Avon Fantasy Reader No. 14 — page 111: what you’re looking at

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

of the cliff, and back to civilization is a confused nightmare of terror and mad- ness. I can recall only flashes of my mad flight—the gibing creaking of the spinning millwheel, the dull crash of some heavy object as I fled from the room —an object that brushed my coat-tails as I passed under the door-lintel—the goblin laughter of the brook, the searing pain of my hands and knees as I tore them on the cruel cliff rocks, the eery moonlight sifting through a forest... gasping, stumbling, falling, plunging forwacd—ever forward ... and, by some unfathomed miracle, the vision of a road sign which read in the bright moonlight: “You Are Now Entering the City of Merlin. Go slow.” I woke up the filling-station keeper. He didn’t seem very surprised to see me. His jaundiced grin swept me once; then, not waiting to hear my gasping explanations, he led me to a room—the room I am writing this letter in... . It’s no use trying to sleep. Slecp takes me back there. . . . The eye of the cyclops . . . the bleeding head . . . the ribald wink. ... ‘ If all these things are but the fagments of a diseased mentality then I suppose I should be put away. ... Maybe they didn’t happen... . Maybe I'm crazy... . , I see dawn breaking over the hills. As soon as it gets a bit lighter I’m going to post this letter via the first bus. Then I’m going to get in my car and drive like mad out of this accursed country! Faithfully yours, Roserr Darntey. * * @© & & The following newspaper clipping was included by Mr. Abiathar Hall with uhe manuscript of Mr. Darniey’s letter: May 5, 1936—The body of a man believed to be Robert Darnley, a professional art col- lector was found in the wreckage of his automobile about three miles north of Merlin, Tena. The car, which had sheared off a number of telegraph poles, had evidently been traveling at a high rate of speed. Glass from the shattered windshield had completely decapitated the body. 109 comiclsooks.com