid the authorities would mis-

understand. So I took what seemed the

eyes. Ithad seemed best to me, on the
best course. She had no friends here who
whole, that he should read my imcle’s

would inquire. diary. His position entitled him to all

"It is waiting outside my door. I feel
the available faas.What we were seek-
it. It compels me, through my thoughts. ing in the well might especially concern
My hand keeps on writing. I must not him.
fall asleep. I must think only of what I He looked at me opaquely now, while
”
am writing. I must the policeman bent double again. 'Then
Then came the words I had seen when he spoke —one who reluaantly and
like
Mrs. Malkin had handed me the book. at last does his duty. He nodded toward
They were written very large. In places, the slab of gray stone, which lay in the
the pen had dug through the paper. shadow to the left of the well.
Though they were scrawled, I read them "It doesn’t seem very heavy, does it?”
at a glance: he suggested, in an imdertone.
"Not the slab in the cellar! Not that! I shook my head. "Still, it’s stone,” I
 BEYOND THE DOOR 419

demurred. "A man would have to be The policeman and the detective had
rather strong to lift it." adjusted the knots to their satisfaction.
"To lift it — yes.” He glanced about They were bickering now as to the details
the cellar. "Ah, I forgpt," he said, of the descent.
abruptly. "It is in my office, as part of "Would that cause death?” I whis-
the evidence." He went on, half to him- pered.
self: "A man — even thougji not very "You must remember diat the house-
strong —could take a stick — for instance, keeper was absent for two days. In two
the stick that is now in my office —and days, even that pressure” — ^he stared at
prop up the slab, if he wished to look me hard, to make sure that I understood
into the well," he whispered. —"with the head down
”

The policeman interrupted, straighten- Again the policeman interrupted: "I’ll

ing again with a groan, and laying his stand at the well, if you gentlemen will
electric torch beside the well. grab die rope behind me. It won’t be
"It's breaking my back,” he com- much of a pull. I’ll take the brunt of it.”

plained. "There’s dirt down there. It We let the little man down, with the
seems loose, but I can’t get through it. electric torch strapped to his waist, and
Somebody'll have to go down.” some sort of implement a trowel or a—
The detective cut in, "I’m lifter than small spade —
in his hand. It seemed a
you, Walters.” long time before his voice, ciuiously hol-
“I’m not afraid, sir.” low, directed us to stop. The hole must
“I didn’t say you were,” die little man have been deep.
snapped. “There’s nothing down there, We braced ourselves. I was second,
anyway — though we’ll have to prove the coroner last. The policeman relieved
that, I suppose.” He glanced truculently his strain somewhat by snagging the rope
at me, but went on talking to the con- against the edge of the well, but I mar-
stable: "Rig the rope around me, and veled, nevertheless, at the ease with which
don’t bungle the knot. I’ve no intention he held the weight. Very little of it came
of falling into the place.” to me.
"There something there,” whispered
is A noise like muffled scratching reached
the coroner, slowly, to me. His eyes left us from below. Occasionally the rope
the little deteaive and the policeman, shook and shifted slighdy at the edge of
carefully tying and testing knots, and the hole. At last the detective’s hollow
turned again to the square slab of stone. voice spoke.
"Suppose —while a man was looking "What does he say?” the coroner de-
into that hole— with the stone propped manded.
up —
he should accidentally knock the The policeman turned his square,
prop away.?” He was still whispering. dogged face toward us.
"A stone so light that he could prop "I think he’s found something,” he ex-
it up wouldn’t be heavy enough to kill plained.
him,” I objeaed. The rope jerked and shifted again.
"No.” He laid a hand on my shoul- Some sort of struggle seemed to be going
der. “Not to kill him — ^to paralyze him on below. The weight suddenly in-
— if it struck the spine in a certain way. creased, and as suddenly lessened, as if
To render him helpless, but not unccwi- something had been grasped, then had
scious. The post mortem would disclose managed to elude the grasp and slip
that, through the bruises on the body.” away. I could catch the deteaive’s rapid'
 —

420 WEIRD TALES

breathing now, also the sound of inartic- cackle,like a child’s —
until the coroner
ulate speech in his hollow voice. took him by the shoulders and deliberate-
The next words I caught came more ly shook him. Then the policeman led
clearly. They were a command to pull him out of the cellar.

up. At the same moment, the weight on

the rope grew heavier, and remained so. T WAS not then, but afterward, that I
The policeman’s big shoulders began I put my question to the coroner.
straining, rhythmically. "Tell me,” I demanded. "People pass
"All together,” he direaed. "Take it there at all hours. Why didn’t my uncle
easy. Pull when I do.” call for help?”
Slowly, the rope passed through our "I have thought of that,” he replied.
hands. With each fresh grip that we "I believe he did call. I think, probably,
took, a small seaion of it dropped to the he screamed. But his head was down,
floor behind us. I began to feel the strain. and he couldn’t raise it. His screams
I could tell from the coroner’s labored must have been swallowed up in the
breathing that he felt it more, being an well.”
old man. The policeman, however, "You are sure he didn’t murder her?”
seemed untiring. He had given me that assurance before,
'The rope tightened,and suddenly, but wished it again.
I
there was an ejaculation from below "Almost sure,” he declared, "though it
just below. Still holding fast, the police- was on his account, undoubtedly, that she
man contrived to stoop over and look. killed herself. Few of us are punished
He translated the ejaculation for us. as accurately for oiur sins as he was.”
"Let down a little. He’s smck with it One should be thankful, even for
against the side.” crumbs of comfort. I am thankful.
We slackened the rope, until the de- But there are times when my uncle’s
teaive’s voice gave us the word again. face rises before me. After all, we were
The rhythmic mgging continued. Some- the same blood; our sympathies had much
thing dark appeared, quite abruptly, at in common; under any given circum-
the top of the hole. My nerves leapt in stances, our thoughts and feelings must
spite of me, but itwas merely the top of have been largely the same. I seem to see
the detective’s head —
his dark hair. him in that flnal death march along the
Something white came next — his pale —
luilighted passageway obeying an im-

