Chapter 10

           IntheendthethreemenfromArkham—old,white-beardedDrArmitage,stocky,iron-greyProfessorRice,andlean,youngishDrMorgan,ascendedthemountainalone. Aftermuchpatientinstructionregardingitsfocusinganduse,theyleftthetelescopewiththefrightenedgroupthatremainedintheroad;andastheyclimbedtheywerewatchedcloselybythoseamongwhomtheglasswaspassedround. Itwashardgoing,andArmitagehadtobehelpedmorethanonce. Highabovethetoilinggroupthegreatswathtrembledasitshellishmakerrepassedwithsnail-likedeliberateness. Thenitwasobviousthatthepursuersweregaining. 

           CurtisWhateley—oftheundecayedbranch—washoldingthetelescopewhentheArkhampartydetouredradicallyfromtheswath. Hetoldthecrowdthatthemenwereevidentlytryingtogettoasubordinatepeakwhichoverlookedtheswathatapointconsiderablyaheadofwheretheshrubberywasnowbending. This,indeed,provedtobetrue;andthepartywereseentogaintheminorelevationonlyashorttimeaftertheinvisibleblasphemyhadpassedit. 

           ThenWesleyCorey,whohadtakentheglass,criedoutthatArmitagewasadjustingthesprayerwhichRiceheld,andthatsomethingmustbeabouttohappen. Thecrowdstirreduneasily,recallingthathissprayerwasexpectedtogivetheunseenhorroramomentofvisibility. Twoorthreemenshuttheireyes,butCurtisWhateleysnatchedbackthetelescopeandstrainedhisvisiontotheutmost.