Жах Данвіча

           FredFarrandWillHutchinscarriedhimtotheroadsideandlaidhimonthedampgrass. HenryWheeler,trembling,turnedtherescuedtelescopeonthemountaintoseewhathemight. Throughthelenseswerediscerniblethreetinyfigures,apparentlyrunningtowardsthesummitasfastasthesteepinclineallowed. Onlythese—nothingmore. Theneveryonenoticedastrangelyunseasonablenoiseinthedeepvalleybehind,andevenintheunderbrushofSentinelHillitself. Itwasthepipingofunnumberedwhippoorwills,andintheirshrillchorusthereseemedtolurkanoteoftenseandevilexpectancy. 

           EarlSawyernowtookthetelescopeandreportedthethreefiguresasstandingonthetopmostridge,virtuallylevelwiththealtar-stonebutataconsiderabledistancefromit. Onefigure,hesaid,seemedtoberaisingitshandsaboveitsheadatrhythmicintervals;andasSawyermentionedthecircumstancethecrowdseemedtohearafaint,half-musicalsoundfromthedistance,asifaloudchantwereaccompanyingthegestures.Theweirdsilhouetteonthatremotepeakmusthavebeenaspectacleofinfinitegrotesquenessandimpressiveness,butnoobserverwasinamoodforaestheticappreciation. ‘Iguesshe’ssayin’thespell,’whisperedWheelerashesnatchedbackthetelescope. Thewhippoorwillswerepipingwildly,andinasingularlycuriousirregularrhythmquiteunlikethatofthevisibleritual. 

           Suddenlythesunshineseemedtolessenwithouttheinterventionofanydiscerniblecloud. Itwasaverypeculiarphenomenon,andwasplainlymarkedbyall.