—down the —
face, with staring eyes. 'Then his shoul- perative summons going on, step by
ders, bowed forward, the better to sup- step stairway to the first floor,
port what was in his arms. Tlien down —
the cellar stairs at last, lifting the
I looked away; but, as he laid his bur- slab.
den down at the side of the well, the I tty not to think of the final expiation.
deteaive whispered to xis: Yet was it final? I wonder. Did the last

"He had her covered up with dirt Door of all, when it opened, find him
covered up. . .
.” willing to pass through? Or was Some-
He began to laugh — a little, high thing waiting beyond theU Door?
T he stories of Clark Ashton
readers.
is now
Smith have aroused tremendous enthusiasm in our
Mr. Smith, whose poetry has been one of the
Weird Tales, hailed by many as a new
brightest features of
find in the fiaion world be-
cause of the high literary quality and compelling fantasy of his short tales in this
maga2ine.
V. P. Miner, of Sacramento, California, writes to the Eyrie: "Just a note of appre-
ciation, —
nothing more; a man and his work no matter how great his tasks must oc- —
casionally be compelled to pause now and then and listen for echoes. Lately I have
come upon a story now and then by Clark Ashton Smith. I believe you have recog-
nized an artist and put him to work. His stories have care; there are beauty and art in
every line. His imagination is distina; the mystery of his backgrour’d is amazing.
And within it all there exists a philosophy. I believe you have reached out among the
thousands of present-day writers and placed your hands on a real 'find’. I desire to
express the kind sentiments of this household for the rich hours of entertainment that
the stories in Weird Tales have given us.”
A letter from
Frank L. Pollock, of Shedden, Ontario, says: "In looking over a copy
of your magazine I came upon quite an extraordinary story called The Last Incanta-

tion, by Clark Ashton Smith. I have reread it several times', and can not refrain from
writing you to remark upon its very unusual literary quality. It has, in faa, the very
quality of Poe at his best —
^with perhaps a touch of Lord Dunsany.”
"The 'hot seat’ wraith story in the June issue was well done,” writes H. G. Rowell
of New York City. "Evidently the author had been there or talked with some one
who had. The autopsy incision clinched the truth of the thing. I judge Sing Sing was
meant.”
Writes Brush Hatcher of Honolulu, in a letter to the Eyrie: "Permit me to pen a
word of compliment for Seabury Quinn on his clever, amusing Jules de Grandin
stories.He presented a well-handled theme in The Brain-Thief. He manages dialogue
dexterously. You ask your readers to report on the story they preferred in the last
issue. The End of the Story by Clark Ashton Smith struck me as deserving the medal
of honor in the May edition. Smith writes easily, compaaly and without affectation.
He has a nice seleaion of detail, a neat logical plot, and a delightful manner of ex-
position. I shall be pleased to read more of his stories.”
"I have eagerly secured every issue of Weird Tales since I was first introduced to
it about a year ago by a friend,” writes H. E. Nenzel, of Dundalk, Maryland. "Hav-
421
422 WEIRD TALES

ing seen many H. P. Lovecraft’s worics, I was all excited

readers request reprints of
when Isaw that you had reprinted The Rats in the Walls. For sheer weirdness and
horror this story is hard to beat. Lovecraft is die best of them all, and I would like

to see more reprints of his earlier worics, as I missed most of them when first pub-
lished. The scientific stories by Edmond Hamilton are by far the best I have read any-
where, especially his stories alx>ut the adventures of the Interstellar Patrol. Your mag-
azine satisfies me in every way as I have always been an avid reader of uncommon
stories."
Ron H. Donachy, of Kane, Pennsylvania, rushes to the defense of the cover designs,
which have been severely criticized in the Eyrie in recent issues. "While reading in
the Eyrie of the June issue the excellent letter of Bernard Austin Dwyer of Kings-
ton," he writes, "I hit upon one portion thereof in which I do in no way agree with
the gentleman named. This is in regard to the cover designs, so unjustly termed raw,
rank sex appeal by Mr. Dwyer. Why should not the public mind run along the above
named channels, when we know that we are so beautifully and wonderfully made;
and who has become so unseeing that he can not behold beauty and charm in the sym-
metry of the human form en nude? Does it not portray weird temptation, allure-
ment and mystery of itself.^ Or perhaps does Mr. Dwyer expea you to portray as a
cover design the loathsome horror of Mr. Lovecraft’s Dunwich Horror or his Silver
Key, or perhaps the terrible phantoms of The Planet of Horror in the June issue,
and have the public turn sick with revulsion from the very sight thereof.^ No! no! a
thousand times no! For my part I am perfealy satisfied with the cover designs, and
can conceive of no way where any change would be an improvement in the least. I
will agree with H. P. Stiller of New York, that H. P. Lovecraft’s Dunwich Horror is
truly a classic, worthy of being preserved for posterity, as likewise is his Silver Key, of
which much of the subjea matter therein I deem a true history of die mental processes
of the present race and age; and I believe that next or equal to these two great works
of Loveaaft is The Hounds of Tindalos by Frank Belknap Long, Jr., published about
a year ago. I have read these three stories over at least half a dozen times, and I assure
you that when I desire to read something with a thrill and a deep mystery that I can
find nowhere else, I again turn to one of these works; for with each reading I always
find something there that I hadn’t seen before.”
R. Gage, of Vancouver, British Columbia, writes to the Eyrie: "I am not going to
read any more of your magazines if I find any more of those queer French names like
in The Brain-Thief by S. Quinn. If I liked to hear French names I’d live in France.
Also, I think your stories are not so much weird as they are crazy.”
'"The June issue was certainly fine, probably because it contained a de Grandin
story,” writes Edwin Beard, of St. Louis. “VjTien will I cease to rave over that myth-
ical man? And I do not, as a certain gentleman suggested in the Eyrie, rave over him

