The Empty House and Other Ghost Stories [Reprint of 1st edition]

Table of contents :
The Empty House 1
A Haunted Island 32
A Case of Eavesdropping 63
Keeping his Promise 91
With Intent to Steal 119
The Wood of the Dead 161
Smith : An Episode in a Lodging-House 186
A Suspicious Gift 218
The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary
in New York 239
Skeleton Lake : An Episode in Camp 301

Citation preview

THE EMPTY HOUSE

THE EMPTY HOUSE AND OTHER GHOST STORIES

BY

ALGERNON BLACKWOOD AUTHOR OF "JOHN SILENCE" "THE LOST VALLEY"

ETC.

LONDON EVELEIGH NASH COMPANY LIMITED 1916

First Printed

.

.

.

IQ06

Uniform Edition

.

.

igr§

Reprinted

....

igi6

CONTENTS

..... ....

The Empty House

A A

Haunted Island

....

Case of Eavesdropping

Keeping his Promise

With Intent

to Steal

A

:

An

32 63 91

161

.... ....

Episode in a Lodging-House

Suspicious Gift

1

119

The Wood of the Dead Smith

PACE

186

218

The Strange Adventures of a Private Secretary 239 in New York Skeleton Lake

:

An

Episode in Camp

'

301

THE EMPTY HOUSE manage

Certain

houses,

somehow

to proclaim at once their character

evil.

In

like

the case of

certain

the

persons,

for

latter,

no

particular

they

may

boast an

feature need betray them;

open countenance and an ingenuous smile; and yet a

of their

little

company

conviction that there

with their being

:

is

leaves the unalterable

something radically amiss

that they are

Willy

evil.

nilly,

they seem to communicate an atmosphere of secret

and wicked thoughts which makes those

in their

immediate neighbourhood shrink from them as

from a thing diseased. And, perhaps, with houses the same principle is

operative,

and

it

is

the aroma of evil deeds

committed under a particular actual

roof,

long after the

doers have passed away, that

gooseflesh

come and the hair

rise.

makes the

Something of

the original passion of the evil-doer, and of the

horror felt

by

his

victim,

enters

the

heart of

the innocent watcher, and he becomes suddenly

The Empty House

2

conscious of tingling nerves, creeping skin, and a chilling of the blood.

He

is

terror-stricken without

apparent cause.

There was manifestly nothing in the external appearance of this particular house to bear out the tales of the horror that was said to reign within. stood,

It

was neither lonely nor unkempt.

It

crowded into a corner of the square, and

looked exactly like the houses on either side of it.

It

had the same number

neighbours;

the

of

windows

as

its

same balcony overlooking the

gardens; the same white steps leading up to the

heavy black front door

was the same narrow

;

and, in the

strip of

rear, there

green, with neat

box borders, running up to the wall that divided it

from

the

backs

of

the

adjoining

houses.

Apparently, too, the number of chimney pots on the roof was the same

the eaves

;

;

the breadth and angle of

and even the height of the dirty area

railings.

And

yet this house in the square, that seemed

precisely similar to its fifty ugly neighbours,

was

—horribly

as a matter of fact entirely different different.

Wherein lay is

this

impossible to say.

marked, invisible difference It

cannot be ascribed wholly

The Empty House to the imagination, because persons

3

who had

some time in the house, knowing nothing

spent of the

had declared positively that certain rooms

facts,

were so disagreeable they would rather die than

them

enter

and that the atmosphere of

again,

the whole house produced in

a genuine terror; tenants

who had decamp

forced to

was indeed

them symptoms

of

while the series of innocent tried

to

live

in

it

and been

at the shortest possible notice, less

little

than

a

scandal

in

the

town.

When visit

Shorthouse arrived to pay a

to his

Aunt

Julia in her

"

little

week-end

"

house on

the sea-front at the other end of the town, he

found her charged to the brim with mystery and excitement.

He had

only received her telegram

that morning, and he had come anticipating bore-

dom; but the moment he touched her hand and kissed her apple-skin wrinkled cheek, he caught

the

first

wave

of

her electrical condition.

impression

deepened

there were

to

had

when

he

learned

The that

be no other visitors, and that he

been telegraphed

for

with a very special

object.

Something was

in the

would doubtless bear

w ind, and the " something " T

fruit

;

for this elderly spinster

The Empty House

4

mania for psychical

aunt, with a

research,

by hook

as well as will power, and

had brains

by crook

or

she usually managed to accomplish her ends.

was made soon

revelation sidled close

up

to

him

after

The

when

tea,

she

as they paced slowly along

the sea-front in the dusk. "I've got the keys," she lighted, yet half

Monday "

awesome

announced

in

a de-

"Got them

voice.

till

!

The keys

"

of the bathing-machine, or

?

he asked innocently, looking from the sea to the town.

Nothing brought her so quickly to the

point as feigning stupidity.

"Neither," she whispered.

haunted house

of the

in

"I've got the keys

the

—and

square

I'm

the

slightest

going there to-night."

was

Shorthouse

possible tremor

conscious

down

of

He dropped

his back.

his

teasing tone.

Something in her voice and manner

thrilled him.

She was

"

But you

"That's

can't

why

I

in earnest.

go alone

"

he began.

wired for you," she said with

decision.

He

turned to look at her.

The

ugly, lined,

enigmatical face was alive with excitement.

was the glow

of

There

genuine enthusiasm round

it

The Empty House The eyes

like a halo.

wave

of her excitement,

marked than the "

first,

He

shone.

5

caught another

and a second tremor, more

accompanied

it.

Thanks, Aunt Julia," he said politely

;

"

thanks

awfully." "

should not dare to go quite alone," she went

I

on, raising her voice it

;

"

but with you I should enjoy

immensely.

You're afraid of nothing, I know."

"Thanks

much," he said

so

anything likely to happen

"A "

"Er

again.

it's

whispered,

been most cleverly hushed up.

come

tenants have

and gone

months, and the house

is

?

great deal has happened," she

though

—

said

is

Three

few

in

the

to

be empty for

last

good now." In spite of himself Shorthouse became interested.

His aunt was so very much in earnest.

"The house "

is

and the story

way

back.

It

very old indeed," she went on,

— an

unpleasant one

— dates

a long

has to do with a murder committed

by a jealous stableman who had some a servant in the house.

affair

with

One night he managed

to secrete himself in the cellar,

and when every-

one was asleep, he crept upstairs to the servants' quarters, chased the girl

and

before anyone

down

could

to the next landing,

come

to

the

rescue

The Empty House

6 threw

her

bodily over the

into the

banisters

hall below."

And " Was

"

but

the stableman

?

caught, I believe, and hanged for murder

it all

happened a century ago, and

I've not

been able to get more details of the story."

now

Shorthouse aroused;

but,

felt

interest

his

though he was

not

nervous for himself, he hesitated a

thoroughly particularly little

on his

aunt's account. "

On

"

Nothing

firmly " if

one condition," he said at length.

