GREAT SHORT STORIES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 15, 15 December 1937, Page 5

GREAT SHORT STORIES

| DEVIL CRABS •;* (BY C. T. STONEHAM.) ♦> (Copyright in All Countries.) At home comfort and good cheer: In the jungle horror and ,j. sickening dread.

A tropical African forest at night is no place for a nervous man. , Not that Eldon was particularly highly strung, he told himself—at least, not more so than the general run of artists. To paint pictures one must have imagination, but he had his imagination well under control. Nevertheless, the great silent trees seemed awesome in the moonlight, standing there as though waiting for something portentous to happen, the rustling in the undergrowth where little animals went about their nocturnal affairs, the eerie shrieks which broke the stillness at unexpected intervals, all combined to make the intruder jumpy. He was sorry lie had- followed the wounded kudu into this place, especially as his boys had no notion of his whereabouts. Well, the thing to do was to get straight back. He strode on along narrow trails, moving south with the moon on his left, resisting the inclination to wince and hunch his shoulders when the nerve-racking screams split the silence. BARRED BY CHASM. He came to a huge chasm running right across his front, It was deep and sheer, the rush of a stream came up to him. This was all wrong; he had seen no signs of this fissure on the outward journey pursuing the buck. Eldon controlled a rush of panic, sat down on a rock and took out his pipe to smoke and consider. One could not get lost so near to the edge of the forest and camp. It might take a long time, but he would get out all right. Meanwhile, it was a gruesome place, to be wandering in alone at this hour. He reflected that it was only three days to Christmas, and contrasted the situation of most civilised people with his own at this season of comfort and good cheer. He was not fond of all that spurious jollity, the determination to be merry against one’s inclination; that was why he had chosen this time to get away. Well, this forest was the wrong place in which to hold Christian festival, even had one the opportunity; it reeked of savagery, witchcraft—all ' the abominations of sorcery. The natives fought shv of it, they would not venture into it after dark. They had queer superstitions, • The

eight of his shadow, thrown thin beside him by the moon, reminded Eldon of one ridiculous belief. It was said that peculiar land crabs, huge things, demons, lived in the forest. They followed the traveller to feed on his shadow. Gradually they consumed it always following on the trail, to feast while the victim rested. Tlie man grew sick; as his shadow was eaten he pined away, until he died. Eldon bad seen nothing of these creatures, But something was busy now in a patch of grass quite close to him. He wondered what sort of little furry, bright-eyed animal it could be. Then he received a horrible shock. The creature which had been moving about in the patch of grass came out into the open. It was a huge crab. It was on the edge of his shadow. What was ’it do- ? ■lldon sprang up with a yell. The crab ran quickly into the grass. lie stood wiping his face, trembling. It seemed to him that his shadow was not complete. One shoulder lacked the proper roundness. It was a trick of the light, of course —the unevenness of the ground—but it was uncanny. This place was haunted; he would gef out of it without delay. A stiff whisky and bed was what he needed. The rest of that experience was a nightmare. Eldon walked for hours along winding game-trails, varying his direction, casting in circles to find a familiar landmark, never reaching the edge of that bowilderng forest. He came upon elephants bathing at a rivulet and sheered away ' from them; he met a prowling leopard in the path and was relieved to see the big cat spring away into the undergrowth. • ... . At last, near dawn, be could go no farther; he threw himself down on a patch of grass to rest. His ; limbs were leaden, there was a nagging pain in arm and shoulder. The rustling noises went on all about him, the screams, and howls were periodic, but' he was past caring for them. After a time he slept. ' GHASTLY DREAMS. His dreams were ghastly. It seemed lie lay watching his'shadow cast by the'waning moon, and presently three big ghoulish crabs, came out of the undergrowth and began to nibble at its 6<lgC-S« Helplessly he. watched them. They were motiouless. for long periods, then moved suddenly inwards, eating their way towards him: JJefore the min's shadow was black on' the grass, behind them the moonlight lay ( clean. Arm and shoulder cast no silhouette. At dawn, Eldon awoke, stiff in every limb unrefreshed, but intensely thankful to see the morning light. He set out, taking his direction from tho brightening east. In a short time the bush thinned before him, he emerged on the plains and saw the white shine of tents in the distance. Eldon cut short his Christmas trip ind returned to Salisbury. Knnanga, his faithful Lunda servant, was worried about him. He did not know of his masters experience

in the forest. Eldon would not confess his fears to a native, but he suspected that fever microbes had found lodgment in the white man’s blood.

