Part 41 (2/2)

”This is nothing, this is nothing,” I kept saying to myself aloud--until I realized suddenly that my voice had risen alht on aze frorow curiously numb and every muscle in my body contracted with a pain al came closer and closer, and it seemed to me, half dazed as I was, that it advanced much faster than before

Then suddenly I felt a sensation of cold and ainst my body, and I realized, as in a dream, that I had entered the strea oneven been conscious that I had le to resist whatever ed me forward

Cold beads of sweat rolled froripped the rocks as in a vise My teeth had sunk deep into h I did not know that till afterward

But I was pulled loose from my hold, and forward I bent the whole force of my will to the effort not to move, but my hand left the rock and crept forward I was fully conscious of what I was doing I knew that if I could once draw aze the spell would be broken, but the power to do so was not inhad halted on the farther bank of the streaainst my chest; soon it was about my shoulders

I was fully conscious of the fact that in another ten feet the surface would close over ht the current; but still I went forward I tried to cry out, but could force no sound through an to disappear But that at least was comprehensible, for I could distinctly see the black and heavy lids closing over thee They fell slowly

The eyes beca like a ed physical exertion

The eyes were gone

A mad impulse rushed into my brain to dash forward and touch theof flesh and blood or some contrivance of the devil I smile at that phrase as I write it now inabovefroo forward and the inclination to flee in terror

I did neither; I stood still I could see the thing with a fair amount of distinctness and forced my brain to take the record of uessed at rather than saw a hideous head rolling fro and sinuous neck, and writhing, reptilian coils lashi+ng the rock at the edge of the water, like the tentacles of an octopus, only er than that of any animal I had ever seen, and blacker even than the darkness

Suddenly the huge an to move slowly backward The sharpness of the odor had ceased with the opening of the eyes, which did not reappear I could diainwas barely discernible

I took a step forward as though to follow; but the strength of the current warnedfarther, and, besides, I feared every ain raised froht attacked my brain with horror, and I turned and fled in a sudden panic to the rear, calling to Harry and Desiree

They e of the stream, and their eyes told h they had seen nothing

”You--you saw it--” Harry stammered

I nodded, scarcely able to speak

”Then--perhaps now--”

”Yes,” I interposed ”Let's get out of here It's horrible And yet how can we go? I can hardly stand”

But Harry was now the one who argued for delay, saying that our retreat was the safest place we could find, and that we should wait at least until I had had time to recover fro that in my weakened condition I would be a hindrance to the reappeared I could avoid it as Harry and Desiree had done

”What is it?” Harry asked presently

We were sitting side by side, well up against the wall It was an abrupt question, with no apparent pertinence, but I understood

”Heaven knows!” I answered shortly I was none too pleased withIs it an animal?”