And, strangely, I heard the sand to stir at my back, and I looked round
very quick, and the sand rose upward in parts, and sifted back, and
there came to my sight odd things that did move and curl about.
And immediately, before I knew which way to go, I knew that the sand did
shift under my feet, and did work and heave, so that I was tottered, and
was shaken also in the heart; for I knew not what to think in that
instant. Then did I perceive that I was all surrounded, and I ran swift
upon the heaving sand, unto the edge of the fire-hole, and I turned
there, and looked quickly; for I did not know what this new Terror
should be.
And I saw that a Yellow Thing did hump upward from out of the sand, as
it had been a low hillock that did live, and the sand shed downward from
it, and it did gather to itself strange and horrid arms from the sand
all about it. And it stretched two of the arms unto me; but I smote with
the Diskos, and I smote thrice; and afterward they did wriggle upon the
sand. But this was not the end, as I did hope; for the Yellow Thing
arose, and ran at me, as it might be that you should see a spider run.
And I did leap backward, this way and that; but the monster had a great
swiftness; so that I did seem surely lost.
Then made I a strong and instant resolve; for I perceived that I had no
hope to slay this thing; save that I should come at it in the body. And
I put everything to the chance, and made not to escape any more; but ran
straight in among the legs; and there were great hairs like to spines
upon the legs, and these had pricked me to the death, but that the
armour saved me.
Now, I had done this thing with a wondrous quickness; so that I was
under the mighty arching of the legs before the Yellow Thing did wot of
my intent. And the body was bristled with the great hairs, and poison
did seem to come from them, and to ooze from them strangely in great and
shining drops. And the Monster heaved itself up to one side, that it
might bring certain of the legs inward to grasp me; yet in that moment
did I smite utter fierce with the Diskos--thrusting. And the Diskos did
spin, and hum, and roar, and sent out a wondrous blaze of flame, as that
it had been a devouring Death; and it sundered the body of the Yellow
Thing, and did seem as that it screamed to rage amid the entrails
thereof; so wondrous was the fury and energy of that trusted Weapon.
And I was covered with the muck of the thing; and the claws upon the
legs seized me, so that the grey armour did bend and crack to the might
thereof, and I grew sick unto death with the pain within; but smote with
the shining Diskos, using my left hand weakly; for my right was gript
dreadful fast to my body. And lo! I was sudden free, and a great blow
did knock me far across the hollow, so that I was like to have fallen
into the fire-hole; but fell instead upon the edge, and came backward
unto safety.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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