SEMI-PARALYSED. He was right. In a few days Eldon was off his head with malaria. The attack lasted until the town was reached. The doctors took him in hand. They cured the fever, but - were unable to diagnose the peculiar wasting lassitude which afflicted the patient. He grew thinner, more debilitated daily. To make matters worse he was partly paralysed; the left arm and shoulder had no sensation and could not be moved. 1 Dr Short, senior medical officer, found the artist’s case most interesting. He had heard of the misadventure in the forest, the night spent on the bare, damp ground. Now Eldon told him of his strange dream. “You admit that this native legend occupied your thoughts before you slept; it is probable that a stiffness in your arm and shoulder suggested the nightmare,” the doctor said. “But wliy am I paralysed?” cried Eldon helplessly. “You may have been bitten by some insect or reptile. We know little about venomous creatures of that part of Africa. However, the effects cannot last.” / The doctor’s optimism, was not justified. Eldon grew weaker, more lackadaisical. Kananga sought his master. The black man’s lace expressed great concern. “Baas, you are bewitched. Some enemy has, put a spell upon you; you sink slowly towards death.” Eldon smiled sadly. “I have no enemy, Kananga. I am sick of a disease the doctors do not understand.” Kananga clicked his tongue in grief. “I have never known master so kind as you. I would help. I am the second son of a chief, and he is a great witch-doctor. Come with me to my fathers kraal and he will cure you.” Eldon shook his head. “I have had enough of such things,” he said angrily.

One morning Kananga went up to his master’s room and saw a picture standing on the easel. It depicted a gloomy forest lit by the effulgence of a glowing moon. A man lay asleep

under a tree, the moon threw his shadow long and sharp on the short grass, On the edge of that shadow rested three squat, black forms, resembling crabs, but vaguely suggestive of diminutive goblins—obscene, horrible. Kananga stood before tlie picture, very thoughtful. Then he went in search of Baas Clayton, whom he had known for years, and who knew the ways of his people. That evening Clayton encountered Eldon in tho hotel lounge. “Excuse me,’’ he said, “there is something I’d like to talk with you about. I was guilty of a silly mistake this morning I barged into your room instead of my own. Frightfully sorry.” Eldon smiled. “It doesn’t matter,’ - he said. “But I could not help seeing a very striking picture you have there. It’s tho first of your work I’ve seen, and I think it frightfully good. I recognised the subject, of course; having been D.C. up there so long. I know a good deal about the Lunda legend. ■ “But you’ve got it wrong in one respect; the devil-crabs are white. You have painted the ordinary, harmless land crab.” Eldon stared at him. “They are just like that,” he said dully. Clayton shook his head. “No; I’ll bet you. You’ve got a Lunda boy; ask him.” Like an abtomaton Eldon did'so. “What are the devil-crabs like, Kananga ?” The native made a distressful gesture, shuddering. “They are large and white, Baas—as white as the bones of a skeleton.” “There you are!” cried Clayton triumphantly. . * Half an hour later Eldon ascended to his room, to stand staring' at the painting that had cost him so. much labour. Suddenly h© seized it and smashed it down on the hack of a chair. ' “Delusions!” he muttered. “Just nerves and bad dreams!”. ...,M <• He shouted for his boy. “Kan-, anga, get out my dress clothes. - Tin going to a party, if it kills me.” 1 Soon afterwards Kanang'a burnt the only authentic picture ot' the Lunda devil crabs that could not bewitch a white man.