The National tribune., 1896-11-26

detail before fixing. Then took out Venus
and began to develop her. She came on
we'll enough, and ! dipped her into the
water, too. Everything was going well, and
l should have q fine set if this kept on.
Being my first trial with such hard lot OF
subjects, was rather proud Of myself.
Then my fingers groped for Ariadne, who
was now ready for the fxing-bath. But
though / felt all about in the water my
fingers tips never touched the glass. 1t was
a hard situation to sense, but Adriadne was
gone.
1, leaned back in my chair in state bor-
dering on utter collapse. Water doesn't
melt solid glass, and an Sx10 negative
doesn't get up and walk out Of tray.
What in the name of the great Daguerre
did this thing mean?
Looking at the tray in vague distress,
saw q great black hand steal silently into
the circle of the dim red light, grasp the
Venus negative and as silently dart back
into the thick, impenetrable gloom Of the
darkroom. would have jumped up if /
could, but the ugly circumstance weighed
me down. Then / heard the negative strike
the floor and shiver into little bits. This
started me up. l grasped the cover of the
red light, and was about to lift it when the
whole contrivance was wrenched from the
table and the ruby glow was turned full
upon my face. Behind it l could see
nothing, but the handle at the bottom was
clutched by that same black hand. The
lamp was raised high, and then down it
came, crashing against the floor, the light
blotting out in the heavy blackness.
l sprang for the door, and, missing it,
grasped something soft and slippery that
slid from my grasp. 1t was like clothed
arm, but it was so cold and Shiny that it
seemed hardly human. At the same time
form full of buriy strength Knocked
harshly against me, whether accidentally
or not I could not tell. A slight mass OF
cold slime that reeked horribly came off the
form and adhered to my face and the side OF
of my neck. This was more than could
stand. My clogged throat opened, and l
yelled like demon, "Out of this! Out OF
this, whatever you are!"
Then was forced upon my mazed mind a
pecuiarity Of the creature that / had not
noted before. 1t did not speak, nor grOwl
Eor utter any sound. It would have been a
relief even to have heard it hiss; its silence
was more awful than any sort Of utterance.
Flattening my quick-moving hands along
the side Of the wall, touched the door at
last, and, feeling for the knob, / turned ii
and tugged at it like a young giant. But
the door did not move and the key was gone
OF course that was what | had heard when
beginning my work-that dropping out OF
the key. So down dropped to feel for it
all about the floor near the door, but to feel
in vain.
I was locked up in the dark with name
less creature, sinister and powerful, from
whom there was no fight, for the darkroom
had but one exit-the door. There was nc
window nor any hole, save the small venti-
lation traps, through which not even SO
much as hand might be thrust.
While there was any hope by way of the
door, ] had not been more than commonly
fearsome, but now my fright was more than
mere alarm. 1t was steady growth OF ter
ror-the kind of terror that makes the SCALP
feel prickly and the breath come hard. II
was chill palpitating fear of the kind thai
makes you turn sick and sets your shoulders
twitching. And the chief of it was pallid
dread of something unspeakably uncoutt
and loathsOme-actual contact with the
thing in the darkroom. / believe / could
have borne a stroke from any weapon il
might have in hand better than touch OF
close meeting with the body Of the repulsivt
creature.
crawled into the corner nearest the door
and waited with strained ear. Presently
heard low shufflng, and then a pattins
along the wall, and scraping along thu
floor. He of the black hand was feeling fol
me; of that was certain. My ear is good
and, Judging the location of the patting and
scraping, as well as of another sound, like
the dragging Of some small, soft body upon
the floor, I moved without noise around tht
edge, away from my pursuer. Though
shaken and feyered, kept out of that dread
clutch.
1t was nerve-straining work, and the ten
sion was something frightful, but I kept i,
up until fell over a box and went sprawl
ing right into the arms of the creature. My
head fell upon its clammy shoulder, from
which oozed the noisome moisture, and it:
wet and ill-smelling arms closed upon me
bringing to bear such force that I though
they would crush my very breastbone. Al
the same time there came out low, throatJ
laugh-a laugh so uncouth and lacking il
levity as to be positively narrowing.
There was fight in me yet, shaken ant
crushed as l was, and, getting one arm
lOOSe hammered viii all my lOTCc upOt
the creature, striking where I judged it
head should be. My blows slid off becaus,
of the slime that enveloped the face, bu
once struck full hard upon solid jaw, ant
before could pull nay hand back my thumb
was bitten nearly in two. And then tn,
hand of the creature-that great black hant
that had seen in the low red light-stol,
up to my throat, and, clutching it in mighty
grasp, shut off my breath and made m,
grow dizzy and faint there in the darkroom
My own hands, flying about wildly, nov
struck an iron hat-h0ok in the wall
Wrenching this hook of, / drove it so deeply
into the hand at my throat that, breathing
very hard, almost gasping in pain, the crea
ture suddenly let 60 its hold upon me, and
was free.
Now was ..furious-frenzied. 7 dartef
at my assailant with the hook in my hand
and presently dealt vicious blow full il
the face.
The creature butted forward with heat
so hard that when it struck me in the breas
l thought my breath was gone. fell over
and it came upon me again, its blood fall
ing on my face aud its breath hot on my
forehead.
OF a sudden there was a shock as of tn.