Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-09-02
BY
SAX
ROHMER

made an extraordinary discovery
1t was of the kind used by eastern
coniurers for what is generally known
as the box trick. That In to say. IL
could only be opened (short OF ernash-
ing iD from the inside: You VIII -
member what we found within ~
and to what conclusion do you conner
Something had been concealed tn
side. and had slain Prof. Deeping while
he was actually engaged in endeevor-
ing to force the box open. This In
conceivable creature had then searched
the study for the slipper-or for the
key OF the safe. interrupted and tHAp-
ped by the arrival OF the police. the
creature had returned to the box. re-
closed II. and had actually been there
when the study was searched:
For creature so small as the nnur-
derous thing I'm the box to slip out
during the confusion. and at some time
prior to Bristofs arrival. was no diff
cult matter.
But what was this creature.
turned TO the chapter in Assyr1an
Mythology-"The Tradition of the
Hashishin.' The legends which the
late Prof. Deeping had collected refa-
tive to this sect of religious murderers
were truly extraordinary. or the cults
extinction. at the time OF writing. he
was clearly certain. hut he referred 70
the popular belief, or Moslem legend.
that. since Hassan of Khorassan. there
had always been a Sheik al-Jebai. and
that a dreadful being known as Hassan
OF Aleppo was the present holder of
the title.
He referred to the fact that De Sscy
has shown the word assassin to be de-
rived from Hashishin and quoted FL
Idrisi to the same end. The Hashfshin
performed their murderous feats under
the influence Of Hashish. or Indian
hemp; and during the state Of ecstasy
so induced. according to Deeping. they
acquired powers almost superhuman.
i read how they could scale sheer
precipices. pass fearlessly along mar
row lodges which would scarcely afford
foothold for a rat. cast themselves
from great heights. unscratched. and
track one marked for death in such
a manner as to remain unseen not
only by the victim. but by others about
him. At this point Of my studies
started in a sudden nervous panic. and
laid my hand upon my revolver. for I
thought / heard a faint sound outside
my study door,
The key of Deeping's safe and his
letter to me lay close by my hand. !
slipped them into a drawer and locked
it. With every nerve. it seemed. strung
UP almost to the swapping point, i me-
chanically pursued my reading.
My door began very slowly to open.
Merciful God. What was coming into
the room, So very slowly. SO gently.
so all but imperceptibly. did IL move,
that had my nerves been less keenly
attuned | dorbt not | should have re-
manned unaware of the happening.
Frozen with horror. ] sat and watched.
Yet my mental condition was a singu-
lar one
Ny direct gaze never quilted the
door. but in some strange fashion I
saw the words of the next paragraph
upon the page before me: The
Sheik -al-Jebal took young boys OF a
certain desert tribe. and for eight
hours of every day. until their puberty.
confined them in wooden Frame
What looked like a reed was slowly
door and doorpost. II was brought
gradually round until II point
ed directly toward me,
l seemed to put forth a mighty men,
tai effort. shaking off the icy hand of
fear which held me inactive in my
chair. A saving instinct warned me
and / ducked my head.
Something whirred past and
struck the wall. behind.
Revolver in hand. i leaped across the
room. dashed the door open and fired
blindly-again and again and again
down the passage.
And in the brief CLEANS I saw it,
1t was tiny dwarf, Neither within
nor without freak exhibition had
seen so small q human being A kind
of supernatural dread gripped me by
the throat at sight of IL. As il turned
with animal activity. and bounded into
my bathroom. | caught a three-quartef
view of the creatures swollen. incred-
ible head. which WAS nearly as large
as that of normal man,
Never. while my mind serves me.
can ! forget that yellow. grinning face
and those canine fangs-the tigerish.
blazing eyes set in the misshapen head.
Wildly. I fired again. ! hurled my
self forward and dashed into the room.
Like nothing much as a cat. the
cleaning body tthe dwarf was but
scantily elothedD streaked through the
open window.
Certain death. | thought. must be his
lot upon the stones of the court far be-
low. ] ran and looked down. shaking
in every limb. my mind filled with a
loathing terror unlike anything I had
ever known.
Brilliant moonlight flooded the pave
ment beneath. and for twenty yards to
left and right every stone was visible
The court was empty;
Human. homely London moved and
wrought intimately about me; but
there, at sight of the empty court be-
low. a great loneliness swept down
like a MANTLE clammy mantle of
the fabric of dread. L stood remote
from my fellows, in an evil world peo-
pied with the creatures of Hassan of
Aleppo.