As
soon as the saucepan containing these ingredients began to boil Hamar
threw into it two adders' heads, three toads and a centipede. "Where on earth did you get all those horrors?" Curtis asked,
shrinking away from the bag which had held them. "Here," Hamar said laconically. "It's extraordinary what a lot of
nasty things there are amid so much apparent beauty. I say apparent,
because Nature is a champion faker. You have only to rake about in
these bushes and you'll find snakes galore, whilst under pretty nearly
every stone are centipedes. Like both of you, who never by any chance
poke your noses outside the city, I fancied snakes and centipedes were
confined to the prairies. But I know better now. Besides, where do you
think I found the toads? Why, in the cellars under Meidlers'!" "What, our late governor's?" Kelson cried. Hamar nodded. "Yes!" he said; "under the very spot where we used to
sit. The water's a foot deep in that cellar, and if there are as many
toads in the cellars of the other houses in the block, then Sacramento
Street has a corner in them. I'm going to be executioner now, so look
the other way, Matt!" Kelson needed no second bidding; and sticking his fingers in his ears,
walked to some little distance. When Hamar called him back, the deed
was accomplished--the conditions prescribed in the rites had been
observed--the tabby was in the saucepan on the fire, and its blood had
been besprinkled on each of the seven sectors of the circle. "We must now take our seats on the ground," Hamar said; "I'd better be
in the centre--you, Matt, on the right, and you, Ed, on the
left--allowing three clear feet between us." Hamar showed them how to sit--with legs crossed and arms folded. For some minutes no one spoke. The wind rustled through the bushes and
an owl hooted. Kelson, feeling the night air cold, drew his overcoat
tightly around and the others followed suit. Then Curtis said--

"Do you really think there's anything in it, Leon? Aren't we fools to
go on wasting our time like this?" To which Hamar replied: "Shut up! You were frightened enough doing the
tests!" From afar off, away on the shimmering bosom of the bay came the faint
hooting of a steamer. "That's the _Oleander_!" Kelson murmured. "Rot!" Curtis snapped. "How do you know? You can't tell from this
distance. It might be the _Daisy_, or the _San Marie_, or any other
ship." Kelson made no reply; Hamar blew his nose, and once again there was
silence. The effect of the moonlight had now become weird. From the trees and
bushes crept legions of tall, gaunt shadows, and whilst some of these
were explicable, there were others that certainly had no apparent
counterparts in any of the natural objects around them. Even Curtis,
in spite of his scoffing, showed no inclination to examine them too
closely; but kept his face resolutely turned to the more cheery light
of the fire. The soft, cool, sweet-scented air gradually acted as an
anæsthetic, and Kelson and Curtis were almost asleep, when Hamar's
voice recalled them sharply to themselves. "It's just two!" he said. "Sit tight and listen while I repeat the
incantation, and for goodness' sake keep cool if anything happens. Remember we are here with an object--namely--to get everything we can
out of the Other World." "Trust you for that!" Curtis sneered; "but all the same nothing's
going to happen." "I am not sure of that," Hamar said, and after a brief pause began to
repeat these words[18]--

    "Morbas from the mountains,
    Where flow malignant fountains. We are ready for you--Come! Vampires from the passes,
    Where grow blood-sucking grasses,
      We are ready for you--Come! Vice Elementals pretty
    Give ear unto our ditty
      We are ready for you--Come! Planetians, forms so fearful,
    We inform you, eager, tearful,
      We are ready for you--Come! Clanogrians, things of sorrow. Postpone not till to-morrow,
      We are ready for you--Come! Barrowvians, shades seclusive,
    Be not to us exclusive,
      We are ready for you--Come! Earthbound spirits of the Dead
    Approach with grim and noiseless tread--
      We are ready for you--Come!" He then got up and, going to the fire, sprinkled over the flames six
drachms of belladonna, three drachms of drosera and one ounce of nux
vomica; using in each case his left hand. Returning to his former
position he drew with the forefinger of his left hand, on the ground,
the outline of a club-foot; a hand with the fingers clenched and a
long pointed thumb standing upright; and a bat. At his request Kelson
and Curtis carefully imitated the devices, each in the space allotted
to him. Hamar then cried: "Creastie havoonen balababoo! "; which Hamar
explained was Atlantean for "devil of the damned appear!" "He won't!" Curtis muttered, "because he doesn't exist. There are
devils--Meidler Brothers were devils--but there is no one devil! It's
all----" He suddenly stopped and an intense hush fell upon them all. A cloud obscured the moon, the fire burned dim, and the gloom of the
amphitheatre thickened till the men lost sight of each other. A cold
air then rose from the ground and fanned their nostrils. Something
flew past their heads with an ominous wail; whilst from the direction
of the fire came a hollow groan. "The advent of the Unknown," Hamar murmured, "shall be heralded in by
the shrieking of an owl, the groaning of the mandrake--there is
mandrake in the saucepan--the croaking of a toad--we haven't had that
yet!" "Yes, there it is!" Kelson whispered--and whilst he was speaking there
came a dismal croak, croak, and the swaying and crying of an
ash--"Hush!" They listened--and all three distinctly heard the swishing of a
slender tree trunk as it hissed backwards and forwards. Then, a cry so
horrid, harsh and piercing that even the sceptical, sneering Curtis
gave vent to an expression of fear. Again a hush, and increasing
darkness and cold. Kelson called out--

"Don't do that, Leon." "I'm not doing anything," Hamar said testily. "Pull yourself
together." A moment later he said to Curtis, "It's you, Curtis. Shut
up. This is no time for monkeying." "You are both either mad or dreaming," Curtis replied. "I haven't
stirred from my seat. Hulloa! What's that? What's that, Leon? There--over there! Look!" As Curtis spoke they all three became conscious of living things
around them--things that moved about, silently and surreptitiously and
conveyed the impression of mockery. The hills, the valley, the trees
were full of it--the whole place teemed with it--teemed with silent,
subtle, stealthy mockery. The senses of the three men were now keenly
alive, but a dead weight hung upon their limbs and rendered them
useless. And as they stared into the gloom, in sickly fear, the
firelight flickered and they saw shadows, such as the moon, when low
in the heaven, might fashion from the figure of a man; but yet they
were shadows neither of man, nor God, nor of any familiar thing.