because others do. I think for myself, now and always. I would like to read more
for Weird Tales. My personal opinion, and all my professors count it worthy of con-
sideration, is that your magazine has more literary merit for the price than any maga-
zine printed which is devoted chiefly to fiction.”
Readers, what is your favorite story in this issue? The most popular story in the
July number, as shown by your votes, was the last installment of The Moon of Skulls,
the Solomon Kane story by Robert E. Howard. The Bride of Dewer, by Seabury
Quinn, was a close second to Mr. Howard’s story.
 —

THE EYRIE 423

stories of the Overlord of G)rnwall by Doaor Keller. I enjoyed them immensely,

especially No The Planet of Horror fell flat for me. It strove to reach
Other Man.
the blood-freezing heights attained in The Space-Eaters but failed utterly. I like my
horrors concrete most of the time, abstraa only once in a while. The Rats in the Walls
was certainly chilling, especially the last two columns. Please reprint The Infidel’s
Daughter ot The Woman of the Wood. They are nothing less than classics. I am
simply wild over stories like The Girl Pram Samarcand. I hope more are printed.

And what has become of Greye La Spina? I never see his (or is it her?) stories any
more.” [A new serial by Greye La Spina will begin in our Oaober issue The Edi-
tors.]
"I thought the last issue of Weird Tales a particularly strong one,” writes Clark
Ashton Smith. "The gruesome stories, such as In the Borderland and The Frog,
were especially good. But of course the real event was the reprint of Lovecraft’s The
Rats in the Walls. I was pleased to see a story by Long annoimced for the next issue.
Long has a rare imaginative gift and a distinaive style that is beholden to nobody.”
"Do you ever get letters from bona fide English teachers?” writes Don C. Hilsing-
er, of St. Louis, Michigan. "I am one myself, but I am not o*e of those teachers who

believe
) that no literature was written before or after Shakespeare. Neither do I avow
Browning to have been the last real poet. In fact, my favorite poets and authors are
not all dead and what is more I defend them against the inveaives of my professors.
On several occasions I have mentioned Weird Tales only to have it scorned as only
a Ph. D. in English can scorn a magazine. Then one day I saw the list of stories that
this Ph. D. was teaching in his short-story class. Ha ha ha! I had read several of
them in Weird Tales and I told him so. He registered a very operatic expression of
surprize and said, Ts that so?’ Then he proceeded to ponder on the subjea for a
while and finally gave his decision to the effea that if you published in your monthly
reprint section such stories as the ones I mentioned, the rest of your stories would

(1) to be good too, or your readers would objea to them by comparison. Score six
have

MY FAVORITE STORIES IN THE SEPTEMBER WEIRD TALES ARE:

Story Remarks

(
1)

( 3) :

I do not like the following stories:

Why?

(
2

r
It know what kind of stories
will help us to
I Reader’s name and address:
you want Weird Tales if you will
in
I
fill out this coupon and mail it to The ...
Eyrie, Weird Tales, 840 N. Michigan Ave., I

Chicago, 111.

I
424 WEIRD TALES

Another Dracula
{ Continued from page 336f

they stopped directly under my window I st(^»ped dead in my tracks, absolutdy

— I could have hit tfiem with a shoe.” petrifi^.”

"Why didn’t you?” “I can well believe it,” interjeaed the

preferred to and watch

girl. "You poor little kid!”
"Because I sit
E^. Crane continued: "And dien the
them. Didn’t want to scare them away.”
beast came towwd me. At least I judged
"But why didn’t you shoot them?”
that he was coming toward me, for the
'"The farmer for whom I worked
two phosphorescent eyes seemed to get
didn't let any of the farmhands keep
wider and wider apart. In an attempt at
guns. So the two lions finally trotted oS
friglitening him, I swimg my lantern
again into the woods.” —
widely ^and the lantern went out. I was
"But that wasn’t the adventure you alone in die darkness with that thing up
were going to tell me about, was k?” die road. Yet still the two spots of light
asked Mary, a bit disappointedly. glowed, even thou^ there was now no
"No,” replied Crane. "The advenmre lantern for them to reflea. Instinctively I
happened the following night. Again I felt that this was strange, but I was too
was lying awake listening to the cries of scared to do any real thinking c«i the sub-
the pair, as they called to each other from jea. Wider and wider apart got die two
range to range. And again the two an- eyes. 'What a huge beast this must be!’
imak met between the farm and the ltdce. I thou^t. From a distant ridge there
But time their cries then ceased.
this came the blood-curdling saeam of a lion.
What devilment were they up to,
silent Fascinated, I waited for the beast in front
I ¥«)ndered? And then I heard the pump of me to answer its mate. But die answer
stop. It was my turn to go down to the came from an entirely different quarter,
lake and fix it.” far away. 'Can there be tjbree of them.^’
"You poor dear,” murmured Mary. I wondered. And then, with a flash of in-
"How old were you?” spiration, I stepped fearlessly forward,
"Only eleven. I was scared
Naturally right between the two eyes which were
to death, but I had to go, for it was my facing me. They were nothing but two
turn. begged each of the other farm-
I glow-worms crawling on the dirt of the
hands, one by one, to go with me, but road.”
they all tefus^; so I lit a lantern and set 'Well of all the yarns!” exclaimed
off alone through the woods. Not a Mary, a bit exasperated. "Here I have
sound from the mountain lions. If only been getting up a lot of sympathy for you,
they would howl, so that I could tell and you weren’t any more in danger of
where they were, and what they were up being eaten alive than I am right now.”
to! But they kept absolutely silent. Some- "But I really was frightened, terribly
how I reached the lake shore, got die so,” protested the young doaor, a bit
pump going again, and started bade up apologaically.
the road toward home. I was just begin-
ning to recover from my stupor of abjea
terror, when upon rounding a curve of
the path, I saw in front of me rwp green
T here was
a pause, while the two sat
and watched the moonlight on the
gently swaying treaops of the moumain-
spots of phosphorescent light. Instantly side.
 —