;

"

but I

my

prevent

will

may

as well hear

she

going,"

said

your condition."

That you guarantee your power

of self-control

anything really horrible happens.

I

mean

that you are sure you won't get too frightened." "

Jim," she said scornfully, " I'm not young, I

know, nor are

my

nerves

;

but with you I should

be afraid of nothing in the world This, of course, settled

it,

!

for Shorthouse

had no

pretensions to being other than a very ordinary

young man, and an appeal irresistible.

He

Instinctively,

to

his

vanity was

agreed to go.

by a

paration, he kept

sort

of sub-conscious pre-

himself and his forces well in

hand the whole evening, compelling an accumula-

The Empty House

by that nameless inward

control

tive reserve of

7

process of gradually putting all the emotions

and

turning

difficult to

the

key upon them

—a

away

process

describe, but wonderfully effective, as

men who have lived through severe trials of the inner man well understand. Later, it stood him

all

in

good

But

stead.

it

was not

half-past ten,

until

when they

stood in the hall, well in the glare of friendly

lamps and

still

surrounded by comforting

influences, that he this

store

of

had

to

make

the

strength.

collected

human

first call

upon

For, once the

door was closed, and he saw the deserted silent stretching

street

before them,

it

test that night

instead of one.

away white

came

to

would be

him

in

clearly that the real

in dealing with two fears

He would have

fear as well as his own.

to carry his aunt's

And, as he glanced down

at her sphinx-like countenance

and

might assume no pleasant aspect terror,

he

felt satisfied

whole adventure

own

—that

the moonlight

realised that

it

in a rush of real

with only one thing in the he had confidence in his

and power to stand against any shock

will

that might come.

Slowly they walked along the empty streets of the town

;

a bright autumn

moon

silvered the roofs,

The Empty House

8

casting deep shadows;

wind

;

watched them

To

made no

silently as

his aunt's occasional

with mental

was simply buffers

ordinary things to prevent herself extra-ordinary

Few

sur-

— saying

thinking of

windows

showed

and from scarcely a single chimney came

smoke or notice

to

things.

they passed

remarks Shorthouse

reply, realising that she

rounding herself

lights,

of

and the trees in the formal gardens by the

sea-front along.

was no breath

there

Shorthouse had already begun

sparks.

everything, even

the smallest details.

Presently they stopped at the street corner and

name on

looked up at the full in ^the

the side of the house

moonlight, and with one accord, but

without remark, turned into the square and crossed over to the side of "

The number

it

that lay in shadow.

of the house

a voice at his side

;

is

thirteen," whispered

and neither

of

them made the

obvious reference, but passed across the broad sheet of

moonlight and began to march up the pavement

in silence. It

was

Shorthouse

about half-way up the felt

ficantly into his

square

an arm slipped quietly but

was

signi-

own, and knew then that their

adventure had begun in earnest, and

companion

that

already

yielding

that

his

imperceptibly

The Empty House the

to

against

influences

them.

9

She needed

support.

A

few minutes

later they stopped before

a

tall,

narrow house that rose before them into the night, ugly in shape and painted a dingy white. less

Shutter-

windows, without blinds, stared down upon

them, shining here and there in the moonlight.

There were weather streaks in the wall and cracks

and the balcony bulged out from the

in the paint, first floor

a

little

unnaturally.

But, beyond this

generally forlorn appearance of an unoccupied house, there

was nothing

at first sight to single out this

particular mansion for the evil character

it

had

most certainly acquired.

Taking a look over their shoulders to make sure they had not been followed, they went boldly up the steps and stood against the huge black door that fronted

wave

of

them forbiddingly.

nervousness was

But the

first

now upon them, and

Shorthouse fumbled a long time with the key before he could

moment,

if

fit

it

into the lock at

all.

For a

truth were told, they both hoped

would not open,

for they

it

were a prey to various

unpleasant emotions as they stood there on the threshold of their ghostly adventure. shuffling

with

the

key and

Shorthouse,

hampered by the

The Empty House

io

weight

steady

on

his

arm,

solemnity of the moment.

world

— for

was

It

as

the whole

if

in

his

own

consciousness

— were A stray

listening to the grating noise of that key.

puff of

wind wandering down the empty

woke a momentary them, but

the

felt

experience seemed at that instant

all

concentrated

certainly

street

rustling in the trees behind

otherwise

rattling

this

was the only sound audible

;

the

of

and

at

key

last

it

turned in the lock and the heavy door swung

open and revealed a yawning gulf of darkness beyond.

With a

moonlit square, they

last glance at the

passed quickly

in,

and the door slammed behind

them with a roar that echoed prodigiously through

empty

halls

and passages.

the echoes, another sound

Aunt

But, instantly, with

made

itself heard,

Julia leaned suddenly so heavily

and

upon him

that he had to take a step backwards to save

himself from falling.

A man that

it

had coughed

close beside

them

— so close

seemed they must have been actually by

his side in the darkness.

With the

possibility of practical jokes

in his

mind, Shorthouse at once swung his heavy stick in the direction of the sound

;

but

it

met nothing

The Empty House more

solid

He

air.

heard his aunt give a

gasp beside him.

little

"

than

1

There's someone here," she whispered

" I

;

heard

him." "

Be quiet

!

"

he said sternly.

" It

was nothing

but the noise of the front door." "

Oh

get a light

!

— quick

" !

she added, as her

nephew, fumbling with a box of matches, opened it

upside

down and

on to the stone

them

let

all fall

with a

rattle

floor.

The sound, however, was not repeated and there ;

was no evidence

of retreating footsteps.

In another

minute they had a candle burning, using an empty

end of a cigar case as a holder

;

and when the

first

flare

had died down he held the impromptu lamp

aloft

and surveyed the

enough

And

scene.

it

was dreary

in all conscience, for there is nothing

desolate in all the abodes of

nished house dimly

lit,

men than an

silent,

more

unfur-

and forsaken, and

yet tenanted by rumour with the memories of evil

and violent

histories.

They were standing left

in a

was the open door

and long,

wide

hall- way

;

on their

of a spacious dining-room,

in front the hall ran, ever narrowing, into a

dark passage that led apparently to the top of

the kitchen

stairs.

The broad uncarpeted

staircase

The Empty House

12

sweep before them, everywhere draped

rose in a

in

shadows, except for a single spot about half-way up

where the moonlight came in through the window and

fell

on a bright patch on the boards.

This

shaft of light shed a faint radiance above and below it,

lending to the objects within

was

outline that

infinitely

reach a misty

its

more suggestive and

ghostly than complete darkness.

