Part 40 (1/2)

It was incomprehensible to us then; later we understood And we had not long to wait

Harry and Desiree were bending overto stop the flow of blood from a cut on my shoulder

”We htened up to look about the cavern, which was so dark that we could barely see one another's faces but a few feet away

Suddenly an exclamation of wonder came from his lips

Desiree and I followed the direction of his gaze, and saw the huge, black, indistinct form of some animal suddenly detach itself froh the darkness

Chapter XVII

THE EYES IN THE DARK

The thing was at a considerable distance; we could barely see that it was there and that it was e that it appeared as though the very side of the cavern itself had moved noiselessly from its bed in the mountain

At the sareeable odor, nauseating and horrible I had risen to my knees and remained so, while Harry and Desiree stood on either side ofcontinued to th of the odor increased until it was al

Still we did not move I could not, and Harry and Desiree see cae forround of the cavern

I saw, or thought I saw, a grotesque and monstrous slimy head stretched toward us from about the middle of its bulk

That doubt becah they had been lit by a fire fro spots appeared about three feet apart The creature's eyes--if eyes they were--were turned full on us, growingcame closer It was now less than fifty feet away The massive form blocked our view of the entire cavern

I pinched my nostrils to exclude the horrible odor which, like the fumes of some deadly poison, choked and smothered me It came now in puffs, like a draft of a fetid wind, and I realized that it was the creature's breath I could feel it against my body, my neck and face, and knew that if I breathed it full intowere the eyes There was so, about their steadfast and brilliant gaze A mysterious power seemed to emanate from them; a power that hypnotized the mind and deadened the senses I closed my eyes to avoid it, but was unable to keep theain I aze of fire

There was a movement at my side I turned and saw that it came fro theh in a futile atte came closer and closer; it was but a few feet away, and still we did not h rooted to the spot by some power beyond our control

Suddenly there came a cry from Desiree's lips--a scream of terror and wild fear Her entire form tre, now aled unwilling along the ground, as though she were being drawn forward by some irresistible force

I tried to put out my hand to pull her back, but was absolutely unable to move Harry stood like a man of rock, immovable

She took another step forward, with arms outstretched in front of her

A low htly parted lips

Suddenly the eyes disappeared The huge foran to recede, so slowly that I was barely conscious of thefor air;with the poisonous breath Still slowly the thing receded into the dier to be seen--e, formless bulk Desiree had stopped short with one foot advanced, as though hesitating and struggling with the desire to go forward

The thing now could barely be seen at a distance; it would have been impossible if we had not known it was there Finally it disappeared, htest movement was discernible I breathed more freely and stepped forward

As I did so Desiree threw her hands gropingly above her head and fell fainting to the ground