Острів доктора Моро
The Thing in the Forest.
Eachofthesecreatures,despiteitshumanform,itsragofclothing,andtheroughhumanityofitsbodilyform,hadwovenintoit—intoitsmovements,intotheexpressionofitscountenance,intoitswholepresence—somenowirresistiblesuggestionofahog,aswinishtaint,theunmistakablemarkofthebeast.
Istoodovercomebythisamazingrealisationandthenthemosthorriblequestioningscamerushingintomymind.Theybeganleapingintheair,firstoneandthentheother,whoopingandgrunting.Thenoneslipped,andforamomentwasonall-fours,—torecover,indeed,forthwith.Butthattransitorygleamofthetrueanimalismofthesemonsterswasenough.
Iturnedasnoiselesslyaspossible,andbecomingeverynowandthenrigidwiththefearofbeingdiscovered,asabranchcrackedoraleafrustled,Ipushedbackintothebushes.ItwaslongbeforeIgrewbolder,anddaredtomovefreely.Myonlyideaforthemomentwastogetawayfromthesefoulbeings,andIscarcelynoticedthatIhademergeduponafaintpathwayamidstthetrees.Thensuddenlytraversingalittleglade,Isawwithanunpleasantstarttwoclumsylegsamongthetrees,walkingwithnoiselessfootstepsparallelwithmycourse,andperhapsthirtyyardsawayfromme.Theheadandupperpartofthebodywerehiddenbyatangleofcreeper.Istoppedabruptly,hopingthecreaturedidnotseeme.ThefeetstoppedasIdid.SonervouswasIthatIcontrolledanimpulsetoheadlongflightwiththeutmostdifficulty.