Filtered

moon-

light always seems to paint faces on the surrounding

gloom, and as Shorthouse peered up into the well of

darkness and thought of the countless empty rooms

and passages

in the

upper part of the old house, he

caught himself longing again for the safety of the moonlit square, or the cosy, bright drawing-room

they had

left

Then

an hour before.

realising that

these thoughts were dangerous, he thrust

away again and summoned

his

all

them

energy for

concentration on the present. "

Aunt

Julia,"

he said aloud, severely,

now go through the house from make a thorough search." The echoes

of

his

voice

"

we must

top to bottom and

died

away slowly

all

over the building, and in the intense silence that followed he turned to look at her. light he

pale

;

saw that her

face

In the candle-

was already ghastly

but she dropped his arm for a moment and

The Empty House in

said

stepping

a whisper,

close

13 front of

in

him

We must be

" I agree.

That's the

sure there's no one hiding.

thing."

first

j

She spoke with evident

effort,

and he looked at

her with admiration.

You

"

feel quite sure of yourself

It's

?

not too

"

late

"I think

she whispered, her eyes shifting

so,"

nervously toward the shadows behind. sure,

Quite

"

only one thing "

"

What's that

"

You must never

"

As long

as

"

?

leave

me

alone for an instant."

you understand that any sound or

appearance must be investigated at once, for to

"

means

to

admit

Agreed," she

said,

hesitate

moment's

Arm

hesitation.

in

fear.

a

" I'll

That

is fatal."

shakily,

little

try

after

a

"

arm, Shorthouse holding the dripping

candle and the stick, while his

aunt carried the

cloak over her shoulders, figures of utter

comedy

to

but themselves, they began a systematic search.

all

Stealthily,

candle lest

it

walking on tip-toe and shading the should betray their presence through

the shutterless windows, they went dining-room.

first

into the big

There was not a stick of furniture to

The Empty House

14

Bare walls, ugly mantel-pieces and empty

be seen. grates

stared

them.

at

they

Everything,

resented their intrusion, watching them, as

with veiled eyes flitted

;

whispers followed them

noiselessly

and

right

to

;

it

felt,

were,

shadows

something

left;

seemed ever at their back, watching, waiting an opportunity to do them injury. inevitable sense

when

that operations which went on

the room was empty had been temporarily

suspended

till

they were well out of the

The whole dark to

There was the

interior of the old building

become a malignant

warning business

;

way

them

to

every

moment

again.

seemed

Presence that rose up,

and mind

desist

their

own

the strain on the nerves

increased.

Out

the gloomy dining-room they passed

of

through large folding doors into a sort of library or smoking-room, wrapt equally in

and dust

;

and from

they regained the hall

this

near the top of the back

silence, darkness,

stairs.

Here a pitch black tunnel opened before them into the lower regions,

they hesitated.

and

But only

worst of the night

still

turn from nothing.

—

it

must be confessed

With the

for a minute.

to

come

Aunt

top step of the dark descent,

it

was

essential to

Julia stumbled at the ill lit

by the

flickering

The Empty House candle,

and even Shorthouse

1

felt at least half

the

decision go out of his legs. "

Come on

!

"

he said peremptorily, and his voice

ran on and lost

itself in

the dark, empty spaces

below. "

I'm coming," she faltered, catching his arm with

unnecessary violence.

They went a

unsteadily

little

damp

steps,

a cold,

elose

and mal-odorous.

air

down

meeting them in the

The

kitchen,

it

face,

which

into

the stairs led along a narrow passage,

with a lofty

the stone

was

large,

Several doors opened out of

ceiling.

—some into cupboards with empty jars

still

stand-

ing on the shelves, and others into horrible

ghostly back

than the

offices,

last.

each colder and

little

less inviting

Black beetles scurried over the

floor,

and once, when they knocked against a deal table standing in a corner, something about the size of a cat

jumped down with a rush and

fled,

scampering

across the stone floor into the darkness.

Every-

where there was a sense of recent occupation, an impression of sadness and gloom.

Leaving the

main kitchen, they

next went

towards the scullery.

The door was standing

and as they pushed

open to

it

Julia uttered a piercing scream,

its full

extent

ajar,

Aunt

which she instantly

The Empty House

1

by placing her hand over her mouth.

tried to stifle

For a second Shorthouse stood

He

his breath.

stock-still,

felt as if his spine

become hollow and someone had

catching

had suddenly filled

with

it

particles of ice.

Facing them, directly in their doorposts, stood the figure of a

dishevelled hair and face

was

terrified

w ildly r

was gone

woman.

the

She had

staring eyes, and her

and white as death. for the space of

She stood there motionless

Then the candle

single second.

way between

—gone

utterly

—and

a

and she

flickered

the door framed

nothing but empty darkness.

"Only the

beastly

jumping candle-light," he

said quickly, in a voice that sounded like else's

and was only half under

aunt.

There's nothing there."

control.

"

someone

Come

on,

He dragged her forward. With a clattering of feet and a great appearance of boldness they went over his body the skin moved as

covered

it,

if

on,

but

crawling ants

and he knew by the weight on

his

arm

that he was supplying the force of locomotion for two.

The

scullery

was cold, bare, and empty

like a large prison cell

went round

it,

than anything

else.

more

;

They

tried the door into the yard,

the windows, but found them

all

and

fastened securely.

The Empty House

17

His aunt moved beside him like a person in a

Her eyes were

dream.

tightly

shut,

and

she

seemed merely to follow the pressure of his arm.

Her courage

filled

him with amazement.

At the

same time he noticed that a certain odd change had come over her

face,

a change which somehow

evaded his power of analysis. "There's

nothing " Let's

aloud quickly. of the house.

up

here,

Then

aunty,"

he

go upstairs and see the rest

we'll choose a

room

side,

close to his

and they locked the kitchen door behind them.

was a

more a

to wait

in."

She followed him obediently, keeping

It

repeated

relief to get

up again. In the

light than before, for the

little

down

further

hall there

moon had

the stairs.

was

travelled

Cautiously they

began to go up into the dark vault of the upper house, the boards creaking under their weight.

On

the

first floor

they found the large double

drawing-rooms, a search of which revealed nothing.

Here

also

occupancy; shadows.

was

no sign of furniture or recent

nothing but dust

and

They opened the big

neglect

folding

and doors

between front and back drawing-rooms and then

came out again

to the landing

and went on

upstairs.

They had not gone up more than a dozen

steps

The Empty House

1

when they both simultaneously stopped

new apprehen-

looking into each other's eyes with a

From

sion across the nickering candle flame.

room they had

left

to listen,

the

hardly ten seconds before came

the sound of doors quietly closing.

It

was beyond

question; they heard the booming noise that

all

accompanies the shutting of heavy doors, followed

by the sharp catching 11

We

of the latch.

must go back and

briefly, in

Shorthouse

see," said

a low tone, and turning to go downstairs

again.

Somehow

she managed to drag after him, her

feet catching in her dress, her face livid.

When

they entered the front drawing-room

was plain that the folding doors had been

He

house opened them.

darkness

and

through

both

They

cold

air

set

the candle

back room

met

finding

way

of themselves, but there to

almost expected to see

in the

rooms,

tried in every

to

utterly empty,

;

but only

They went

him.

nothing

make

unusual.

the doors close

was not wind enough even

flame flickering.

would not move without strong silent as the grave.

closed

Without hesitation Short-

half a minute before.

someone facing him

it

The doors

pressure.

