Weird Tales, September 1926

# Catalog Note: "The Bird of Space" by Everil Worrell

Weird Tales, September issue. Science fiction story beginning with Frank Alison aboard a Canadian Pacific train through the Rocky Mountains. The conductor reveals that passengers have mysteriously disappeared from the rear platform on three consecutive nights—vanishing while the train is in motion, with no apparent explanation. Despite precautions that evening, Alison is drugged in his berth, extracted through a hole cut in his sleeping car, and hauled to the roof. He loses consciousness after receiving an injection. He awakens in a rocky mountain cavern, feet bound, body aching from drugs. The chamber contains a narrow window resembling Castle Rock's crevices—eerily matching Alison's earlier imaginings. He discovers he is not alone: a repulsive, double-jointed humanoid figure crouches in the cavern's shadows. The narrative breaks off at this discovery point, leaving the creature's nature and purpose unexplained. The story emphasizes atmosphere and mystery over conventional plot resolution.