WEIRD TALES 425

Then Mary asked, "You have spoken

of the terrifying scream of the mountain
lions. What was it like? Can you de-
scribe it to me?”
"That’s a pretty big order,” laughed
the young doaor, "for a lion’s scream is

different from anything ebe

have ever I

heard. It’s just makes

simply horrible —
the hairs stand up on the back of your
neck, and brings out goose-pimples all
over your body. ’The nearest thing to it
that I ever heard was a little child once,
shrieking with pain in a hospital. It’s
”
it’s

As he paused, groping in hb mind for

a simile, the calm night air was split by
one single ghostly shriek, coming from
the woods just below them on the moun-
tainside.
Mary* s pale face turned even paler, as
she sat suddenly erea in her chair and
convubively gripped the doaor’s arm.
"What —what was that, Ralph?” she
gasped.
"That,” replied he, "was a mountain IX Novels
lion.”
Tensely the two of them awaited a for $f .00
repetition of the sound. But it never These are copyright novels well known
came. That single fearsome howl was the writers. Printed on good paper with iUuB-
trated covers.
only one.
Gradually they relaxed again. Thrilling Mysteiy Fiction
"What will you do?” asked the girl Each of these books is an exciting
mystery or detective story. Guaranteed to
solicitously. you go
"I can’t bear to have
hold your interest.
home through the woods, now that thb And you get the entire set of twelve
has happened. You might meet that novels for only one dollar! There is no
other charge.
that awful thing. And I’m scared to be
—
Bat you most aet immediately! The supply
left here alone with only the Fosses. You ia limited. Right now, while you think of it.
tear out this adverUsement. fill in the coupon
must me, Ralph. Spend the
stay with below, and return to us with $1.00 (coin, stamps
or money order). The complete set of twelve
novels will be mailed to 3^u promptly, postage
night. Please do. Mrs. Foss can fix you prepaid.
up a cot somehow.”
So Dr. Crane spent the nigjht in Mary POPULAR FICTION PUBLISHING CO..
Dept. 69, $40 N*. Michigan Ave..
Morton’s little mountain cabin. Chicago. III.
I Mcktee $1.00. Send me the twelve noveta
postage prepaid, at once. This $1.00 is payment
6. Bats and Other Things in full.

O F COURSE,

doaor had spent the night

when Herman Fulton
learned that the attraaive young
in Mary Mor-
Address

City
— -

State — —
426 WEIRD TALES
ton’s he was furious. Even the
cabin, but the more modem theory seems to be
faa of the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Foss that it is a mere symptom, the result of
in the cabin, as chaperones, did not in the one of a large number of varying causes,
least mitigate his anger. many of which have been run to earth,
His fiancee had been compromised! He but many more of which still remain un-
himself had been made ridiculous! To a explained.”
banker or businessman there is nothing The younger doaor agreed.
worse than ridicule. Many a man would "I’ll admit,” said he, "that you older
let his business go to smash rather than men are apt to be more progressive than
run the risk of ridicule to save it; and our generation. We accept as gospel
here was ridicule to no praaical end. truth what we were taught at the school,
Why, it might even result in a run on the whereas you have been out in praaise
bank! long enough to realize how little is
The only way to save his face was to really known of the human body. Hence
take some drastic action at once. Ac- you are more open-minded to new ideas
cordingly he did. He asked Dr. Crane to than we. Have you any theory as to the
withdraw from the case; and when the underlying cause of Miss Morton’s
doaor refused to withdraw, Herman fired symptoms?”
him. Herman was in a position to do "Not yet,” replied Dr. Porter judicious-
this, as he was paying the bills. Old Dr. ly, "but I believe that I have at least dis-
Porter was placed in charge, instead. cerned the group in which her ailment
The reason for the change, as given falls. bloodlessness seems to me to
Her
out to such persons as had any right to be due to some organism, some creature
ask, was Crane had unduly ter-
that Dr. thatis sapping her strength. I shouldn’t
”
rified his patient by getting her off in a wonder
lonely shack in the mountains and then He paused with a bit of embarrassment,
telling her ghost stories. Indeed, Mary and then went on, "You know, years ago
was so frightened by that single unex- when I was a young man just out of col-
plained piercing scream of a mountain lege, I made a trip to the Argentine. One
lion, that she insisted on being moved 'of the horses, on a ranch where I was
back to civilization the very next day. visiting,was taken ill. It grew weak and
Altogether, everything fitted in to make emaciated. During the da)^ime it would
Herman’s explanation sound most plaus- eat ravenously and seem to pick up
ible. And really Dr. Crane was open to strength. But every morning it would be
considerable censure for telling Mary the weak again. I was frankly puzzled, and
lion story in her condition and location. was interested in the case from a medical
He accepted his removal gracefully, viewpoint, although I had never felt any
and conferred lengthily with his successor, leanings toward veterinary praaise. But
who brought a new viewpoint to the my host merely shrugged his shoulders,
situation. and accepted the situation with Spanish
Old Dr. Porter, after a rather cursory fatalism. Also he did not seem to care to
examination of Mary Morton and a study discuss the case. Whenever I broached
of the case-history, announced, '"This the subjea, he would avoid it with a bit
acute anemia appears tome to be due to of a shudder, and would make the sign
some cause which we haven’t yet fath- of the cross. Most of the ranch-hands
omed. You were probably taught at aaed the same way about the matter.
Harvard Medical that anemia is a disease, Finally one of the cowboys, not quite so
 —