All

was

Undeniably the rooms were

and the house utterly

still.

The Empty House " It's

19

beginning," whispered a voice at his elbow

which he hardly recognised as his

He nodded

acquiescence, taking out his watch

to note the time.

midnight

;

aunt's.

It

was

minutes before

fifteen

he made the entry of exactly what had

occurred in his notebook, setting the candle in case

upon the

moment

floor in order to

two

or

do

took a

It

so.

its

to balance it safely against the

wall.

Aunt

moment

Julia always declared that at this

she was not actually watching him, but had turned

her head towards the inner room, where she fancied she heard something

feet,

both

—and

of

the next

had come more than

this,

and he has always thanked

that

it

to

rate,

was out

to Shorthouse himself

came

any

came a sound

heavy and very swift

instant the candle

But

but, at

;

agreed that there

positively

rushing

moving

his fortunate stars

him alone and not

to his aunt too.

For, as he rose from the stooping position of balanc-

ing the candle, and before

it

was actually

extin-

guished, a face thrust itself forward so close to his

own lips.

that he could almost have touched It

was a

face, dark,

eyes.

It

face

with his

it

working with passion

;

a man's

with thick features, and angry, savage

beolnged to a

common man, and

it

was

evil

The Empty House

20

in its ordinary

he saw it

it,

normal expression, no doubt, but as

alive

with intense, aggressive emotion,

was a malignant and

human

terrible

counten-

ance.

There was no movement of the the sound of rushing feet

air

;

nothing but

—stockinged

feet; the apparition of the face;

or muffled

and the almost

simultaneous extinguishing of the candle.

In spite of himself, Shorthouse uttered a cry, nearly losing his balance as his

him with her whole weight

in one

little

aunt clung to

moment

of real,

She made no sound, but

uncontrollable terror.

simply seized him bodily.

Fortunately, however,

she had seen nothing, but had only heard the rushing feet, for

her control returned almost at once, and

he was able to disentangle himself and strike a match.

The shadows ran away on glare,

and

his

all sides

before the

aunt stooped down and groped for

Then

the cigar case with the precious candle.

they discovered that

blown out at

was

wick

was

all

;

it

pressed

flattened as

if

the

candle had not been

had been crushed

down

into the

out.

The

wax, which

by some smooth, heavy

instru-

ment.

How

his

companion so quickly overcame her

The Empty House Shorthouse

terror,

never

properly

21

understood

but his admiration for her self-control increased tenfold,

and at the same time served to feed his

own dying

flame

—for

which he was undeniably

Equally inexplicable to him was the

grateful.

evidence of physical force they had just witnessed.

He

at once suppressed the

had heard

of

"

for if these

were

true,

and either

aunt or himself was unwittingly a physical

his

medium, to

;

of stories he

mediums " and their danger-

physical

ous phenomena

memory

it

meant that they were simply aiding

focus the forces of

charged to the brim. protected lamps

It

a haunted house already

was

like

walking with un-

among uncovered

stores of gun-

powder. So, with as little reflection as possible, he simply relit

the candle and went up to the next

The arm tread

in his trembled,

it is true,

and

his

floor.

own

was often uncertain, but they went on with

thoroughness, and after a search revealing nothing

they climbed the of

last flight of stairs to the top floor

all.

Here they found a perfect nest

of small servants'

rooms, with broken pieces of furniture, dirty cane-

bottomed

chairs, chests of drawers, cracked mirrors,

and decrepit bedsteads.

The rooms had low sloping

The Empty House

22

ceilings already

small windows,

hung here and there with cobwebs, and badly plastered

walls

—a

depressing and dismal region which they were glad to leave behind.

was on the stroke

It

of

midnight when they

entered a small room on the third

floor, close to

top of the stairs, and arranged to

make themselves

the

comfortable for the remainder of their adventure. It

was absolutely

room

—then

bare,

used as a clothes closet

the infuriated

groom had chased

caught her.

finally

and was said to be the

—into

which

his victim

and

Outside, across

the narrow

up

to the floor

landing, began the stairs leading

above, and the servants' quarters where they had just searched.

In spite of the chilliness of the night there was

something in the air of this room that cried for an

open window.

But there was more than

Shorthouse could only describe he

felt

less

it

this.

by saying that

master of himself here than in any

other part of the house.

There was something

that acted directly on the nerves, tiring the resolution, enfeebling the will.

result before he

and

it

was

had been

He was in the

conscious of this

room

five minutes,

in the short time they stayed there that

he suffered {he wholesale depletion of his

vital

The Empty House forces,

which was,

23

for himself, the chief horror of

the whole experience.

They put the candle on the

floor of the

cupboard,

leaving the door a few inches ajar, so that there

was no glare to confuse the to shift about

eyes,

on walls and

and no shadow

Then they

ceiling.

down

spread the cloak on the floor and sat

to wait,

with their backs against the wall. Shorthouse was within two feet of the door on

commanded

to the landing; his position

a good

view of the main staircase leading down into the darkness, and also of the beginning of the servants' stairs

beside

going to the floor above

him within easy

the heavy stick lay

;

reach.

The moon was now high above the Through the open window

house.

they could see the

comforting stars like friendly eyes watching in the

One by one the

sky.

midnight, and silence of

thing.

when

clocks of the

the sounds died

a windless night

Only the boom

fell

away

of the sea, far

house the

silence

awful, he thought, because any

might be broken by

The

the deep

again over every-

lugubrious, filled the air with hollow

Inside the

town struck

away and

murmurs

became

awful

minute now

it

sounds portending terror.

strain of waiting told

more and more severely

The Empty House

24

on the nerves they talked at

all,

due to the night cold.

The

air,

A

chilliness,

not altogether

invaded the room, and made

influences against them, whatever

these might be, were slowly robbing confidence, forces

began

and the power

them

of self-

of decisive action

were on the wane, and the on a new and

fear took

sounded

for their voices aloud

queer and unnatural.

them

whispers when

they talked in

;

possibility of real

terrible

to tremble for the elderly

their

;

He

meaning.

woman by

his side,

whose pluck could hardly save her beyond a certain extent.

He

heard the blood singing in his veins.

sometimes seemed so loud that he fancied

it

It

pre-

vented his hearing properly certain other sounds that were beginning very faintly to

make them-

selves audible in the depths of the house.

