n my
ears there echoed still the sudden scream which had come from that part
of the hill which lay to the left of me: yet I dared not to leave my
station; for to have done so would have been to have risked all, and so I
stayed, tortured by the strain of ignorance, and my own terror.

Again, I had a little spell in which I was free from molestation; nothing
coming into sight so far as I could see to right or left of me; though
others were less fortunate, as the curses and sounds of blows told to me,
and then, abruptly, there came another cry of pain, and I looked up again
to the moon, and prayed aloud that it might come out to show some light
before we were all destroyed; but it remained hid. Then a sudden thought
came into my brain, and I shouted at the top of my voice to the bo'sun to
set the great cross-bow upon the central fire; for thus we should have a
big blaze--the wood being very nice and dry. Twice I shouted to him,
saying:--"Burn the bow! Burn the bow!" And immediately he replied,
shouting to all the men to run to him and carry it to the fire; and this
we did and bore it to the center fire, and then ran back with all speed
to our places. Thus in a minute we had some light, and the light grew as
the fire took hold of the great log, the wind fanning it to a blaze. And
so I faced outwards, looking to see if any vile face showed above the
edge before me, or to my right or left. Yet, I saw nothing, save, as it
seemed to me, once a fluttering tentacle came up, a little to my right;
but nothing else for a space.

Perhaps it was near five minutes later, that there came another attack,
and, in this, I came near to losing my life, through my folly in
venturing too near to the edge of the cliff; for, suddenly, there shot up
out from the darkness below, a clump of tentacles, and caught me about
the left ankle, and immediately I was pulled to a sitting posture, so
that both my feet were over the edge of the precipice, and it was only by
the mercy of God that I had not plunged head foremost into the valley.
Yet, as it was, I suffered a mighty peril; for the brute that had my
foot, put a vast strain upon it, trying to pull me down; but I resisted,
using my hands and seat to sustain me, and so, discovering that it could
not compass my end in this wise, it slacked somewhat of the stress, and
bit at my boot, shearing through the hard leather, and nigh destroying my
small toe; but now, being no longer compelled to use both hands