WEIRD TALES 427

supersdcious as die ochefs, led me to the

horse one evening, and pointed out a huge
bat
— 'vampire-bats' they call them
mxr MONTH
clinging to the horse's neck, sucking its

life-blood." The
"There has been such a bat around
Yankton all summer," interrupted young

Crane. “Caii it be-

my
DRUID’S SHADOW
"Let me go on with story,” per-
sisted Dr. Porter. "The bat fled before I By SEABURY QUINN
could get my hands on it. I at once in-

quired why they didn’t keep the bat away,

but the cowboy replied, Tt
senor, for once a
tim, the victim is
is not possible,
vampire marks its vic-
doomed.’ But I myself
A
when
GRIPPING, powerful story of Druid
sacrifice, and the mystic
the grim, bearded priests tcx>k
rites

am not a fatalist. I insisted on putting the lives of beautiful maidens on dieir

the poor horse at once into a carefully stone akars.
screened died. Nevertheless the bat got
in and out, and the horse continued to
ULES DE GRANDIN, ghost-breaker,
fail. We blocked every hole, but we
J phantom - fighter, scientist and
could not cope with the fiendish ingenuity
occultist, never appeared to better ad-
of that vampire. So, as a last resort, I
persuaded my cowboy by
friend the — vantage than in this thrilling
you have not yet made the acquaint-
tale. If

means of ’mucho dinero to sit up with

’
— ance of this most fascinating char-
the horse and guard it at ni^t; to try and
aaer in modern fiction, then you have
shoot the bat, if he got a chance."
a thrill in store for you when you meet
"Did that work.^”
him in '"The Druid’s Shadow.” TTiis
"Yes, it did for a vdiile. The cowboy
story will be published complete in the
didn’t even see the bat again. The horse
rapidly gained in strength, and I was just
October Issue of
about to taunt the Argentinos that the
vampire was not as omnipotent as they
seemed to think, when one morning I
found the cowboy asleep, and the horse
WEIRD TALES
dead, drained nearly bloodless!”
Oft Sale September 1st
"But, doaor," objeaed Crane, "if any-
thing like that were happening to Mary,
Clip and Mail this coupon today I
she would know it, and there would be
marks on her throat." WKIRD TAl^KS
840 N. ]!^lichisran Are.*
"Are you sure that there aren’t marks Chicago, in.
Enclosed Ond $1 for special S months subscrip*
on her throat?” demanded the older man, tion to "Weird Tales" to begin with the October
pointedly. issue In Canada). Special offer void un*
less remittance is accompanied by coupon.
"N-n-no!” admitted Crane. "Have you
observed any?” Name ^

"I haven’t looked,” Dr. Porter replied. AddrcKs-, — .... ... ....

"Tliis idea hadn’t occurred to me when I

City State
first examined her. And now, frankly, I
428 WEIRD TALES

don’t care to disturb her, in her present the bank’s influence to drive him out of
nervous condition. Nor, for the same town, until at last the day came when the
reason, have I mentioned bats to her. young doaor was unable to mea a pay-
But we shall keep a careful watch, from ment on the mortgage on his own estab-
now on.” lishment, and was refused an extension
"Well, to be equally frank with you, by the banker.
sir,” asserted young Crane, "I don’t place Fulton then placed his cards on the
much stock in your bat theory. But there table by offering a handsome settlement
have been a great many strange carryings- for the equity, if Dr. Crane would move
on in Yankton this summer, and nothing out of town; and so Dr. Crane moved.
would surprize me very much. Certainly For some time past, one of the New
we don’t yet know what is the underlying York hospitals had been angling for
cause of Miss Morton’s illness.” Dr. Crane’s services, and now he accepted
So Dr. Porter, following out his hunch, the offer.
next interviewed Mary’s father on the Herman magnanimously permitted him
subjea. to say good-bye to Mary. The farewell
"You haven’t seen any vampire-bats was touching, though brief. Not a word
aroiuid the house, have you?” he asked was said to let the girl know that Crane
abruptly. was the viaim of her fiance’s jealousy.
Pop Morton’s jaw dropped, for he sud- "I’ve a splendid opening in New
denly remembered Herman’s weird York,” reported the young doaor, "and
theories. so I am reluaantly leaving Yankton to
"Vamp —
vampire what?” he gasped. take it. But the real impelling reason is
It was Dr. Porter’s turn to become that New York will give me an oppor-
surprized, for Pop’s confusion was clear- tunity to read up on anemia, and I hope
ly indicative of something. to find out some way of curing you. If I
"Why, what do you mean?” asked the succeed, I shall be very glad that I left.
doaor. In any event, please remember that I shall
"Nothing. Nothing,” asserted Pop, always be your devoted friend. Please,
much embarrassed. "No, I haven’t seen please call on me, if you ever need help.”
any bats at all.” Seizing her hand, he held it tightly for
And nothing more could Dr. Porter a moment, and then left abruptly. There
pump out of hinr, except the repeated as- were tears in the eyes of both of them.
sertion that he hadn’t seen any bats. Nor
did Pop mention the conversation to MMEDIATELY On his arrival at his new
Herman Fulton until much later. I job. Dr. Crane hunted up the member
of the hospital staff who was
supposed to