Every

time he fastened his attention on these sounds,

they instantly ceased. nearer.

that

They

Yet he could not

movement was going on somewhere

He

;

in the

The drawing-room

where the doors had been so strangely

seemed too near that.

came no

rid himself of the idea

lower regions of the house. floor,

certainly

closed,

the sounds were further off than

thought of the great kitchen, with the

scurrying black-beetles, and of the dismal

little

The Empty House scullery to

;

but,

somehow

come from there

25

or other, they did not seem

Surely they were not

either.

outside the house

Then, suddenly, the truth flashed into his mind,

and for the space of a minute he

felt as if his

blood had stopped flowing and turned to

The sounds were not downstairs were upstairs horrid gloomy

— upstairs, little

windows

at all

;

they

somewhere among those

servants'

of broken furniture,

ice.

low

rooms with their

ceilings,

bits

and cramped

—upstairs where the victim had

been

first

disturbed and stalked to her death.

And

the

moment he discovered where them more

were, he began to hear

the sounds It

clearly.

was

the sound of feet, moving stealthily along the

passage overhead, in and out

among the

rooms, and

past the furniture.

He turned quickly to

steal a glance at the

less figure seated beside

had shared

motion-

him, to note whether she

his discovery.

The

faint candle-light

coming through the crack in the cupboard door, threw her strongly-marked face into vivid against the white of the wall.

thing else that stare

again.

But

made him catch

An

extraordinary

his

it

relief

was somebreath and

something had

come into her face and seemed to spread over her

The Empty House

26

features like a

mask

smoothed out the deep

it

;

and drew the skin everywhere a

lines

so that the wrinkles disappeared

the face

—with the

;

tighter

little

brought into

it

sole exception of the old eyes

an appearance of youth and almost of childhood.

He

stared in speechless

—amazement

amazement

was dangerously near

that

face indeed, but

aunt's

it

to horror.

was her

his

face of forty

years ago, the vacant innocent face of a

had heard

was

It

girl.

He

stories of that strange effect of terror

which could wipe a human countenance clean of other emotions, obliterating sions

all

previous expres-

but he had never realised that

;

literally true, or could

mean anything

what he now saw.

horrible as

it

could be

so simply

For the dreadful

signature of overmastering fear was written plainly in that utter vacancy of the girlish

him

;

and when, feeling

face

beside

his intense gaze, she turned

him, he instinctively closed his eyes

to look at

tightly to shut out the sight.

Yet,

when he turned a minute

well in hand, he

expression face

;

saw

his aunt

later, his feelings

to his intense relief another

was

smiling,

and though the

was deathly white, the awful

veil

had

lifted

and the normal look was returning. "

Anything wrong ?

"

was

all

he could think of

The Empty House to say

answer was

the

coming from such a woman.

eloquent,

"I

And

the moment.

at

27

cold

feel

—and

a

frightened,"

little

she

whispered.

He

window, but she seized

offered to close the

hold of him and begged him not to leave her side

even for an instant. " It's upstairs, I

odd half laugh

But

;

"

know," she whispered, with an

but I can't possibly go up."

thought

Shorthouse

otherwise,

knowing

that in action lay their best hope of self-control. I

He

took the brandy flask and poured out a glass

enough

of neat spirit, stiff

She swallowed

anything.

His only idea

now was

to help it

anybody over

with a

to get

little shiver.

out of the house

before her collapse became inevitable

could not safely be done

running from the enemy. possible

;

by turning

from

it

;

and

less

master

Moreover, the

must be taken towards the enemy, not away ;

the climax,

would have

now

tail

and desperate, aggressive measures were

imperative without further delay. action

but this

Inaction was no longer

every minute he was growing

of himself,

;

to be

if

necessary and unavoidable,

faced boldly.

He

could do

it

but in ten minutes he might not have the

force left to act for himself,

much

less for

both

The Empty House

28

Upstairs, the sounds were meanwhile becoming

louder

and

creaking of stealthily

accompanied

closer,

the about,

Someone was moving

boards.

now

stumbling

awkwardly against the

by occasional

and

then

furniture.

Waiting a few moments to allow the tremendous dose of spirits to produce this

would

its effect,

and knowing

but a short time under the circum-

last

stances, Shorthouse then quietly got

on his

feet,

saying in a determined voice "

Now, Aunt

what It's

all this

what we

He

Julia, we'll

noise

is

go upstairs and find out

You must come

about.

too.

agreed."

picked up his stick and went to the cupboard

A limp form rose

for the candle.

shakily beside him

breathing hard, and he heard a voice say very faintly something about being " ready to come."

woman's courage amazed him than his own

;

;

it

The

was so much greater

and, as they advanced, holding aloft

the dripping candle, some subtle force exhaled from this trembling, white-faced old

woman

at his side

that was the true source of his inspiration.

It held

something really great that shamed him and gave

him the support without which he would have proved far

They

less

equal to the occasion.

crossed

the dark landing, avoiding with

The Empty House

29

their eyes the deep black space over the banisters.

Then they began

mount the narrow

to

staircase to

meet the sounds which, minute by minute, grew

About half-way up the

louder and nearer.

Aunt

there

and Shorthouse turned to

Julia stumbled

catch her

by the arm, and

came a

overhead.

It

stairs

just at that

moment

crash in the servants' corridor

terrific

was instantly followed by a

shrill,

agonised scream that was a cry of terror and a cry for help melted into one.

Before they could step,

move

aside, or

go down a single

someone came rushing along the

passage

overhead, blundering horribly, racing madly, at full speed, three steps at a time,

case

where they

uncertain;

stood.

The

down

the very stair-

steps were light

but close behind them sounded

and the

heavier tread of another person, and the staircase

seemed

to shake.

Shorthouse and his companion just had time to flatten

themselves

against

the wall

when

the

jumble of flying steps was upon them, and two persons, with the slightest possible interval

them, dashed past at

full speed.

It

between

was a perfect

whirlwind of sound breaking in upon the midnight silence of the

empty

building.

The two runners, pursuer and pursued, had

The Empty House

30

passed clean through them where they stood, and already with a thud the boards below had received first

then the

one,

absolutely nothing

other.

Yet

they had

—not a hand, or

seen

arm, or face, or

even a shred of flying clothing.

Then the

There came a second's pause.

first

one, the lighter of the two, obviously the pursued one, ran with uncertain footsteps into the little

room which' Shorthouse and

The heavier one

left.

sound

of

screaming the step

A

scuffling,

his

aunt had just

followed.

There was a

and

gasping,

smothered

and then out on to the landing came

;

— of a single person treading weightily.

dead silence followed for the space of half a

minute, and then was heard

through the

air.

It

rushing

a

was followed by a

sound

dull, crash-

ing thud in the depths of the house below

— on the

stone floor of the hall.

Utter silence reigned

The flame

of the candle

Nothing moved.

after.

was steady,

steady the whole time, and

the

had been

It

air

had been

undisturbed by any movement whatsoever.

with

terror,

Aunt

Julia,

Palsied

without waiting for her

companion, began fumbling her

way

she was crying gently to herself, and

downstairs;

when

Short-

house put his arm round her and half carried her

The Empty House he

felt

that she

went into the from the

was trembling

little

floor,

3

like a leaf.

1

He

room and picked up the cloak

and,

arm

in arm,

walking very

slowly, without speaking a

word or looking once

behind them, they marched

down

the three flights

into the hall.

