Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-12-07

when the whole cOIlflFance Nes wrench
cd from the table and the ruby glow was
turned full upon my face. Behind 4 I
could see nothing. but the handle az the
borton was clutched By that same black
hand. The lamp was raised high and then
# came crashing against the floor, the
LIGHT blotting out In the heavy darkness.
suraug for the door and, missing IT,
crashed something soft and slippery that
sid from. my grasp. Il was like a clothed
arm bur II was so cold and Shiny that II
seemed hardly human. At the same tline
q form full Of bury strength knocked
harsblv against me. whether accidentally
OF not 7 could not tell. \ slight mass OF
cold slime that rocked horribly came on
the form and adhered TO my face anu
the side OF ny neck. This was more than
I could stand. Ny clogged throat opened
and 7 yelled Ike demon.
out OF this. out Of this! whatever you
are"
Then was forced upon my mazed mind
a regularity Of the creature that / had
NOT noted before il did not speak. nor
erowl. nor utter any sound. II would
have been relief even 10 have heard IL
hiss. its silence was more awful than any
sort OF utterance.
Flattcu.ng ny quick-novins hands
along the side Of the wall. I touched the
door at last. and feeling for the knob i
turned IL and tucced al it Ike young
giant. But the doof did not move ana the
key was gone. OF course that was what
I had heard when beginning my work
that dropping OUT C.. the key. So down l
dropped 10 feel for il all about the floor
near the door but to feel in vain.
I was locked up I'm the dark with
nameless creature. sinister and powerful
from which there was no flight. for the
dark room had but Oh. eXt-the door.
There was no window nor any hole. save
the small ventilation traps. through
which not even so much as hand might
be thrust.
While there was any hope by way Of the
door. had ben more than commonly fear
some. but now my fright was more than
mere alarm. II was a steady growth or
terror-the kind Of terror that makes the
scalp feel prickly and the breath come
hard Il was chill. palpitating fear Of the
kind that makes you turn sick and sets
your shoulders tvitching. And the chief
OF il was a pallid dread OF something un-
sueskably uncouth and loathesome-ac-
tuaI contact with the thing in the dark
room. believe I could have borne
stroke from any weapon better than
touch or close meeting with the BODY OF
the repulsive creature.
/ crawled into the corner nearest the
door and waited with strained ear Pres
entity ] heard a low shutting and then
patting along the sail and scraping
along the floor. he Of the black hand was
feeling for ne. Of that / was certain. Ny
ear is good. and Judging by tae location
Of the patting and scrap.ne as Wei as OF
another sound hike the dragging of some
small soft body upon Tho floor ] moved
without noise around The edge away from
my pursuer. Though -ha Ken and f,yered
I kept out Of that dread clutch.
Il was DEMONSTRATING work and the
tension was s0methlE- t--gntfIl. but /
kept IL up until ] fell over box and went
sprawling right into the arms Of the crea-
-ure Ny head fell u-l us clammy
shoulder. from which olz.i The noisome
moisture. and its wet and ui-smelling
arms closed upon me- bringing 10 bear
such force that thought they would
crush my very breast bone. Al the same
time there came out low thr0aty laugh
"a laugh so uncouth and lacking in lev
Ity as TO he positively narrowing.
There was tight in me yet. shaken and
crushed as 1 was and. getting one arm
loose. I hammered with all my force upon
the creature. striking where / Judged its
head should be- Ny blows slid of be-
cause Of the slime that enveloped the face.
but once ] struck full hard upon a solid
Jaw. and before I could pull my hand back
my thumb was bitten nearly IN two And
then the hand 4 The creature-that great
black hand that 7 had seen in the low
red Hght-stole up 20 my throat. and.
clutching IT I'm mighty grasp. shut OF my
breath and made me grow dizzy and faint
there in the dark room. w.. own hands,
flying about wildly, now struck an iron
hat hook in the wall WrenchnS this
hook of drove II so deeply into the hand
M my throat that. breathing very hard,
almost gaspirg in pain the creature sud-
denly let 90 its hold upon me, and l was
free.
Now was furious-frenzied. I darted
az my assailant with the hook I'm my hand.
and presently l dealt vicious blow full
In the face.
The creature butted forward with a
head so hard that when it struck me in
the breast / thought my breath was gone.
! fell over and ii came uTop~me again.
il is blood falling on my face and its
breath hot ON my forehead.
OF sudden there was q shock as Of the
old cath bursting asunder and l sped off
into space and oblivion.
When next I knew the world the door
Of my darkroom was open and the morn
ing sun was shining in upon the floor
where 7 lay. with aching head and a scar
Ing of pain in my throat, while my bitten
thumb fairly throbbed Ny face. HANDS
and clothes were nearly covered with
blood. green slime and muddy ooze. and
su about the studio the walls and floors
were streaked and daubed with the same
offensive mixture. In one place there was
the plain imprint Of five long fingers.
doubted not that it had been made by the
great black hand that had clutched my
throat in the darkness.
crawled TO the sink and washed my
self and took a good drink. after which
made my way out Of the darkroom into
the house where l changed my clothes
and bandagod my thumb
At my gate I saw two men on horse
back
Seen anything OF a big buck Niger go
ing by here?" asked one Of them. Hes
got big hands and feet and is perfectly
dump. We tracked him down TO the
slough where he probably waded across
stared hard at the men.
Yes" I replied, I've seen him. or at
least I've seen his hand. Where is he