M ary continued to waste away, recov-

ering a bit sometimes for a
so at a stretch, only to fall still
week or
lower the
know the most about anemia; and through
his suggestions, plunged into a line of
evening reading in the medical alcove of
next time that a relapse set in. the New York Public Library.
Meanwhile Dr. Crane’s patients stead- He wrote Mary Morton once — ^merely
ilydeserted him, one by one. It soon a brief note, giving her his address, and
became evident to the young doaor that expressing a hope that she was better.
Herman Fulton, not content with remov- It was not long before a solution of

ing him from the Morton case, was in- Mary’s case began to dawn on him. He
sidiously and persistently bringing to bear found that, as old Dr. Porter had stated,
 WEIRD TALES 429

the modem trend of opinion is that

anemia is always secondary. He found, to
his surprize, that evenmore of the pri- ShhKhhlift
mary causes of that disease had been
worked out and pinned down than Dr.
Porter had intimated.
Shhhhhh
The enthusiastic young researcher com-
pared each of the known features of the Shhhh
girl’s case-history with the ear-marks of
each of these various primary causes, one
by one, until at last he hit upon what
seemed to him to be luiquestionably the What was the weird cry that made
Gloria tremble? What phantom
uniquely correa solution. sought to lead the supposed Van
Mortimer, king of Wall Street, to a
Dr. Porter had been very nearly right weird coffin?
in his surmise. There was now a chance A mystery story that defies im^-
ination in its unusual treat of being
to save Mary. So Ralph Crane rushed off truly unusual.

the following letter by special delivery:

Dr. Jeremiah Poner,

Yankton, Pa.
My dear old friend,
1 believe that I have at last hit upon the under-
lying cause of Miss Morton’s condition. Her Mall $2 to WEIRD TALES, Book Dept. L.
symptoms, her case-history, and the situation at 840 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, and this
Yankton seem to fit the specifications exactly. You book will be mailed to you postpaid.
were quite right in your hunch that she is the vic-
tim of a parasitic organism, but I do riot believe
that it is a vampire-bat. stop tobacco?
The books describe a form of anemia, very Banish the eravinff for tobSMO aa
similar to hers, and often found in mining com-
thousands have..5 M^e
ke yourself free
and happy with Tobacco Redeemer.
munities. It is due to a parasitic worm, the Mota8ubitltate» not habit formtngr.
Write for free booklet tellinff of in-
ankylostomum duodenale, which inhabits damp iuriooeeffectoftobaecoand depend*
able, easy way to **^^*"'*1
places, especially underground mines. the eravius many men have,
The symptoms are very similar to those of Newell Pharmacat Co. Dnnv
pernicious anemia, for which we have been treat- Dept 917. Cllyton,
ing her; that is to say, successive remissions and
relapses, with the nervous symptoms very marked. HUNDREDS SEEKING MARRIAGE
May I suggest santonin for a time, in place of Ifyou are lonely and sincere I can arrange a ro-
blaud? mantic correspondence that will help you to find
Let me know how the dear girl is.
your ideal in a CONFIDENTIAL and dignified
manner. Just the opportunity you have been
Respeafully, awaiting. F*ull particulars for stamp. -Mra. F.
Ralph Crane, M. D. Willard. 3004 N. aark 8t., Chicago. 111.

Then anxiously he awaited an answer. LONELY? WANTS NEW FRIENDS OR A LIFB

Partner? We can help you. Reliable, confidential
It came back two days later by wire: Introductory service for ladies and gentlemen. Write.
Get-Acquainted Correspondence Club, B-1261, Denver.
Colo.
Diagnosis too late. Mary died Moriday. Fuueral
three o’clock tomorrow.
POSITIONS—ABOARD OCEAN LINERS; SEE THE
J. Porter. world. Experience unnecessary; Details free. Mr,
Arculus, Box 292, Mount Vernon. N. Y.
7. Haunted
Founders TEMPLE OF TRUTH (INC.)
T WAS already "tomorrow” when the Prof. Carl D. Oaks. Pres., Dr Annette Dolly Oaks^
Seo’y & Treas. Demonstrators of East India Occult-
I telegram arrived, announcing Mary ism. Are you groping in the dark? We
can show you
the light. Realize your future, know what to do, by
Morton’s death. Crane, stunned and sending your name in full, also date and month of
birth. Ten questions answered. Mail one dollar
heartbroken by the news, hailed a taxicab money order or currency. Address:
and rushed to the Pennsylvania station,
TEMPLE STUDIO
3159 Southport Ave* Chicago, 111,
450 WEIRD TALES

only to find that there was no train which the girl, had really been love. Oh, if he
could possibly gethim to Yankton in time had but realized this in time!
for the funeral. So he sent some flowers It was his fault! Her deadi 'was all his

by telegraph, and gave himself up to an fault! He ou^t to have asserted himself,

afternoon of bitter recrimination. have declared his love, and have dragged
He had failed the girl he loved. Oh, her away from Yankton to New York,
ifhe had but woriced faster and to more where she could have had adequate medi-
purpose, and had found out the cause of cal attention.

