The Unspeakable Thing

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXI, Issue I, 4 July 1903, Page 49

The Unspeakable Thing

I See pages G, 7 and 8.) FULL SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS INSTALMENTS. This weird and sensational story opens on the South Pacific Ocean, where the reader discovers a small open boat which contains the live male survivors of the SUO- - brig -White Swallow,” which has been burned to the water’s edge. The wretched occupants of rhe boat get day by day nearer the exhaustion of their food supply, and at last the last is divided. Just as their sufferings seem bound to end in agonised death, black patches are seen in the water, and these being feebly examined, are found to be a species of tiny water spider. This argues land in the vicinity, and Ennys Tredegar—the hero and others make renewed efforts, and are finally rewarded by reaching a tropical island, rich in vegetation, humming with the buzz of billions of insects, but uncannily silent from the note of any bird or the sound of any animal life. Once the shore is gained, and water has been obtained, an attempt is made to catch a few fish, and, tills being suebessful, all are somewhat refreshed, and two of the party —the captain and one of the sailors —go off to look for game or birds of some sou. They do not return at nightfall, and in the middle of the night two shots are heard, followed by a scream of pain. Next morning a search expedition is organised, through the forest, but no signs of the missing ones are found. But tile discovery is made that the island swarms with billions upon billions of spiders. They aie of every size, from the huge, most noisesome species to the tiniest, ami they are as tiie sands of the sea in numbers. The explorers find it impossible to keep the noisome insects off their bodies, or out of their eyes, and u.e effect on them is indescribably repellant, though the creatures prove to be apparently harmless. Of the three who are left, the ship’s boy, Winkles, suddenly disappears, ami Tiedegar and tiie sailor Hughes are left alone. Here, in the lieart of the forest, they discover a giant spider's web. liunieshed in it are their four companions, ami in the centre a huge creature, with four arms or legs, which seems to move. Tredegar is about to fire, when Hughes peisuades him to get closer, but suddenly the creature slips from mesh to « mesh of the web and disappears. Cursing his ill-luck, 1 rcdegar searches for another cartridge, only to find his coat has been torn and all have been lost, lie and Hughes make their way to the great web, where tiiey find their late companions ail dead, and lied firmly io the net with st long creeper. In the night which follows the two are attacked ny the creature, which cannot, however, be seen in the darkness. Iml which evidently possesses superhuman strength, for it throws Hughes with such force as to break his back. And now Tredegar is alone on this awful island with this nameless horror, this truly unspeakable thing. For a time he thinks he will go mad, but resolve to hunt down and kill the reptile sustains him. ami he resumes his watch till morning. He then buries ids dead companion. and fixes himself up a stronghold in a cave where they first canjped. Here he sleeps till night, wlibn he watches once more tor his horrible adversary. In the silence of the pitch darkness of the cave he suddenly hears a sound of an animal sciatebing to get in, and. lighting a match, secs **a horrible mass of matted hair, out of which glitter a pair of malignant eyes. The match burns out. and tiiey are again in darkness, and Tredegar attempts to close, l>«t the creature escapes him. Ail)thing being better than the constant anxiety, Tredegar dcteirniues to follow the creature in the daikmss. He does so without success for some time, hut at Li. t comes up to the •■thing,” and a desperate struggle ensues, which ends ‘‘‘ ttlc . tine again getting away, but leaving in Tredegar’s hands a portion of a meta > From certain marks on tins he is diiun to the conclusion that the horror which has taken the lives of ids companions is. or has been, human. In his search for the lair of the brute ho discovers an old «ave near the remains of the wieck of a » panish galloon. Some Spanish shipwrecked sailor has occupied it at one time, ami carved on a rafter supporting the roof arc in Spanish the words from the New testament “Who shall deliver me from the body of this death.’ Then the full horror of .us utter loneliness and helplessness strikes Tredegar for the first time, lie can ne\cr bo delivered snv<‘ by death. He rose to his feet and staggered out into the open, 'the sky was roofed with tossing flame, and Hie land bathed in liquid gold. There was no sound but the roar of the sea on the rocks. The black clllfn towered up around him like the walls of a dungeon. 11 seemed for a moment as though he were chained down in the lowest depths of hell. The living death was written over the heavens and the sea ami the sky and the very silence spoke of it. He fell on his knees and prayed. “Oh, wretched man that 1 am. who shall deliver me from the hotly of this death.” The story is continued on page 6.