Short Fiction - H. P. Lovecraft (i can read book club .TXT) š
- Author: H. P. Lovecraft
Book online Ā«Short Fiction - H. P. Lovecraft (i can read book club .TXT) šĀ». Author H. P. Lovecraft
The speaker panted into silence, but another took up his message.
āNigh on a haour ago Zeb Whateley here heerd the phone a-ringinā, anā it was Misā Corey, Georgeās wife that lives daown by the junction. She says the hired boy Luther was aout drivinā in the caows from the storm arter the big bolt, when he see all the trees a-bendinā at the maouth oā the glenā āopposite side ter thisā āanā smelt the same awful smell like he smelt when he faound the big tracks lasā Monday morninā. Anā she says he says they was a swishinā, lappinā saound, more nor what the bendinā trees anā bushes could make, anā all on a suddent the trees along the rud begun ter git pushed one side, anā they was a awful stompinā anā splashinā in the mud. But mind ye, Luther he didnāt see nothinā at all, only jest the bendinā trees anā underbrush.
āThen fur ahead where Bishopās Brook goes under the rud he heerd a awful creakinā anā straininā on the bridge, anā says he could tell the saound oā wood a-startinā to crack anā split. Anā all the whiles he never see a thing, only them trees anā bushes a-bendinā. Anā when the swishinā saound got very fur offā āon the rud towards Wizard Whateleyās anā Sentinel Hillā āLuther he had the guts ter step up whar heād heerd it fust anā look at the graound. It was all mud anā water, anā the sky was dark, anā the rain was wipinā aout all tracks abaout as fast as could be; but beginninā at the glen maouth, whar the trees bed moved, they was still some oā them awful prints big as barāls like he seen Monday.ā
At this point the first excited speaker interrupted.
āBut that aināt the trouble naowā āthat was only the start. Zeb here was callinā folks up anā everybody was a-listeninā in when a call from Seth Bishopās cut in. His haousekeeper Sally was carryinā on fit ter killā āsheād jest seed the trees a-bendinā beside the rud, anā says they was a kind oā mushy saound, like a elephant puffinā anā treadinā, a-headinā fer the haouse. Then she up anā spoke suddent of a fearful smell, anā says her boy Chaāncey was a-screaminā as haow it was jest like what he smelt up to the Whateley rewins Monday morninā. Anā the dogs was all barkinā anā whininā awful.
āAnā then she let aout a turrible yell, anā says the shed daown the rud hed jest caved in like the storm hed blowed it over, only the wind waānāt strong enough to dew that. Everybody was a-listeninā, anā ye could hear lots oā folks on the wire a-gaspinā. All to onct Sally she yelled agin, anā says the front yard picket fence bed jest crumpled up, though they waānāt no sign oā what done it. Then everybody on the line could hear Chaāncey anā olā Seth Bishop a-yellinā, tew, anā Sally was shriekinā aout that suthinā heavy hed struck the haouseā ānot lightninā nor nothinā, but suthinā heavy aginā the front, that kepā a-launchinā itself agin anā agin, though ye couldnāt see nuthinā aout the front winders. Anā thenā āā ā¦ anā then.ā āā ā¦ā
Lines of fright deepened on every face; and Armitage, shaken as he was, had barely poise enough to prompt the speaker.
āAnā thenā āā ā¦ Sally she yelled aout, āO help, the haouse is a-cavinā ināā āā ā¦ anā on the wire we could hoar a turrible crashinā, anā a hull flock oā screamināā āā ā¦ jest like when Elmer Fryeās place was took, only wuss.ā āā ā¦ā
The man paused, and another of the crowd spoke.
āThatās allā ānot a saound nor squeak over the phone arter that. Jest still-like. We that heerd it got aout Fords anā wagons anā raounded up as many able-bodied men-folks as we could get, at Coreyās place, anā come up here ter see what yew thought best ter dew. Not but what I think itās the Lordās judgment fer our iniquities, that no mortal kin ever set aside.ā
Armitage saw that the time for positive action had come, and spoke decisively to the faltering group of frightened rustics.
āWe must follow it, boys.ā He made his voice as reassuring as possible. āI believe thereās a chance of putting it out of business. You men know that those Whateleys were wizardsā āwell, this thing is a thing of wizardry, and must be put down by the same means. Iāve seen Wilbur Whateleyās diary and read some of the strange old books he used to read, and I think I know the right kind of a spell to recite to make the thing fade away. Of course, one canāt be sure, but we can always take a chance. Itās invisibleā āI knew it would beā ābut thereās a powder in this long-distance sprayer that might make it show up for a second. Later on weāll try it. Itās a frightful thing to have alive, but it isnāt as bad as what Wilbur would have let in if heād lived longer. Youāll never know what the world has escaped. Now weāve only this one thing to fight, and it canāt multiply. It can, though, do a lot of harm; so we mustnāt hesitate to rid the community of it.
āWe must follow itā āand the way to begin is to go to the place that has just been wrecked. Let somebody lead the wayā āI donāt know your roads very well, but Iāve an idea there might be a shorter cut across lots. How about it?ā
The men shuffled about a moment, and then Earl Sawyer spoke softly, pointing with a grimy finger through the steadily lessening rain.
āI guess ye kin git to Seth Bishopās quickest by cuttinā acrost the lower medder here, wadinā the brook at the low place, anā climbinā through Carrierās mowinā anā the timber-lot beyont. That comes aout on the upper rud mighty nigh Sethāsā āa leetle tāother side.ā
Armitage, with Rice and Morgan, started to walk in the direction indicated; and most of the natives followed slowly. The sky was growing lighter, and there were signs
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