her trouble before diat knowledge was For about a week, he drove his numbed
too late to save her! Of course, his diag- brain and weary body. During working
nosis mi^t not be correa; and even if hours, his hospital duties afforded him
correa, might not have enabled him to
it
some measure of forgetfulness of his
cure her. But there had been a chance, ni^t diere was no relief.
grief; but at

and that chance was now lost forever. He walked many miles every evening.
Then he would lie awake in bed, the
from Dr. Porter,
Later a letter arrived
prey of bitter reaimination, imtil at last
but it mudi more li^t on
didn’t throw
sleep came, but not oblivion, for even his
the situation. Marks and blood had been
sleep was tortured by dreams of what
found on Mary’s throat, but the girl had
might have been.
insisted that diey had been due to her
And then one night, about midnight,
scratching a particularly vexatious wood-
he suddenly awakened with a feeling that
tide bite, which she had acquired in the
there was someone in his r(x>m. He was
mountain cabin. A constant guard had
thoroughly fri^tened, even before he
been set over her, but no bat or other started to awake; and yet he could not
animal had approached her, except a remember any dream vi^ich could be re-
stray black cat which had jumped over her sponsible for this feeling. Merely he
bed on the day of her death. The huge waked up already scared, and with no
gray bat had been seen around town occa- apparent cause.
sionally, but not near the Morton house. The room was quite light from the re-
sounded rather banal and silly, when
It all flection of an advertising sign near by,
set down
in black and white on p^>er; and so he could distinctly see everything

but, in view of the previous conference in the room. By the foot of the bed there
between the two 'doctors. Dr, Porter said st(X)d a young girl clad in white, smiling
that he felt duty-bound to state all these down on him.
details. He expressed no opinion about It was Maty —or Mary’s ghost! But it

die ankylostomum duodende, except to couldn’t be her ghost, for there are no
such things as ^osts. So it must be Mary
thank Dr. Crane for the suggestion, and
to eiqiress an appreciation for die young-
herself. But Mary was dead. But she
er man’s zeal, persistency and thorou^-
couldn’t be dead, for here she was. What
ness at research. All of which was most
was she doing in New York City? And
in his room! And at this time of night!
unsatisfying.
His Mary, at last! Could it be true?
Young Crane was crushed, stunned "Mary!” he gasped.
and broken-hearted. His Maty was dead! "Yes, Ralph,” the figure replied, "it is
His Mary was dead! Mary. I have come to you for help, be-
At last he realized that what he had cause Herman doesn’t seem to under-
mistaken for merely warm affection for stand. Night after night I have tried to
 WEIRD TALES 431

get Herman to help me; but he only

cringes,and makes the sign of the cross,
and says horrid things to me, which I
QUIT
don’t understand. He calls me 'undead’. TOBACCO
No man op woman can eseapo
Of course I’m undead! I’m alive, as alive the harmf u 1 effects of tobacco, g
Don’t try to banish unaided f
as you are; but somehow he says the word the hold tobacco has upon you* /
Join the thoosands of in voter- \
ate tobacco nsera that have
’undead’ as though meant something it foond it easy to quit with the aid of theKeeley Treatment.
_

else, something and unclean. I

terrible TREATMENT
STOPS
and he refuses to
can’t understand him,
understand me. But you will help me,
KEELEY Tobacco HabH
lac hes all eravlnff for tobacco. Write today
for PTW Book tellinff how toqnfekly Free yourself from
won’t you? You promised me, you the uxMceo habit and our Money Back Guarantee.

know.” ^ . JV3 KEELEY INSTITUTE

"Of course I’ll help you, Mary dear!”
he exclaimed. "But what are you doing
in
room
New

clothes on.”
York? Just step into my sitting-
for amoment, until I get some
DAM-ZINE
For Sick Gland* Caused From Age
Abuse, Disease, Etc.
She smiled wanly. A product of medical research prescribed by
Physicians in the treatment of starved glands.
Tou take no chances and waste no money. Sat-
"I’m not in New York, Ralph,” she isfaction guaranteed or money refunded. in- We
vite correspondence with Physicians. Packed 25
replied. "I’m buried six feet deep in a Dam-Zines, 11.00, 200 for $6.00. $1.00 orderA
now moans a $6.00 order later. Special Physi-
cold dark grave in the Yankton cemetery. cians offer 1,000 Dam-Zines for $21.25. All goods
sent in plain sealed package postpaid. No
But I’m not dead. I’m sure of that. Some- C. O. D. Send cash or money order and expect
Dam-Zines by first return mail. No delay. Write
now. All correspondence confidential.
times I lie for hours in that awful padded
DAM-ZINE LABORATORIES CO.
coffin. Sometimes I sleep. Sometimes I P. 0« 101 Columns, Ohio
lose my hfad, and shriek and struggle in
the darkness, trying to tear the box away
and get out. And sometimes I think very
calmly and steadily of some place, usually ToAny Suit!
1Double the life of your
coat and vest with correctly
Herman’s room, until suddenly I find my- matched pants.100,000 patterns^^^
Every pair nand taflorM to your measure; bo
self there. Then I plead with him to help **reaaymadea.** Our uateb sent PRCBf<wyocir
O. K. before pants are made. Pit guaran teed.
me; but he repulses me, and drives me Send piece of eloth or vest today.
SyPCRIOR MATCH MHTS COMPANY^
ata Sorfiearl^ Street, Oe^ ^

back into the grave again. I feel that I

can’t stand it much longer. Either my TOV MBM WHO LACK
TUT rntm test av oobVtOOH
ricki
strength or my wits will give out, and 777 FORMULA
Compoied of ACTUAL
then I shall be really dead.” GLAND MATERIALS sad
ttimulative tonic-tablet form.
was quite clear to Dr. Crane that the
It Send $2forafail itrengdiptck.
Me. Absolnte Satisfaction
poor girl was out of her mind. She had GUARANTEED or Money ,

