When
they were at last able to avert their eyes a fresh surprise awaited
them; the reflection of the moon in the mirror was red--not an
ordinary red--not merely a colour--but red with a lurid luminosity
that vibrated with life--with a life that all three men at once
recognized as emanating from nothing physical--from nothing good.
It vanished suddenly, quite as suddenly as it had come; and the
reflection of the moon was once again only a reflection--a white,
placid sphere.
For some seconds no one spoke. Hamar was the first to break the
silence. "Well!" he exclaimed, drawing a long breath; "what do you
think of that!"
"Are you sure you weren't faking?" Curtis said.
"I swear I wasn't," Hamar replied; "besides could any one produce a
thing like THAT? The cat didn't think it was a fake--it knew what it
was right enough. Besides, why are your teeth chattering?"
"Why are yours?" Curtis retorted; "why are Matt's?"
"Shall we try the second?" Hamar asked.
"No!" Kelson and Curtis said in chorus. "No! We've had enough for one
night. We'll be off!"
"I think I'll come with you," Hamar said, "after what has happened I
don't quite relish sleeping here alone--or rather with that cat.
Hi--Satan, where are you?"
Satan was not visible. It had probably hidden under the bed, but as no
one cared to look, its whereabouts remained undiscovered.
With the coming of the sun, the terrors of the night wore off, and the
trio separated.
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