ng that something had left me at the moment of my awakening.
There was a slight, hateful odor in my nostrils that was not altogether
unfamiliar, and then, suddenly, I was aware that my face was damp and
that there was a curious sense of tingling at my throat. I put up my hand
and felt my face, and the hand when I brought it away was slippery with
slime, and at that, I put up my other hand, and touched my throat, and
there it was the same, only, in addition, there was a slight swelled
place a little to one side of the wind-pipe, the sort of place that the
bite of a mosquito will make; but I had no thought to blame any mosquito.

Now the stumbling of the man over me, my awakening, and the discovery
that my face and throat were be-slimed, were but the happenings of some
few, short instants; and then I was upon my feet, and following him round
to the fire; for I had a sense of chilliness and a great desire not to be
alone. Now, having come to the fire, I took some of the water that had
been left in the boiler, and washed my face and neck, after which I felt
more my own man. Then I asked the man to look at my throat, so that he
might give me some idea of what manner of place the swelling seemed, and
he, lighting a piece of the dry seaweed to act as a torch, made
examination of my neck; but could see little, save a number of small
ring-like marks, red inwardly, and white at the edges, and one of them
was bleeding slightly. After that, I asked him whether he had seen
anything moving round the tent; but he had seen nothing during all the
time that he had been on watch; though it was true that he had heard odd
noises; but nothing very near at hand. Of the places on my throat he
seemed to think but little, suggesting that I had been bitten by some
sort of sand-fly; but at that, I shook my head, and told him of my dream,
and after that, he was as anxious to keep near me as I to him. And so the
night passed onward, until my turn came to watch.

For a little while, the man whom I had relieved sat beside me; having,
I conceived, the kindly intent of keeping me company; but so soon as I
perceived this, I entreated him to go and get his sleep, assuring him
that I had no longer any feelings of fear--such as had been mine upon
awakening and discovering the state of my face and throat--and, upon
this, he consented to leave me, and so, in a little, I sat alone
beside the fire.

For a certain space, I kept very quiet, listening; but no sou