A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, April 1950 — page 92: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

92 A. MERRITT’S FANTASY from them on the ominously black water. “Twenty-five feet deep,” he said. “We've got to help to get it up. No hope —no chance for them.” “The mask will be inside the car,” Tott said. “Evidence.” Again, seated at his steering wheel, Gees remembered Kefra’s prophecy as he gazed on its fulfillment. CHAPTER 20 When Gods Must Die HE shepherd bent over Drake’s limp figure on the grass. Then he knelt and heard Drake's breathing. He tried to rouse him by saying louder and louder, ‘““Heer! Heer, mister! Wake up!” But, since Drake showed no sign of wakening, the shepherd took him under the armpits and lifted him to a sitting posture, while the old dog that had rounded the sheep out to the road stood by with hanging tongue. Then Drake, leaning against the shepherd’s hold, stirred and put his hand to his face, slowly and uncertainly. | “My—my glasses,” he said. “I want my elasses.”’ “Where are they, mister?” the shep- herd asked. “What glasses?” “T was wiping ’em. They—they fogged. Somebody grabbed my _ shoulder—I couldn’t see. And then—my God! I know . what a mouse must feel like when a cat gets it! The glasses—who are you? _ Where are they?” “Tf I let go, mister, kin you set up?” the shepherd asked. Drake put his two hands on the ground and got to his feet, clumsily. ‘Wait—lI remember,’ said he, more coherently. “I’ve got my spare pair.” He felt in his pocket and, producing a case, opened it and put on a pair of horn-rimmed spec- tacles. He looked at the shepherd. “Who was it?” he asked. “Did you see who caught me?” The shepherd shook his head. “Didn't see nobody, mister,” he answered. “I were herdin’ my sheep inter the road. That there p’leece inspector what been nosin’ round here about that gal gittin’ killed—_ he see I gotter look arter you. You all * right now? You’re sort of shaken up,” “J—J suppose so.”” Drake put a hand to his shoulder. “Cut, somehow—all sticky and painful.” He pushed back the coat lapel, and blood showed on the shoulder of his shirt. “Wait a bit—don’t go for a minute.” He slipped the coat off, dropped it on the grass, and opened the front of his shirt and undervest. “Look—what do you make of it?” he asked. self, but I can feel it.” “Looks like you been clawed, mister, like they say the gal were clawed,” the shepherd decided. “The shirt’s all tore too —look! It mean -there’s another o’ them great cats about somewhere. I gotter go an’ see it don’t git at my sheep, I reckon.” He gazed along the road toward the crest of the rise, where the sheep, with nobody to urge them, had taken to the grass. Drake looked round. too, “That’s my handkerchief over there— the glasses ll be there too,”’ he announced. “The pair I dropped. Look here—Don'’t go! If there’s another of those beasts about I’m not safe alone—nor are you. It’s less likely to go for two of us, and there’s your dog.” “Well, mister, you git them glasses, an’ then come along o’ me, so be you kin walk alone all right now. I got to look arter my sheep, and since I got to drive ‘em through Hedlin’gon, you kin come along.” Drake went to retrieve the glasses and handkerchief. When he returned to where the shepherd waited, he said: ‘‘Whoever grabbed me must have had some sort of knife or something—it wasn’t a cat or any animal made those cuts in my shoul- der. It was the hand that held on to me and dragged me along—somebody—I think there was a car, but I could see nothing without my glasses. Something in the hand holding me that sunk in, tore— not an animal of any sort.” “Tt looks like claws done it, to me,” the shepherd insisted. “It you want to get along, I'll go with you to Hedlington,” Drake said. “Find somewhere to get the cuts dressed—they may be septic. But I know how a mouse must feel, helpless, awful!” “Tt were a cat done it,” the shepherd said with decision. ‘‘A great big cat, like that one they shot. I gotter go after my “T can’t see, my- (eo) boo MIE CS" { GI @)