I
Refunded. YouTakeNoRitk. __
probably been in a cataleptic trance, had 2 nm Packages for 43.00 THE!
CERES CO. WT-16. BSO Area St.. Pliila., Po.
escaped from the coffin on the very eve
of burial, and had closed and locked the BIB MAaiC BOOK lOo
Amaze and Mystify! "Book of 1,000
box, perhaps even filling it with books Wonders'* explains many startlins
tricks you can do. Also catalogs big
so that her absence would not be noticed. Kne Magic, Jokes, Puzzles, etc. 100
pages. Write today I LYLE DOUGLAS,
Insane people are quite often diabolically STATION A-6, DALLAS, TEXAS.
clever in such ways. He remembered,
from his recent extensive reading, that Friends Everywhere, Join Oar Letter
club for ladies and gentlemen. Information and
anemia often results in either catalepsy or Magazine for stamp, D* Lacey Bros., Medina, N* T,
 — — 9

452 WEIRD TALES

insanity, so why not both? was the only
Make More
It

plausible solution!
His heart went out to her in a wave of

Money masculine proteaiveness.

diance for him to give to the girl he
Here was a

The PSYCHO-PHONE Way loved the expert hospital care which she
had lacked in Yankton, and to restore to
her both her health and her sanity. Then
let Herman try and get her away from
him!
As the young doaor groped in his
mind for soothing words to quiet her hys-
teria, she spoke again, "You will help me,
won’t you, Ralph? I frighten poor dear
Herman so! He is beginning to get pale
and anemic just like I was. Last night he
had another man sleeping with him, and
Here are typical results so I can’t go there any more. It em-

reported by users barrasses me.”

"Ify aotery inereated from $t00 to $ilg per month." "Of course I’ll help you,” reassured-
"In aix ooMko it ontroatod my fcaudami'* wtory S0%."
How are results like these brought shout? By diroet- Dr. Crane. "Now if you’ll just sit down
int tho ortot powers of the uneoueeious mind. These
powers are the real source of aekieveineat. Control for a moment in the next room. I’ll be
them and there is no reasonable wish that may not be
fulfiUed. right with you.”
The Psycho-Phone "Thank you, Ralph,” said she. "Good-
Latest Triumph of Science bye. Come quidkly! Very quiddy!”
nm
Psycho-Phone is an automatic suggestion ma- He rubbed his eyes. She was no longer
chine. It directs your uneonscioos mind during sleep
tomny tnd that you desire. What do you want of life? there! And yet he had not seen her leave
Here are aome further statements from actual users of
the Psycho-Phone, illustrating the great variety of pur- the room.
poses tar which it is employed: “I Imve overcome a
—
great fear and inferiiHity complex'* ^“In two months it Dr, Crane got up and dressed, and
cured aee of oonatipsdton and doubled my practice"
(frout a doctor) —^"It made me look much yoonger and walked die streets of New York until
greatly increaaed the growth of my hair" "It greatly
increased my vigor,** etc. morning. He did not date to go to sleep
again, and thus establish the possibility
Send Tor Free Book
that he had merely dreamed what had
“MIND POWER”
While the Psydm-Pbooe may aeem a revolutionary
just happened to him.

inventioa, it actually is simply a modern, scientific

He was standing eagerly on the steps
means of hameasing the working principles utilized by of the Public Library when it opened at
the Supenaan of all the ages. These prinoiples are
explained in a valuaMe Free Book that it worth sonding nine o’clock. As die doors were unlocked,
for. Mail coupon or write. No cost or obUgation,
he rushed to the medical stacks, where he
THE PSYCHO-PHONE plunged into a new line of reading,
COMPANY, Inc. namely, "cataiepdc trances,"
103 Lafayette St., New York City
By noon a smile of grim determination
^yoho Fti sne Oo.. toe.. Deet. t-9 had settled over his features, and he had
143 tottoyetta St., Mew Toife. M. T.
Kindly MPd ai« widuMrt «ny obtle>tion on ny part, froe copy of
wired to Dan Callahan, the Yankton taxi-
"Mind Power*' ead XuU details about the Psyche-Phone.
driver, to meet him at die Limited.

AdfrMM The startling events at the opening of Marp Mor-

ton's Krave will be described in the closing chapters
Cltf StaU of this story in next month's WEIRDTALES.
W.T.—
 IT IS NOT
TOO LATE
to read one of the most popular stories that
has been printed in this magazine to date.
Through popular demand we have published
a cloth-bound edition of “The Moon Terror,”
by A. G. Birch, to fulfill the wishes of those
who were not fortunate enough to read this
startling story when it appeared serially in
the early issues of Weikd Tales.

If you haven’t This book is

read this hook of beautifully bound

shuddery horror in rich blue cloth
and utter weird- with attractive or-

ness we know you ange-colored jack-

have missed some- et. It will make a
thing that is really valuable addition
worth while. to your library.

EAD the thrilling adventures

of Dr. Ferdinand Gresham, the
„ eminent American astronomer,
in his encounters with^ Kwo-Sung-
tao, high priest of the 'Seuen-H’sin
(the Sect of Two Moons). The
Seuen-H’sin are the sorcerers of
China, and the most murderously
diabolical breed of human beings on this earth. Each
turn of the page increases the suspense when you fol-
low Dr. Gresham to take part in the hellish ceremonies
—
in the Temple of the Moon God wheh he crosses the
—
Mountains of Fear half starves on the dead plains of
— —
Dzunsz’chuen swims the River of Death sleeps in the
Caves of Nganhwiu, where the hot winds never cease
and the dead light their campfires; on their journey to
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To those who think
Learning Music is hard-

JtRHArb you tnmK tnat laKing

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A music lessons is like taking a easier and easier. For instead
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