New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1922-12-13
CHAPTER III.

ut was on the third night, after
the two men had departed and he was
alone In the tent with the sleeping
Lecture, that Chauvannes saw this
creature. He says 1t was about
O'Clock in the morning. He had been
awake through the entire night, his
eyes usually closed. lie does not
know how he happened to open them.
1t was precisely II minutes to 8, by
the watch which he wore on his wrist.
He opened his eyes precisely at the
moment when the Creature entered
the tent--a thing 1t did without dis
turbing the flap and without making
any sound whatever,
"Chauvannes says that he saw 1t
distinctly. It paused for moment
after 1t had entered, remaining for
some seconds quite motionless. He
says that in proportion to the other
parts of the creatures body, the head
was enormous 1t was cubical In
contour. The outline was perfectly
clear, but what we would call fea-
lures were hardly distinguishable.
The thing seemed to lack features.
That was one of the distinguishing
horrors of it-a head big in proper
ton to It's body cubical In outline
and lacking features! The chest and
abdomen were also big. estimating the
creature by its own proportions. Inc
limbs were long, narrow and jointed.
The whole creature was of repulsive'
reddish color, and without any OF the
usual covering of animals with whicn
the human race is familiar Inc
body seemed to be of some hard, req
substance. Chauyannes said-frozen
and polished flesh, after the skin had
been removed, was the idea he got.
1.-The creature remained only mo-
ment visible to him: then 1t disap-
neared. 1t seemed to Chauvannes
that It disappeared merely by turning
ahout. He was unable to see 1t again,
although the doorway where 1t en-
tered was clear in the moonlight, anu
there was only the grass MOOR Oh the
tent" 49, j.,
his narrative, like one who Wouio
wish a nearer to grasp the Whole
conception Of the story before ne Went
on. But he did not seek comment
The man beyond him waited for MIN
to 20 on, and he presently continued;
IT shall not follow the detail OF all
+he experiences noted down by Chau-
vannes and which, finally, brought
Mn, "a the conclusions at which ne at
iarpth arrived. He was able, after
this night, to observe the creature ana
. number of its companions, although
the man Lecture, who was always WIN
~, seems never to have observed II.
.I5e was also able to discover, al
thcuph he does not give all the oe-
tails Of that discovery IN the journal
th.+ these creatures lived under-
r-ound. and that one of their under-
eround cities was very close 10 .ne
camn. He had, in fact. by soHie
sinister hazard, put down his camp al
vast at the doorway of the under-
around habitat of these extraordinary
haines-if one could call a creature
M. character a being in our sense.
i..nJow these are among the ois.
.,.r,,,shirr incidents of Chauyannes
journal that led Your Exceliehos' ~. 49,
the Paris authorities. to pelieve .na'
chauyannes was mad. The cullaina
t;on of events seemed to estapiish ~.
"You know how the journal soes
on. giving the minute details ehI.
rhauyannes observed during the "eeh
that he was alone with Lecture, whlie
AZ American beachcomber Dix ana
~ rim made their tourney to the
N,.nza. And you know how Chau-
,,anres finally came to the conclusion
that the seven great emeralds, which
~ carried sewed up in the lining OF
h;s waistcoat, were the things that SET
these creatures on him.
.~rhe emeralds are In the. Louvre
rhav are seven of the most extraor-
sin.rv Jewels in the world. They are
,anrar and purer than any other
known emerald. They are CUT IN
manner of which we have no Know
edge. and the backs of them a1e
covered with a heiroglyphic writins
mt antedates any language tnat we
Lrow and which, SO far, has paHieo
every effort to translate.
~ anv rate, although the French
7 .eturc was with Chauvannes all
Az t,me-on the very day before tne
.nt,rn Of Dix and the Finn, the emer-
aids disappeared! :. a
tail in the journal.
I'VE was certain, accurate, without
"a, trace Of doubt: the emeralds-no
,a ns in his possession-were In the
underground habitat OF these crea-
tvre.l And the opening to TINS haoi.
81 was close beside the very place Oh
..rt was hardly any wonder that
no men with him considered MN