ave that my fancy had played me a trick,
and had shown me something where my eyes could find nothing, and at that,
two of the men went back to resume their sleep; but the third, the big
fellow to whom the bo'sun had given the other cutlass, came with us,
bringing his weapon; and, though he kept silent, it seemed to me that he
had gathered something of our uneasiness; and for my part I was not sorry
to have his company.

Presently, we came to that portion of the hill which overhung the
valley, and I went to the edge of the cliff, intending to peer over; for
the valley had a very unholy fascination for me. Yet, no sooner had I
glanced down than I started, and ran back to the bo'sun and plucked him
by the sleeve, and at that, perceiving my agitation, he came with me in
silence to see what matter had caused me so much quiet excitement. Now,
when he looked over, he also was astounded, and drew back instantly;
then, using great caution, he bent forward once more, and stared down,
and, at that, the big seaman came up behind, walking upon his toes, and
stooped to see what manner of thing we had discovered. Thus we each of us
stared down upon a most unearthly sight; for the valley all beneath us
was a-swarm with moving creatures, white and unwholesome in the
moonlight, and their movements were somewhat like the movements of
monstrous slugs, though the things themselves had no resemblance to such
in their contours; but minded me of naked humans, very fleshy and
crawling upon their stomachs; yet their movements lacked not a surprising
rapidity. And now, looking a little over the bo'sun's shoulder, I
discovered that these hideous things were coming up out from the pit-like
pool in the bottom of the valley, and, suddenly, I was minded of the
multitudes of strange fish which we had seen swimming towards the island;
but which had all disappeared before reaching the shore, and I had no
doubt but that they entered the pit through some natural passage known to
them beneath the water. And now I was made to understand my thought of
the previous night, that I had seen the flicker of tentacles; for these
things below us had each two short and stumpy arms; but the ends appeared
divided into hateful and wriggling masses of small tentacles, which slid
hither and thither as the creatures moved about the bottom of the valley,
and at their hinder ends, where they should have grown feet, there seemed
other flickering bunches; but it must not be supp