The Glenwood post., 1909-01-23
Illustrations by J.J. Sheridan

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CHAPTER |.
Concerning Yue-Laou and the Kin
know nothing more than you shall
know. | am miserably anxious to clear
the matter up. Perhaps what l write
may save the United States govern
ment money and lives, perhaps it may
arouse the scientific world to action;
at any rate it will put an end to the
terrible suspense of two people. Ger
tainty is better than suspense.
If the government dares to disre
gard the warning and refuses to send
thoroughly equipped expedition at
once, the people of the state may take
swift vengeance on the whole regions
and leave a blackened, devastated
waste where to-day forest and flower
ing meadow land border the lake in
the Cardinal Woods.
You already know part of the story;
the New York papers have been full
of alleged details. This much is true:
Barris caught the Sinner" red
handed, or rather yellow handed, for
his pockets and boots and dirty fists
were stuffed with Jumps of gold. l
say gold advisedly. You may call it
what you please. You also know how
Barris was-but unless 1 begin at the
beginning of my own experiences you
will be none the wiser after all.
On the Sd of August of this present
year l was standing in Tiffany's chat
ting with George Godfrey of the de-
signing department. On the glass coun-
ter between us lay coiled serpent, an
exquisite specimen of chiseled gold
No replied Godfrey to my ques-
tion. ''it isn't my work I wish it was.
Why, man, it's masterpiece"
"Whose?" l asked.
Now, should be very glad to know
also" said. Godfrey. I'VE bought it
from an old jay who says he lives in
the country somewhere about the
Cardinal Woods. That's near Starlit
lake, l believe"
Lake of the Stars" ] suggested
Some call it Starlit lake-it's all
the same. Well, my rustic Reuben
says that he represents the sculptor
Of this snake for all practical and bust
ness purposes. He got his price, too.
We hope he'll bring us something
more We have sold this already to
the Metropolitan museum"
I was leaning idly on the glass case
watching the keen eyes of the artist
in precious metals as he stopped over
the gold serpent. "A masterpiece"
he muttered to himself, fondling the
glittering coil; look at the texture!
whew!" But was not looking at the
serpent. Something was moving
crawling out of Godfrey's coat pocket
the pocket nearest me-something
soft and yellow with crab-like legs all
covered with coarse yellow hair.
What in heavens name" said l,
have you got in your pocket? It's
crawling outfits trying to creep up
your coat, Godfrey"
He turned quickly and dragged the
creature out with his left hand.
I shrank back as he held the re-
pulsive object dangling before me, and
he laughed and placed it on the coun-
ter.
did you ever see anything like
that" he demanded.
No. said l, truthfully, land ! hope
I never shall again. What is it,"
Il don't know. Ask them at the
Natural History museum-they can't
tell you. The Smithsonian is all at
sea, too. 1t is, believe, the connect
ing link between a sea-urchin, a spider
and the devil. 1t looks venomous, but
! can't find either fangs or mouth. Is
1t blind? These things may be eyes,
but they look as If they were painted.
A Japanese sculptor might have pro-
duced such an impossible beast, but
it is hard to believe that God did. 1t
looks unfinished, too. / have a mad
idea that this creature is only one of
the parts of some larger and more
grotesque organism-it looks so lone.
ly, SO hopelessly dependent, so cursed
ly unfinished. I'm going to use it as
model. If l don't out-Japanese the
Japs my name isn't Godfrey"
The creature was moving slowly
across the glass case towards me.
drew back.
Godfrey" said, Il would execute
man who executed any such work as
you propose. What do you want to
perpetuate such reptile for? l can
stand the Japanese grotesque, but
can't stand that-spider-"
Its a crab"
"Crab or spider or blind-worm-
ugh. What do you want to do 1t for!
It's a nightmare-it's unclean!"
hated the thing. 1t was the first
living creature that had ever hated
For some time had noticed damp
acrid odor in the air and Godfrey said
1t came from the reptile.
Then kill it and bury it," I said
land. by the way, where did 1t come
from?" .t..-