Uncanny Tales

aurice, hadn't you heard? Ethne went abroad directly after Christmas,

nd three days ago, after two years' service in India, and the one t

s away, you, of course, have not hea

a wooden voice. "I

. Everyone is delighted, as it is a splendid match for her. Lady Wilmott speaks most

nd to be overjoyed at the news. The galling part of it was that Aun

m both, as your Uncle Bob has asked us all there for the February house-party. He cabled

ard quite enough for one day of the ch

ing me to go to Wimberley; and early in the following week I travelled up to Cumberland. I received a warm welcome from the old General

o dark that it was almost impossible to distinguish people on the badly lighted little platform. However, as I groped my way along, I recogni

s mistaken, for Ethne was holding out both hands to me in greeting. There was no dog with her, and

le pleasure, then, turning to the man at her side, "Alister, this

tion down the region of my spine. It took me back to Burma and a certain very uncomfortable night that I once passed in th

e of forming an opinion of my cousin's fiancé. It was half-past seven when we go

here was a kind of breathless pause, which was almost audible as my uncle rose to greet him. In all my life I had never seen a handsomer man, and I don't suppose anyone else there

a "half breed"; but in Sir Alister's case there was not even a suspicion of this. He was no darker than scores of men of my own nationality, and besides, he belo

the slightest doubt. Men and women alike seemed attracted

was not jealous in the ordinary way. I saw the folly of imagining that I could stand a chance against a man like Moeran, and, moreover, he int

cett, suddenly, "whether you were in the Service

r his moustache I caught the

ost ashamed to say I have no profession

ns were to some purpose and of benefit to the community in

that direction, though to me it seemed the most natural desire in the world. I was like an alien in a foreign land, longing to get home. I recollect, as a child, my nurse thought me a beastly uncanny kid because I loved

ob said, with a laugh. "I played at much the same game

a gnawing desire, which simply had to be satisfied; and the opportunity came. When I was fourteen, the father of a scho

you ever came back once you got ther

should return," h

d the way to the drawing-room, where for the remainder of t

ng I was sitting in his study having my usual before-dinner

I really don't k

msical smile, "why not be frank an

ealousy, curiously enough. It's something else, something indefinable that comes over

hy eyebrows we

ou make thi

d I called him. As we passed through the hall he slunk away into the library. I thought it a bit strange, as he's usually so frantic to go out with me. Still, I didn't

Sir A

t extraordinary sight. They all bristled up, so to speak, sniffing the air though on the scent of something. I let Bess and Fritz loose, but instead of jumping up, as they usually do, they hung back and showed the whites of their eyes in a way I

with puckered brows. "That w

l my fancy, but the minute those animals put their heads up and sniffed in that peculiar way, I distinctly

sun-warmed fur. Jove, how it carries me back! I remember once, years ago,

this morning. Those dogs smelt it, too. They felt tha

g being-Sir Al

nder his gaze. I got up

, I know that perfectly well, no more than you or I are, and yet I can't get over the behaviour of those hounds. It wasn't only one of 'em, it was the whole lot.

General. "Do you mean to say he

tention myself to the singular attitude of the hounds, and

used and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then added: "It certainly is rather c

have sounded somewhat fantastic from a stranger; still, he ought to have known me better than

e house together, and, after their departure, those poor, dumb beasts had gathered round me in a way that was absolutely pathetic, licking and fondling my hands, as though apolo

up to dress, I heard someone running up afte

me, you did not punish Fritz and Bess for not co

I an

how they always fly out directly she comes in? Well, dogs are the same with Alister. He-he told me so himself. It seems funny to me, and I suppose to you, because we're so fond of a

," I said t

our own fault if a certain animal

stoutly. "You're surely not

her opinion was a great relief to her. She had been afraid that I should think

ject of India and had been comparing notes as to our different adventures. From this we went on to disc

packed up and was off to the East. I had a friend with me, a boy who had been my best pal at school. They used to call us 'Black and White.' He was f

lion is still to be found. We engaged two sturdy hillmen to accompany us and pushed our way downwards from Calcutta over mountains, rivers and through some of the densest jungles I've ever traversed. It was on t

g with his cigar in an abstracted manner, t

as torn open by the teeth of some wild beast, his breast was horribly mauled and lacerated, and his eyes

comment, only waited with brea

e I saw terror written on their faces. Their nostrils quivered as

me animal in the jungle. The whole thing was a mystery. How I came to sleep undisturbed th

it was a tig

case seven years later. The body of a young woman was found in the compound outside my bungalow, done to death in precisely the same way. And seve

the girl?

