Bat Wing

rley's office, when Harley, myself, and the tall Spaniard st

cle the fact for what it may be worth, that as I gazed with a sort of disgust at the exhibit lying upon the table I became possessed of a conviction, which had no logical basis, that a door had been opened through which I sho

te held nervously between his fingers, he stood staring at Harley, and it

hed it gingerly. "Of what kind of bat, Colo

cies," replied the Spaniard. "Yet e

rn the remainder of your

Mr. Harley. But when first I came, you led me t

slightly. "Accompanied by my friend, Mr. Knox, I had proposed

shi

es

ure for one who like yourself moves much amid the fier

arley

because of my urgent need I dare to do so. Would yourself and your friend honour me with your company at Cray's Folly for a few days? I can p

ced at me s

ked, "that you have reason to believe that this conspi

he same time bringing his han

voice sunken almost to a whisper, "Wednes

full

ull moon that t

panish colonel paced slowly across the off

ll ask you as briefly as possible to state your case in detail. When I have heard it, if it appears to me that any good purpose ca

est use I shall be delighted," said

n for the piscatorial art, and the promise of novel excitement held out by Colonel Me

honoured and delighted. When you shall have hea

, it seemed almost automatical

his glance strayed again in a wondering f

can be discussed later when you are my guests. You must know then that I first became acquainted wit

"you are not going to tell me that the menace of

the intimate. It was then rather more than twenty years ago, at a time when great political changes were taking place in the West Indies, that my business interests, which are mainly concerned with sug

. In fact, it was the reports from my overseers which had led me to visit the island. I made a tour of the place, believing it to be necessary to m

rating-you understand?-against my interests. He produced certain evidences of this. They were not convincing; and all my enquiries

ectly led to United States interferences in the islands. But whilst I could well believe that this man's life had not been safe in those bad old days in the West Indies, I found it difficult to suppose that a native plot

llowed the winding course of a nearly stagnant creek. From the earliest times the Black Belt-it was so called-had been avoided by European inhabitants, and indeed by the coloured population as well. A

had never succeeded in surprising anything in the nature of a negro meeting. Indeed, he had prohibited all gatherings of this kind. His answer to my criticism was a curious one. He declared that the

dismounting from my horse before the veranda, having returned from a long ride around the estate, a shot

ch or less. The alarm was given. But no search-party could be mustered, do you say?-which was prepared to explore the poison swamp-or so declared my native servants. Valera, however, seized upon this i

d out to me that now was the hour to test his theory. Orders had ev

era, 'to discuss the next move. And

im with a glanc

ret expedition into the swamp, and endeavour to find the clearing which you s

saw Valera turn pale, but he wa

d. 'If my information is cor

him. That this clearing was a meeting-place she had denied. But she had admitted that it was possible t

with great deliberation and treated ea

g evening, suitably equipped, Valera and myself set out, leaving by a side door and striking into the woods at a point east of the hacienda, where, accordin

imy things, moving beneath the tread, sometimes coiling about our riding boots, sometimes making hissing sounds. Imagine places where the path was overgrown, and we must thrust ou

scarcely penetrated the thick vapour which arose from the jungle. In those days I was a young and vigorous man; my companion wa

n ever, but I welcomed the sight of open ground after the reptile-infested thicket. Alas! it was a snare, a death-trap, a sort of morass, in which we sank up to our kne

few moments we were enabled to perceive one another

nts were a mass of st

id so one of these patches upon the sleeve of my tunic intruded coldly upon my bare wrist. A

hich came out of the slime! In detaching them one detached patche

saw the light of many torches amid the trees ahead of us, and in their smoky glare witnessed the flight of hundreds of bats. The moonlight creeping dimly through the

rt of unholy chorus, I heard one long, wailing sound, repeate

s 'Bat

my estates. He seemed to be a sort of high priest or president of the orgies. Attached to his arms were giant imitations of bat wings which he moved grotesquely as if in flight. There were many wo

king ever deeper in the swamp, red leeches movin

hief. Neither Harley nor I spoke. I knew not if my friend believed the Spaniard's story. For my own

ly commen

d me for many months, and which defied the knowledge of all the specialists who could be procured from Cuba and the United States. My survival was due to an iron constitution; but I h

t. One night, being troubled by insomnia-sleeplessness-and the heat, I walked out on to the balcony in front of my bedroom window. As I did so, a figur

elapsed since I had seen him wearing the bat wi

lay a loaded revolver. I snatched it in a flash a

his shoulders and select

missed him, I have never known to this day. If he lives or is dead I cannot say. But-" he paused impressively-"I have to

ave just related attached to the main door

?" said Harl

the wing

one of the servants who had drawn my attention to its presence would consent to touch it. Indeed, they all shrank fro

ouring clump of trees, only missing me I think by the fraction of an inch. I

n gained access to my hotel apartment and but for the fact that a friend chanced to call me up on the telephone at that late hour of the night, thereby awakening me, I should have received a k

door opened, and my would-be assassin was gone. But I had

interest in the narrative was displayed by t

me kind of black cloak doubtless to conceal his movements. His silhouette resembled that of a bat. But, g

te which he had been busily rolling,

you wish me to believe that this cult of Vo

shington police exerted themselves to the utmost, no trace was ever found of the man who had tried to murder me, except"-he extended a

ve silence. Truly this was the strang

o was that?"

e, I leased it for a period of years, installing-is it correct?-my cousin, Madame de St?mer, as housekeeper. Madame, alas, is an invalid, but"-he kissed his fingers-"a genius. She has with her, as companion, a very charming English girl, Miss Val Beverley, the orphaned daugh

ows, looking interrogativ

iend, slowly, "I shall be del

als

Colonel Menendez, suggests to my mind that England h

e more before the Burmese cabinet, one hand res

, brought me-" He pointed to the bat wing lying upon the blotting pad

ked Harley, "that you detected the presence of so

ore

urglarious

ess than a month ago. On

ood up and rel

o place in my possession. Since I have determined to visit Cray's Folly, these can wait unt

irling his cigarette betwee

matter, gentleme

shall place it before you. But I m

ng forward to the visi

esday is the full moon, and the full moon is in some