A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille

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32 of despair, with lurid fires all aglow and faces of fear. Suddenly, there burst upon my ears the report of a gun, which sounded like a thunder-peal, and echoed in long reverberations. At once I understood it. My fears had proved true. These savages had enticed Agnew away to destroy him. In an instant I burst through the crowd around me, and ran wildly in the direction of that sound, calling his name, as I ran, at the top of my voice. I heard a loud cry; then another report. I hurried on, shouting his name in a kind of frenzy. The strange courage of these savages had already impressed me deeply. They did not fear our guns. They were all attacking him, and he was alone, fighting for his life. Then there was another report; it was his pistol. I still ran on, and still shouted to him. At last I received an answer. He had perhaps heard me, and was answering, or, at any rate, he was warning me. "More," he cried, "fly, fly, fly to the boat! Save yourself!" "Where are you?" I cried, as I still rushed on. "Fly, More, fly! Save yourself! You can't save me. I'm lost. Fly for your life!" Judging from his cries, he did not seem far away. I hurried on. I could see nothing of him. All the time the savages followed me. None were armed; but it seemed to me that they were preparing to fling themselves upon me and overpower me with their numbers. They would capture me alive, I thought, bind me, and carry me back, reserving me for a future time! I turned and waved them back. They took no notice of my gesture. Then I ran on once more. They followed. They could not run so fast as I did, and so I gained on them rapidly, still shouting to Agnew. But there was no response. I ran backward and forward, crossing and recrossing, doubling and turning, pursued all the time by the savages. At last, in rage and despair, I fired upon them, and one of them fell. But, to my dismay, the others did not seem to care one whit; they did
33 not stop for one moment, but pursued as before. My situation was now plain in all its truth. They had enticed Agnew away; they had attacked him. He had fought, and had been overpowered. He had tried to give me warning. His last words had been for me to fly--to fly: yes, for he well knew that it was better far for me to go to death through the raging torrent than to meet the fate which had fallen upon himself. For him there was now no more hope. That he was lost was plain. If he were still alive he would call to me; but his voice had been silenced for some time. All was over, and that noble heart that had withstood so bravely and cheerily the rigors of the storm, and the horrors of our desperate voyage, had been stilled in death by the vilest of miscreants. I paused for a moment. Even though Agnew was dead, I could not bear to leave him, but felt as though I ought to share his fate. The savages came nearer. At their approach I hesitated no longer. That fate was too terrible: I must fly. But before I fled I turned in fury to wreak vengeance upon them for their crimes. Full of rage and despair, I discharged my remaining rifle-barrel into the midst of the crowd. Then I fled toward the boat. On the way I had a frightful thought that she might have been sent adrift; but, on approaching the place, I found her there just as I had left her. The savages, with their usual fearlessness, still pursued. For a moment I stood on the shore, with the grapple in my hand and the boat close by, and as they came near I discharged my pistol into the midst of them. Then I sprang into the boat; the swift current bore me away, and in a few minutes the crowd of pursuing demons disappeared from view. CHAPTER V THE TORRENT SWEEPING UNDER THE MOUNTAINS The boat drifted on. The light given by the aurora and the low moon seemed to grow fainter; and as I looked behind I saw that the distant glow from the volcanic fires had become more brilliant in the increasing darkness. The sides of the channel grew steeper, until at last they became rocky precipices, rising to an unknown height. The
Page 1 and 2: 1 A Strange Manuscript Found in a C
Page 3 and 4: 3 pitch out a bit of wood." Upon th
Page 5 and 6: 5 And as he said this he reached ou
Page 7 and 8: 7 attacked the copper cylinder, and
Page 9 and 10: 9 "It looks like Egyptian papyrus,"
Page 11 and 12: 11 extended far out from the promon
Page 13 and 14: 13 was nowhere visible, nor were th
Page 15 and 16: 15 consisted of a vast sheet of flo
Page 17 and 18: 17 "Well, I do," said he, "and they
Page 19 and 20: 19 THE LETTER. "Bristol April 20. 1
Page 21 and 22: 21 attached to a piece of rock. "Th
Page 23 and 24: 23 can have but one ending--there m
Page 25 and 26: 25 thin, shrivelled, black, with lo
Page 27 and 28: 27 run, but there was nothing of th
Page 29 and 30: 29 chief attention, and while all l
Page 31: 31 for this I would have burst thro
Page 35 and 36: 35 terror in my heart, I waited for
Page 37 and 38: 37 the surface were but the tiniest
