could see and I could hear nothing but a faint whisper, high above
me, like that of pine boughs moving softly in a light breeze. I
could feel the air upon my face. I thought I must have been moved
out of doors by some magic. It seemed as if I were sitting under
trees alone. Out of the black silence an icy hand fell suddenly
upon my brow. I flinched, feeling it move slowly downward over my
shoulder. I could hear no breathing, no rustle of garments near
me. In that dead silence I got a feeling that the hand touching me
had no body behind it. I was beyond the reach of fear--I was in a
way prepared for anything but the deep, heart-shaking horror that
sank under the cold, damp touch of those fingers. They laid hold
of my elbow firmly, lifting as if to indicate that I was to rise.
I did so, moving forward passively as it drew me on. To my
astonishment I was unable to hear my own footfall or that of my
conductor. I thought we were walking upon soft earth. Crossing
our path in front of me I could see, in the darkness, a gleaming
line. We moved slowly, standing still as our toes covered it.
Then suddenly a light flashed from before and below us. A cold
sweat came out upon me; I staggered back to strong hands that were
laid upon my shoulders, forcing me to the line again. By that
flash of light I could see that I was standing on the very brink of
some black abyss--indeed, my toes had crossed the edge of it. The
light came again, flickering and then settling into a steady glow.
The opening seemed to have a grassy bottom some ten feet below. In
front of me the soil bristled, on that lower level, with some black
and pointed plant: there was at least a score of them. As I
looked, I saw they were not plants, but a square of bayonets
thrust, points up, in the ground. A curse came out of my hot
mouth, and then a dozen voices mocked it, going fainter, like a
dying echo. I heard a whisper in my ear. A tall figure in a