About this, I drew a circle of chalk, taking care never to step over the
circle. Beyond this I smudged, with a bunch of garlic, a broad belt right
around the chalked circle, and when this was complete, I took from among
my stores in the center a small jar of a certain water. I broke away the
parchment, and withdrew the stopper. Then, dipping my left forefinger in
the little jar, I went 'round the circle again, making upon the floor,
just within the line of chalk, the Second Sign of the Saaamaaa Ritual,
and joining each Sign most carefully with the left-handed crescent. I can
tell you, I felt easier when this was done, and the 'water circle'
complete. Then, I unpacked some more of the stuff that I had brought, and
placed a lighted candle in the 'valley' of each Crescent. After that, I
drew a Pentacle, so that each of the five points of the defensive star
touched the chalk circle. In the five points of the star I placed five
portions of the bread, each wrapped in linen, and in the five 'vales,'
five opened jars of the water I had used to make the 'water circle.' And
now I had my first protective barrier complete.

"Now, anyone, except you who know something of my methods of
investigation, might consider all this a piece of useless and foolish
superstition; but you all remember the Black Veil case, in which I
believe my life was saved by a very similar form of protection, whilst
Aster, who sneered at it, and would not come inside, died. I got the idea
from the Sigsand MS., written, so far as I can make out, in the 14th
century. At first, naturally, I imagined it was just an expression of
the superstition of his time; and it was not until a year later that it
occurred to me to test his 'Defense,' which I did, as I've just said, in
that horrible Black Veil business. You know how _that_ turned out. Later,
I used it several times, and always I came through safe, until that
Moving Fur case. It was only a partial 'defense' therefore, and I nearly
died in the pentacle. After that I came across Professor Garder's