Ужас в музее

           Witheverysuccessivecall—andsuchcallsbecameahabitastheweekswentby—JoneshadfoundRogersmorecommunicativeandconfidential. Fromthefirsttherehadbeenhintsofstrangefaithsandpracticesontheshowman’spart,andlateronthesehintsexpandedintotales—despiteafewoddcorroborativephotographs—whoseextravagancewasalmostcomic. ItwassometimeinJune,onanightwhenJoneshadbroughtabottleofgoodwhiskeyandpliedhishostsomewhatfreely,thatthereallydementedtalkfirstappeared. Beforethattherehadbeenwildenoughstories—accountsofmysterioustripstoThibet,theAfricaninterior,theArabiandesert,theAmazonvalley,Alaska,andcertainlittle-knownislandsoftheSouthPacific,plusclaimsofhavingreadsuchmonstrousandhalf-fabulousbooksastheprehistoricPnakoticfragmentsandtheDholchantsattributedtomalignandnon-humanLeng—butnothinginallthishadbeensounmistakablyinsaneaswhathadcroppedoutthatJuneeveningunderthespellofthewhiskey. 

           Tobeplain,RogersbeganmakingvagueboastsofhavingfoundcertainthingsinNaturethatnoonehadfoundbefore,andofhavingbroughtbacktangibleevidencesofsuchdiscoveries.