Жах Данвіча

           Heseemedtoregardthecircumstanceasoneofgreatsignificance,andtoldtheloungersatOsborn’sthathethoughthistimehadalmostcome. 

           ‘Theywhistlejestintunewithmybreathin’naow,’hesaid,‘an’Iguessthey’regittin’readytoketchmysoul. Theyknowit’sa-goin’aout,an’dun’tcalc’latetomissit. Yew’llknow,boys,arterI’mgone,whethertheygitmeernot. Eftheydew,they’llkeepupa-singin’an’laffin’tillbreako’day. Eftheydun’tthey’llkinderquietdaownlike. Iexpecktheman’thesoulstheyhuntsferhevsomeprettytoughtusslessometimes.’ 

           OnLammasNight,1924,DrHoughtonofAylesburywashastilysummonedbyWilburWhateley,whohadlashedhisoneremaininghorsethroughthedarknessandtelephonedfromOsborn’sinthevillage. HefoundOldWhateleyinaverygravestate,withacardiacactionandstertorousbreathingthattoldofanendnotfaroff. Theshapelessalbinodaughterandoddlybeardedgrandsonstoodbythebedside,whilstfromthevacantabyssoverheadtherecameadisquietingsuggestionofrhythmicalsurgingorlapping,asofthewavesonsomelevelbeach. Thedoctor,though,waschieflydisturbedbythechatteringnightbirdsoutside; aseeminglylimitlesslegionofwhippoorwillsthatcriedtheirendlessmessageinrepetitionstimeddiabolicallytothewheezinggaspsofthedyingman. Itwasuncannyandunnatural—toomuch,thoughtDrHoughton,likethewholeoftheregionhehadenteredsoreluctantlyinresponsetotheurgentcall.