In the hall they saw nothing, but the whole

down

way

the stairs they were conscious that someone

followed them;

step

by

step;

when they went

behind, and

when they went

more slowly IT caught them up.

But never once

faster

IT was

left

did they look behind to see

;

and at each turning

of the staircase they lowered their eyes for fear of

the following horror they might see

upon the

stairs above.

With trembling hands Shorthouse opened the front door, and they walked out into the moonlight

and drew a deep breath of the cool night in

from the

sea.

air

blowing

A HAUNTED ISLAND The

following events occurred on a small island

of isolated position in a large Canadian lake, to

whose

waters the inhabitants of Montreal

cool

/

and Toronto

for

flee

hot months.

It

is

rest

and recreation

only to

in the

be regretted

that

events of such peculiar interest to the genuine

student of the psychical should be entirely uncorroborated.

Such unfortunately, however,

is

the

case.

Our own party to

of nearly

twenty had returned

Montreal that very day, and I was

solitary possession for a

week or two

order to accomplish some for the

law which

I

left

in

longer, in

important ''reading"

had foolishly neglected during

the summer. It

was

September, and the big trout and

late in

maskinonge were of the lake,

stirring themselves in the depths

and beginning slowly

to

move up

to

the surface waters as the north winds and early frosts

lowered

their

temperature. 32

Already the

A were

maples

Haunted

Island

and

crimson

33

and the wild

gold,

laughter of the loons echoed in sheltered bays that

never

knew

their strange cry in the

With a whole

island to

farmers weekly

with eggs and bread, to

visit

disturb one, the opportunities

The

a two-storey

oneself,

and only the chipmunks, and the

cottage, a canoe,

might be very

summer.

great.

It all

rest of the party

hard reading

for

depends

had gone

!

many

with

off

warnings to beware of Indians, and not to stay late

enough to be the victim of a

frost tha,t thinks

nothing of forty below zero.

After they had gone,

the loneliness of the situation

made

antly

itself

unpleas-

There were no other islands within

felt.

six or seven miles,

and though the mainland

forests

lay a couple of miles behind me, they stretched for a very great distance of

human

But, though the island was

habitation.

completely deserted and that had echoed

unbroken by any sigus

human

silent,

the rocks and trees

laughter and voices almost

every hour of the day for two months could not fail to

retain

some memories

of

it

all

;

and

I

was

not surprised to fancy I heard a shout or a cry as I passed

from rock to rock, and more than once to

imagine that

I

heard

my own name

called aloud.

In the cottage there were six tiny 3

little

bed-

A

34

Haunted Island

rooms divided from one another by plain unvarnished

partitions

a mattress,

and a

A

pine.

of

wooden bedstead, but I

chair, stood in each room,

only found two mirrors, and one of these was broken.

The boards creaked a good deal

as

I

moved

about, and the signs of occupation were so recent

that I could hardly believe I was alone.

I half

expected to find someone

trying

to

crowd into a box more than

The door a

left behind, still

of one

moment

room was

open,

to

and

stiff,

would

it

and refused

required very

it

hold. for

little

persuasion to imagine someone was holding the

handle on the inside, and that when should meet a pair of

human

it

opened

I

eyes.

A thorough search of the floor led me to select as my own sleeping quarters a little room with a diminutive balcony over the verandah roof.

The

room was very

and

small, but the

had the best mattress

of

them

directly over the sitting-room

and do

my

" reading,"

all.

It

where

large,

was situated I should live

and the miniature window

looked out to the rising sun. of a

bed was

With the exception

narrow path which led from the front door

and verandah through landing,

the

island

was

the

trees

densely

to

the boat-

covered

with

A

Haunted

Island

maples, hemlocks, and cedars. in

The

35

trees gathered

round the cottage so closely that the slightest

wind made the branches scrape the roof and tap

A

the wooden walls.

few moments after sunset

the darkness became impenetrable, and ten yards

beyond the glare

of the

windows

the sitting-room

four

lamps that shone through

—you could not see

—

of

which there were

an inch before your nose,

nor move a step without running up against a tree.

The

rest of that

ings from

my

day

tent

I spent

to

moving

my

belong-

the sitting-room, taking

stock of the contents of the larder, and chopping

enough wood for the stove

to last

me

for a week.

After that, just before sunset, I went round the island a couple of times in

my

canoe for precau-

had never dreamed of doing

tion's sake.

I

before, but

when

a

man is

this

alone he does things that

never occur to him when he

is

one of a large

party.

How again

!

lonely the island seemed

I landed

The sun was down, and twilight is unknown

in these northern regions. at once.

when

The canoe

The darkness comes up

safely pulled

over on her face, I groped

up and turned

my way

narrow pathway to the verandah.

up the

The

six

little

lamps

A

36

Haunted

Island

were soon burning merrily in the front room in the kitchen,

where

shadows were

I " dined," the

and the lamplight was

so gloomy,

but

;

so inadequate,

that the stars could be seen peeping through the

cracks between the rafters. I

Though

turned in early that night.

was

it

my

calm and there was no wind, the creaking of

bedstead and the musical gurgle of the water over the rocks below were not the only sounds that

reached

my

emptiness of corridors

rooms

vacant footsteps,

upon

me.

The

seemed

to

echo

grew

shufflings,

the

rustle

noises,

whispering.

of

however, passed gently to mingle with

my

week passed

favourably.

On

dreams. by,

and the

night's

sleep

my

for

The more

of this dislike, the

I

reading

"

progressed

my

awoke

myself

to find

marked repugnance to stifle me.

"

the tenth day of

strange thing happened.

solitude,

with

possessed

room.

The

air

it

a

seemed

I tried to define the cause

more unreasonable

Absurd as

a

after a good

it

appeared.

There was something about the room that made afraid.

of

sleep at length overtook me, the breathings

the voices of

A

awake, the appalling

and a constant undertone

skirts,

and

I lay

house

the

and

innumerable

When

As

ears.

me

seems, this feeling clung to

A me I

Haunted Island

obstinately while dressing, and

37

more than once

caught myself shivering, and conscious of an the room as quickly as

inclination to get out of

The more

possible.

more

real

dressed, stairs

it

I tried to

became

;

laugh

it

and when at

away, the

last

I

was

and went out into the passage, and down-

into

the kitchen,

it

was with

feelings of

relief,

such as I might imagine would accompany

one's

escape from the presence of a

dangerous

contagious disease.

While cooking

my

breakfast, I carefully recalled

every night spent in the room, in the hope that I

might in some way connect the

dislike I

now

felt

with some disagreeable incident that had occurred in

it.

But the only thing

I could recall

was one

stormy night when I suddenly awoke and heard the boards creaking so loudly in the corridor that I

was convinced there were people

So certain was stairs,

gun

in

I of this, that I

in the house.

had descended the

hand, only to find the doors and

windows securely fastened, and the mice and blackbeetles in sole possession of the floor.