r's. He was naturally frightfully upset about it, and a regular panic sprang up in the neighbourhood. The natives got a superstitious s

ey?" I quer

't say, as I left the place very soon a

im in mute fascination. Then an unaccountable impul

up in surprise at the irrelevanc

ppens that it's my birthday to-

a shiver I rose from my seat. The roo

aid, "let's

"bride-to-be." They had that day definitely settled the date of their marriage for t

e darkness. Instantly my thoughts flew back to that meeting at the station, when I had fancied that Ethne had her dog in her arms. A chill, sinister feeling crept over me, but I kept my gaze fixed steadily in the same direction. The next minute the lights went up, and I found myself staring str

ing I saw old Giles, the butler, hu

s usually stolid countenance. "A dreadful thing has happened! How it's come about I can

eizing him by the

wered in a hoarse whisp

the stairs, Giles hobbling beside me as fast a

I quickly knelt down and raised the dog's head. His neck was torn open, bitten right th

legs grow suddenly weak. Beads of perspiration gathered

ss his brow in utter bewilderment. "That dawg was as right as po

chanically, "he cou

d man, in awed tones, as he bent over the lifeless body. "D'ye

the same wooden fashi

t to the General?" he cried brokenly.

t isn't your fault, nor mine. Leave the

his faithful companion. He almost wept, only rage and resentment against the murderer were so strong in him that they thrust grief for the time into the ba

ern throughout the house, an

exclaimed, tears standing in her pr

ntly. "It's most unfortunate.

unspeakable revulsion. The atmosphere of the room seemed to become he

nto the collar of his overcoat, his hat pulled low down over his eyes. I joined him

e my advice. Have one of the hounds indoor

d short in his wal

g on your mind,

t night, or got in, after Giles shut up. It may still be there for all we know. I

ding, we'll soon have it out! I'll have the place

ders. "Then Mike di

oed fiercely. "Do

etly, "you'll agree to let

ffly: "Very well, but don't make any fuss about it. Women

of that," I replied, "I

seeing how distressed the General was, by tacit consent av

ncep, a pure-bred Irish setter. He was a dog of exceptional intelligence, and when I spoke to him, ex

surprised, I turned the handle and looked in. My uncle was seated before hi

u, is it? Go

e left him in the libr

ively for a few moments, then

ory as to this

eart, a hideous suspicion, a suspicion so monstrous that had I voiced it, I should probably have

es about a man's life changing every seven years, kept dinning in my head. I was striving to remember how the story went, when a slight sound o

nt, for the light from a window fell full on the figure ahead of me, and I recognised my cousin Ethne. Sh

ld not return to my room and leave her to her wandering, yet still I remained rooted to the spot, all my senses strained, alert. And then suddenly I heard Princep whine. A series of low, stertorous growls followed, growls that made my blood run cold! With swift, noi

d turned all the while towards the opposite side of the room. I looked in the same direction. Out of the darkness gleamed two fiery, golden orbs, two eyes that moved slowly to and fro, b

he Thing, with soft, stealthy tread, came after her. I knew then that there was not an instant to be lost, and like a flash I darted along the gallery and down the stairs.

the only weapon handy. But before I reached the spot, a voice from the study

cried. "Who

may trust my aim for that! I fired at the eyes of the Thin

e smell of fur, the musky, sun-warmed fur of the jungle! With sickening repugnance, I seized the Thing by its two broad shoulders and rolled it over. Then I carefully raised Ethne f

wo front ones were tipped with blood. Instantly my eyes turned to Ethne's throat, and there I saw deep, horrible marks, like the marks of a

hasn't she?" he

finding this was so,

n lifting my beautiful, unconscious burden i

ertheless-men with the souls of beasts. They may be cognisant of the fact or otherwise. In the case of Sir Alister I feel sure it was the latter. He had p