Harold Thompson Rich

“ In an agony of dread I looked, and the blood within me paled to water at the sight that met my gaze. Something—something with but a single hand and foot—emerged from the shadows of the back of the cavern and began to come forward, leaning heavily upon a rough staff for support. ”

“ Fear was growing—growing—that peculiar fear of the dark which is the heritage of those who have taken human life.
"What was that? Something lay gleaming queerly ahead, with a dull phosphorescent glow. I stooped and picked it up—and flung it from me shuddering. It was the skeleton of a human foot! ”

“ By segregating and breeding diseased members of this particular species of spider, I was able to produce the disease in the young in its most virulent form. You can well imagine the care I used in handling these spiders, to prevent infection. ”

“ What has come over me I cannot imagine. And yet—can I not? I am not so sure! Perhaps—perhaps ⸻ has in some devilish way managed to poison me. He is insanely jealous. He thinks there was something between his wife and me. Verily I believe he harassed her to death on the subject. And, having thus brought her to her grave, he wishes to send me there.
Perhaps he will succeed—if it is true. that in some fiendish way he has got some of his germs into my blood. ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1974, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 48 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
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