Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

I22 ground, but before its light snapped ' into nothingness I saw beside my face five long yellow objects spreading out ghastly distinct upon the dark floor. Looking back I saw the obstruction over which I had stumbled begin to roll slowly from between me and the lhighis of my companions. It was silhouetted in irregular dents and jaggednesses against the dim illu- mination. I also saw the long yellow gleams move lingeringly from beside me in the twilight. A yell went up from the others, and an odor still more pungent assatled my nostrils. I heard the slow, lurching sound of a heavy body churning the sult of the floor. But it needed not that to tell me in what plight I was. We had penetrated to the very lair of the Monster. I had fallen headlong across his tail as it stretched in my path. Beside me was his webbed foot; my face nearly touched his clammy nails. He was turning—turning—turning ; in another second his huge neck would swing round upon me; I should be a mere swelling in that monstrous throat. My knees were palsied by a terror that scarcely allowed me to rise. My joints were as water within me. If ever man realized the terrors of nightmare in the flash, I did so during those two fearful seconds when I scrambled to my feet, and raced across the ten yards that separated me from the mouth of the tunnel in the rock. | leaped into it like a rabbit before the greedy jaws of a terrier. The others were already jammed in its narrow recesses. As I joined them the last light fell into the stream with a hiss. Kicking, reeling, panting, snatching at each other and at the rocks, we fought along that pipe-hke passage, every nerve in our bodies tingling with expectant terror. My hair bristled on my head as I heard the snap of those grim Jaws behind me, and for one awful moment I felt the horrible breath sing past my cheek. THE ARGOSY. I ducked to very earth, and at the same moment felt the rasp of the eager tongue upon my heel. Calling aloud in abject terror I plunged for- ward, bearing down Gerry and Lessau- tion with me. We struggled together in the dark- ness, splashing up a little stream, and wallowing in the turbid mud, while above our very heads, it seemed, we could hear the hiss and pant of the straining lips. As we drew away from the sounds behind us, I managed after a nervous effort or two to strike a vesta. The match sputtered, flared, and then burnt up steadily. Lessaution was still grasping his ex- tinguished dip, and thrust the wick into the flame. As it took fire he held it up, and in its steady light we saw the near- ness of our escape. Not ten yards away the long neck strained and weaved desperately, bow- ing towards us with frantic efforts. The wicked green eyes flamed, and the teeth snapped and chattered greedily. The murky breath from between them flooded the cavern noisomely. The whole horrible scene stood out in frightful distinctness against the background of dark rock. Then the dip flame reached Lessau- tion’s fingers, and with a curse he dropped it. The fall of the darkness upon that brief but all too vivid glimpse of horror unmanned us all. With a gasp we turned and fled reck- lessly into the darkness of the water- way without waiting for a light, pad- dling and splashing through the pools, tripping each other up, reeling, wrest- ling, smiting and bruising our limbs against the rocks. Finally, with bleeding fingers and wet with perspiration and roof drip, we stumbled out into the dimness of the temple cave, panting, disheveled, like whipped curs, coughing still with the vile stench of that fearful kennel, shiv- ering yet with the narrowness of our escape. Gon ElOOO eo