Page 39 and 40: 39 that a new peril had arisen from
Page 41 and 42: 41 roads winding far away along the
Page 43 and 44: 43 experience other sensations. I b
Page 45 and 46: 45 scrupulous delicacy and a carefu
Page 47 and 48: 47 wide space where four cross-road
Page 49 and 50: 49 Next came Noel Oxenden, late of
Page 51 and 52: 51 "Do you know what is is?" asked
Page 53 and 54: 53 have been written at least three
Page 55 and 56: 55 and his low position on the hori
Page 57 and 58: 57 "That's a complicated question,"
Page 59 and 60: 59 difficulty that I could see anyt
Page 61 and 62: 61 mutual inquiry. I was full of am
Page 63 and 64: 63 I was always rather quick at lea
Page 65 and 66: 65 The "Kohen" did not remain long,
Page 67 and 68: 67 likely that if we had ordered ou
Page 69 and 70: 69 looking forward. On its head was
Page 71 and 72: 71 CHAPTER X THE SACRED HUNT On tha
Page 73 and 74: 73 but not a man quailed. Never had
Page 75 and 76: 75 that I felt. "It was honor to th
Page 77 and 78: 77 The speed was amazing; the faste
Page 79 and 80: 79 I was senseless for I know not h
Page 81 and 82: 81 hiding. But I saw that she had a
Page 83 and 84:
83 them to go abroad, to travel by
Page 85 and 86:
85 the victims! Rejoice! Give thank
Page 87 and 88:
87 the eyes that weep over the path
Page 89 and 90:
89 dark season with a feast. From w
Page 91 and 92:
91 "This is beyond my comprehension
Page 93 and 94:
93 Almah shuddered. "If you had tol
Page 95 and 96:
95 and gentle and sympathetic, and
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97 and for you, and for the reason
Page 99 and 100:
99 fate." "Fate!" I repeated, looki
Page 101 and 102:
101 "You don't understand," said sh
Page 103 and 104:
103 you--are you not to be envied i
Page 105 and 106:
105 We give up everything for life.
Page 107 and 108:
107 anguish beyond expression--angu
Page 109 and 110:
109 To such a story I had nothing t
Page 111 and 112:
111 fear of death. This desire for
Page 113 and 114:
113 There are many other crimes, al
Page 115 and 116:
115 observed that women are a littl
Page 117 and 118:
117 "Why, it must be a dodo, of cou
Page 119 and 120:
119 shoulder-bones like those of th
Page 121 and 122:
121 "All these stories of strange a
Page 123 and 124:
123 Latin or Greek word begins with
Page 125 and 126:
125 question, and gives us the conn
Page 127 and 128:
127 that. It seemed better to go, f
Page 129 and 130:
129 "Then I see by this that Almah
Page 131 and 132:
131 He laughed joyously. "There's n
Page 133 and 134:
133 tide as crowded and as busy as
Page 135 and 136:
135 that I made this discovery; for
Page 137 and 138:
137 they were all regarded with gre
Page 139 and 140:
139 up--no, not even if they could
Page 141 and 142:
141 "And then," said I, "if so, wou
Page 143 and 144:
143 of my race--and the fear that I
Page 145 and 146:
145 up." "She never will," said I.
Page 147 and 148:
147 help joining in, and so we both
Page 149 and 150:
149 I thought that perhaps it would
Page 151 and 152:
151 For a moment I stood almost lif
Page 153 and 154:
153 No sooner had I found myself ac
Page 155 and 156:
155 "No." I was amazed at this. "Bu
Page 157 and 158:
157 "Oh yes." "How many?" "Four." "
Page 159 and 160:
159 utterly unable to show to Layel
Page 161 and 162:
161 said: "I should like to fly in
Page 163 and 164:
163 a basin-shaped world--an immens
Page 165 and 166:
165 molten lava; between us and it
Page 167 and 168:
167 did. I went back to the shore,
Page 169 and 170:
169 which was cooling and hardening
Page 171 and 172:
171 triumph, was Layelah. "Ataesmzo
Page 173 and 174:
173 as that. Do you not know that w
Page 175 and 176:
175 intervals apart, flying in a st
Page 177 and 178:
177 This, however, was intolerable;
Page 179 and 180:
179 from Layelah. She started back,
Page 181 and 182:
181 to reach before life was extinc
Page 183 and 184:
183 life or death, it is all the sa
Page 185 and 186:
185 Magones, and had searched over
Page 187 and 188:
187 rot and rubbish to the Germania
Page 189 and 190:
189 part do not suspect him of exag
Page 191 and 192:
191 "That very difference can be sh
Page 193 and 194:
193 ring-shaped, but the action of
Page 195 and 196:
195 a different view of the case. I
Page 197 and 198:
197 The Council of State gathered f
Page 199 and 200:
199 this respect with the great pau
Page 201 and 202:
201 inconceivable horror of that em
Page 203 and 204:
203 class had a mania for doing wha
Page 205 and 206:
205 I turned away in despair. At le
Page 207 and 208:
207 darkness, faintly illuminating
Page 209 and 210:
209 sacrifice?" "What?" he asked, w
Page 211 and 212:
211 have heard of it, as the Koseki
Page 213 and 214:
213 "I'll die first!" said I, fierc
Page 215 and 216:
215 with one common impulse came pr
Page 217 and 218:
217 CHAPTER XXXI CONCLUSION In the
Page 219 and 220:
219 Meleks, for we will take the mo
Page 221:
221 "What do you mean?" I exclaimed
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A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder James De Mille

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