This was

certainly not sufficient to account for the strength of

my

feelings.

The morning hours and when

I

broke

I spent in steady reading;

off in the

middle of the day for

A

38 a if

Haunted Island

swim and luncheon, not a

little

the room had, upstairs

was very much

I

alarmed, to find that if

to get

marked aversion

my

surprised, dislike for

anything, grown stronger.

a book,

experienced the most

I

and while

to entering the room,

within I was conscious

Going

all

the time of an un-

comfortable feeling that was half uneasiness and half apprehension.

The

of

result

was

it

that,

instead of reading, I spent the afternoon on the

water paddling and

fishing,

and when

about sundown, brought with

me

I got

home

half

a dozen

delicious black bass for the supper-table

and the

larder.

As

sleep

was an important matter

to

me

at this

my aversion to the room was so strongly marked on my return as it had been before, I would move my bed down into the

time, I

had decided that

sitting-room,

if

and sleep there.

This was, I argued, in

no sense a concession to an absurd and fanciful

fear,

but simply a precaution to ensure a good night's sleep.

day's

A

bad night involved the

reading,

—a

loss

I

loss of the

next

was not prepared

to

incur. I accordingly

moved

my

bed downstairs into a

corner of the sitting-room facing the door, and was

moreover uncommonly glad when the operation

A

Haunted Island

was completed, and the door

of the

upon the shadows, the

finally

39

bedroom closed and the

silence,

strange fear that shared the room with them.

The croaking stroke

of the kitchen clock sounded

my

the hour of eight as I finished washing up

few

and closing the kitchen door behind

dishes,

me, passed into the front room.

were

lit,

and their

reflectors,

which

up during the day, threw a blaze

the lamps

All I

had polished

of light into the

room.

Outside the night was

still

breath of air was stirring

;

and warm.

the waves were silent,

the trees motionless, and heavy clouds

an

oppressive

curtain

Not a

over

hung

the heavens.

like

The

darkness seemed to have rolled up with unusual swiftness,

and not the faintest glow of colour

remained to show where the sun had

was present

in the atmosphere that

overwhelming

silence

set.

There

ominous and

which so often precedes the

most violent storms. I sat clear,

down to my books with my brain unusually

and in

my

knowing that ice-house,

heart the pleasant satisfaction of

five black

bass were lying in the

and that to-morrow morning the old

farmer would arrive with fresh bread and eggs.

was soon absorbed

in

my

books.

I

A

40

Haunted

Island

As the night wore on the Even the chipmunks were

still

silence

;

and the boards

of

I read

on

the floors and walls ceased creaking. steadily

kitchen,

like

from the gloomy shadows of

till,

came the hoarse sound

How

nine.

deepened.

of the clock striking

loud the strokes sounded

blows of a big hammer.

and opened

another,

warming up

to

my

the

They were

S

I closed

one book

that

was just

feeling

I

work. not last long.

This, however, did

presently

I

found that I was reading the same paragraphs over twice, simple paragraphs that did not require such effort.

Then

wander

to other things,

I noticed

became

thoughts

Concentration

that

my

and the

mind began

effort to recall

harder with

each

to

my

digression.

was growing momentarily

more

Presently I discovered that I had turned

difficult.

over two pages instead of one, and had not noticed

my

mistake until I was well

was becoming influence

?

It could

the contrary, in a

a

serious.

my

down

What was

mind was unusually

more receptive condition than

new and determined

my

subject.

the disturbing

But

On

not be physical fatigue.

effort

short time succeeded in giving to

This

the page.

in a very

to

my

alert,

usual.

read,

I

and

made

and for a

whole attention

few moments again

A I

Haunted Island my

found myself leaning back in

41

chair, staring

vacantly into space.

my

Something was evidently at work in consciousness.

There

windows were not

was

fastened.

all

right

I

I accordingly

and found that they were

needed attention. it

something

had

Perhaps the kitchen door and

neglected to do.

to see,

was

sub-

I

went

!

The fire perhaps and found that

in to see,

I looked at the

!

bedroom

upstairs into every

in turn,

lamps,

;

ice-house.

everything was in

Yet something was wrong

!

went

and then went

round the house, and even into the

Nothing was wrong

went

its place.

The conviction grew

stronger and stronger within me.

When

I

at length settled

down

to

my

books

again and tried to read, I became aware, for the first

room seemed growing

time, that the

cold.

Yet the day had been oppressively warm, and evening had brought no

The

relief.

moreover, gave out heat enough to pleasantly.

But a

up from the

lake,

caused

me

to get

chilliness,

made up

six big lamps,

warm

the room

that perhaps crept

itself felt in

the room, and

to close the glass door opening

on to the verandah.

For a brief moment shaft of light that

fell

I stood

looking out at the

from the windows and shone

A

42 some

Haunted

distance

little

down

Island

the pathway, and out for

a few feet into the lake.

As

I looked, I

saw a canoe

and immediately crossing

of light,

sight again into the

pathway

glide into the

darkness.

pass out of

it,

was perhaps

It

a hundred feet from the shore, and

moved

it

swiftly. I

was surprised that a canoe should pass the

island at that time of night, for all the

from the other

visitors

home weeks

before,

had gone

side of the lake

and the island was a long way

out of any line of water

My

summer

traffic.

reading from this

moment

did not

make

very good progress, for somehow the picture of that canoe, gliding so dimly and swiftly across the

narrow

track

of

light

on

silhouetted itself against the

mind with singular between I

It

my

it

my

kept coming

The more

the more surprised I became.

any

I

had seen during

summer months, and was more

old Indian

like the

war canoes with the high curving bows

and stern and wide beam. read, the

less

finally

closed

I

It

vividness.

of larger build than

the past

waters,

background of

eyes and the printed page.

thought about

was

black

the

success

my

The more

attended

my

I tried to

efforts;

and

books and went out on the

A

Haunted

Island

verandah to walk up and down a the chilliness out of

my

and shake

bit,

bones.

The night was perfectly imaginable.

43

and as dark as

still,

stumbled down the path to the

I

made the very

landing wharf, where the water

The sound

under the timbers.

faintest of gurgling

little

a big tree falling in the mainland forest, far

of

across the lake, stirred echoes in the

the

first

I stood

stillness that reigned

upon the wharf

other

supreme.

in the broad splash

me from

of light that followed

air, like

No

guns of a distant night attack.

sound disturbed the

As

heavy

the sitting-room

windows, I saw another canoe cross the pathway of uncertain light at

upon the water, and disappear

once into the impenetrable

This time I saw more distinctly than

beyond. before.

It

was

like the former canoe, a big birch-

bark, with high-crested

beam.

gloom that lay

It

bows and

stern

was paddled by two Indians,

and broad of

the one in the stern

—the steerer— appeared

a very large man.

I could see this

whom to be

very plainly

and though the second canoe was much nearer the island than the

on their

first,

way home

I

judged that they were both

to the

which was situated some the mainland.

