The House on the Borderland

some trouble, brought up several heavy pieces of timber. These, I wedged up, slantwise, against it, from the

, and the latch was tried. Keeping silence, I waited. Soon, I heard several of the creatures outside. They were grunting to one another, softly. Then, for a minute, there was quietness. Suddenly, there soun

ulation; then again, silence; and I realized that they had called several more to assist. Feeling that now was the s

waited, nervously; expecting each moment to see the door come down with a crash. But no; the struts held, and the attempt proved abort

new that they were going to make a third attempt to break it down. I was almost in despair. The props had bee

after stair. This time, it was not to one of the towers, that I went; but out on to the flat, leaded roof itself. Once there, I raced across to the parapet,

s groaning. Then, as I took my weight from off the parapet, a huge piece of the stone coping slid from under me, and fell with a crash among the disorganized throng beneath. Several horrible shrieks quavered through the night air, and then I

few minut

hings. It went up to the stone, silently, and bent down. I was unable to see what it did. In

I started to load my rifle. When I looked again, the monster was tugging at the stone-moving it to one side. I

-that of breaking glass. Waiting, only to recharge my weapon,

e house. I thrust it open. The room was but dimly illuminated by the moonlight; most of the light being blotted out by moving figures at the window. Even as I stood, one crawled through, into the room. Leveling my weapon, I fired point-blank at it-filling the room with a

d there, waiting. Presently, I heard a scuffling noise. From

rose into view. Then, before I could use my rifle, or do anything, there came a sharp crack-cr-ac-k; and the window-frame gave way under the weight of the Thing. Next instant, a squashing thud, and a loud outcry, told me that it had fallen to the ground.

for the creatures to climb so far; for the wall is comparatively smo

rainwater. I had forgotten about it. I could see, now, how the creatures had managed to reach the window. Even as the solution came to me, I heard a faint slithering, scratching noise, and knew that another of the brutes was coming. I waited some odd moments; then leant out of the window and felt

o more reason to fear an attack from this quarter. I had removed the only means of reaching the window, and, as none of the other window

e test of that last assault. Entering, I lit two of the candles, and then turned to the door. One of

y shot; and then, as I stood up, it had slipped away from beneath me ... I felt that I owed the dismissal of the attacking force, more to its timely fall than to my rifle. Then the thought came, th

found several pieces of heavy oak planking. With these, I returned to the study, and, having removed the props, placed the planks up

lid with the backing of boards, and would, I felt convinced

brought from the kitchen, and went do

ssessed, I felt considerable anxiety about the windows on the gr

eneral air of dismalness, the place was as I had left it the night before. Going up to the window, I examined the bars, closely; noting, as I did so, their comfortable thickness. Still, as I looked

wer, ceased from the effort. After that, I went 'round to each of the windows, in turn; examining them with careful attention; but nowhere else could I trace anythi