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!"