Government Reservation, fifteen miles

away upon

A

44 I

Haunted Island

was wondering

bring any Indians

my mind what

in

down

could possibly

to this part of the lake at

such an hour of the night, when a third canoe, of precisely similar build,

and

by two

also occupied

Indians, passed silently round the end of the wharf.

This time the canoe was very

and

it

suddenly flashed into

much

nearer shore,

my mind

that the

three canoes were in reality one and the same, and

that only one canoe

was

circling the island

This was by no means a pleasant reflection, because,

if

it

were the correct solution of the

unusual appearance of the three canoes in this lonely part of the lake at so late an hour, the

men

purpose of the two considered myself.

I

to

some way connected with

be in

had

could only reasonably be

known

never

of

the

Indians

attempting any violence upon the settlers

who

shared the wild, inhospitable country with them at the

same time,

it

possibility to suppose

was not beyond the region .

.

.

But then

even to think of such hideous

of other solutions

came readily enough succeed reason.

in

relief in all

to the problem, to

my

recommending

of

I did not care

possibilities,

imagination immediately sought

;

and

my

manner

which indeed

mind, but did not themselves

to

my

A

Haunted

Meanwhile, by a sort

Island

of

instinct,

back out of the bright light

45 stepped

I

which

in

had

I

hitherto been standing, and waited in the deep

shadow

a rock

of

make

again

see

to

if

Here

appearance.

its

the canoe would I

could see,

without being seen, and the precaution seemed a wise one.

After

less

anticipated, it

than

made

minutes the canoe, as

five its

fourth appearance.

two men steerer

meant

as those

was

to land.

who had

certainly an

had

This time

was not twenty yards from the wharf, and

that the Indians

I

I

saw

I recognised the

passed before, and the

immense

unquestionably the same canoe.

fellow.

It

was

There could be no

longer any doubt that for some purpose of their

own

the

men had been going round and round

island for land.

the

some time, waiting for an opportunity

I strained

my

eyes to follow

them

to

in the

darkness, but the night had completely swallowed

them

up,

and not even the faintest swish

paddles reached

my

of the

ears as the Indians plied their

long and powerful strokes.

The canoe would be

round again in a few moments, and this time

was

possible that the

well to be prepared. intentions,

men might land. I knew nothing

It

it

was

of their

and two to one (when the two are big

A

46

Haunted Island on a lonely island was not

late at night

Indians

!)

exactly

my

idea of pleasant intercourse.

up

the sitting-room, leaning

In a corner of

my

against the back wall, stood

Marlin

ten cartridges in the magazine and

snugly in the greased breech.

with

rifle,

one

lying

There was just

time to get up to the house and take up a position of defence in that corner.

instant's

to

the verandah, carefully

my way among

the trees, so as to avoid

hesitation

picking

up

Without an

I

ran

being seen in the

Entering the room, I shut

light.

the door leading to the verandah, and as quickly as possible turned out every one of the six lamps.

To be

in a

room

so brilliantly lighted,

where

my

every movement could be observed from outside, while I could see nothing but impenetrable darkness at every window,

was by

all

laws of warfare

And

this

far too wily

and

an unnecessary concession to the enemy. enemy,

if

enemy

it

was

to be,

was

dangerous to be granted any such advantages. I stood in the corner of the

against the wall, and barrel.

The

table,

my

room with

my

hand on the cold

covered with

my

back rifle-

books, lay

between me and the door, but for the

first

few

minutes after the lights were out the darkness

was

so intense

that nothing could be discerned

A at

Haunted

Island

47

Then, very gradually, the outline of the

all.

room became

visible,

windows began

and the framework

to shape itself

of

the

dimly before

my

eyes.

After a few minutes the door of

and

glass),

out upon the distinct if

and

;

the

(its

two windows

upper half looked

that

front verandah, became specially

was glad that

I

this

was

so,

because

the Indians came up to the house I should be

and gather something

able to see their approach, of their

Nor was

plans.

my

presently came to

sound of

mistaken, for there

I

ears the

a canoe landing and

dragged up over the rocks. tinctly heard

peculiar

hollow

being carefully

The paddles

I dis-

being placed underneath, and the

silence that ensued thereupon I rightly interpreted

to

mean

that the Indians were stealthily approach-

ing the house.

While

it

not alarmed

.

.

.

would be absurd

to claim that I

—even

—at

the situation and

frightened

its

ingly afraid for myself.

I

I

was not overwhelm-

w as T

conscious that even

the night I was passing into a

psychical condition in which

no longer normal.

the gravity of

possible outcome, I speak the

whole truth when I say that

at this stage of

was

my

sensations seemed

Physical fear at no time entered

A

48 into the

my

kept

Haunted my upon my

Island

nature of

feelings;

hand

rifle

the night, I

was

all

and though

1

the greater part of

the time conscious that

its

assistance could be of little avail against the terrors

More than once

that I had to face. feel

most curiously that

was

I

seemed to

I

in no real sense a

part of the proceedings, nor actually involved in

them, but that I was playing the part of a spectator

—a

spectator, moreover,

on a psychic rather

Many

than on a material plane.

of

my

sensations

that night were too vague for definite description

and

analysis, but the

with

me

of it

to the end of

all,

strain

my mind

Meanwhile patiently for as

still

my

feeling that will stay

days

is

the awful horror

and the miserable sensation that

had lasted a

the case

main

little

if

the

longer than was actually

must inevitably have given way.

I stood still in

what was

my

corner,

to come.

and waited

The house was

as the grave, but the inarticulate voices of

the night sang in

the blood running

my ears, and I seemed to hear in my veins and dancing in my

pulses.

If the Indians

came

to the

back of the house,

they would find the kitchen door and window securely fastened.

They could not get

in there

without making considerable noise, which I was

A bound

Haunted Island The only mode

to hear.

by means

49

of getting in

and

of the door that faced me,

I

kept

was

my

eyes glued on that door without taking them off for the smallest fraction of a second.

My

sight adapted itself every minute better to

the darkness.

I

saw the

table that nearly filled

the room, and left only a narrow passage on each side.

make out

I could also

the straight backs of

the wooden chairs pressed up against

even distinguish

my

and could

papers and inkstand lying on

the white oilcloth covering. faces that

it,

I

thought of the gay

had gathered round that table during

the summer, and I longed for the sunlight as I had

never longed for

it

before.

my

Less than three feet to led to the kitchen,

and the

left the

passage-way

leading to the

stairs

bedrooms above commenced in this passage-way, but almost in the sitting-room the windows

I

outlines of the

could trees

:

see

itself.

Through

dim motionless

the

not a leaf

stirred,

not a

branch moved.

A I

few moments of

was aware

of

this

awful

and then

a soft tread on the boards of

the verandah, so stealthy that pression directly on

my

the nerves of hearing. 4

silence,

it

seemed an im-

brain rather than upon

Immediately afterwards a

A

5