 The Terrible Old Man by H. P. Lovecraft This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by P. D. Wright The Terrible Old Man by H. P. Lovecraft It was the design of Angelo Ritchie and John Zennick and Manuel Silva to call on the Terrible Old Man. This old man dwells all alone in a very ancient house on Water Street near the sea, and is reputed to be both exceedingly rich and exceedingly feeble, which forms a situation very attractive to men of the profession of mercers Ritchie, Zennick and Silva, for that profession was nothing less dignified than robbery. The inhabitants of Kingsport say and think many things about the Terrible Old Man, which generally keeps him safe from the attention of gentlemen like Mr. Ritchie and his colleagues, despite the almost certain fact that he hides a fortune of indefinite magnitude somewhere about his musty and venerable abode. He is, in truth, a very strange person, believed to have been a captain of East India Clipperships in his day, so old that no one can remember when he was young and so taciturn that few know his real name. Among the gnarled trees in the front yard of his aged and neglected place he maintains a strange collection of large stones oddly grouped and painted so that they resemble the idols of some obscure eastern temple. This collection frightens away most of the small boys who love to taunt the Terrible Old Man about his long white hair and beard are to break the small, pained windows of his dwelling with wicked missiles, but there are other things which frighten the older and more curious folks who sometimes steal up to the house to peer in through the dusty pains. These folks say that on a table in a bare room on the ground floor are many peculiar bottles in each a small piece of lead suspended pendulum-wise from a string, and they say that the Terrible Old Man talks to these bottles addressing them by such names as Jack, Scarface, Long Tom, Spanish Joe, Peters, and Mate Ellis, and that whenever he speaks to a bottle the little lead pendulum within makes certain definite vibrations as if an answer. Those who have watched the tall, lean, Terrible Old Man in these peculiar conversations do not watch him again, but Angelo Ritchie and Joe Saznick and Manuel Silva were not of Kingsport blood. They were of that new and heterogeneous alien stock which lies outside the charmed circle of New England life and traditions, and they saw in the Terrible Old Man merely a tottering, almost helpless greybeard who could not walk without the aid of a knotted cane and whose thin, weak hands shook pitifully. They were really quite sorry in their way for the lonely unpopular old fellow whom everybody shunned and at whom all the dogs but business is business and to a robber whose soul is in his profession there is a lure and a talented but a very old and very feeble man who has no account at the bank and who pays for a few necessities at the village store with Spanish gold and silver minted two centuries ago. Messers Ritchie, Saznick and Silva selected the night of April 11th for their call. Mr. Ritchie and Mr. Silva were to interview the poor old gentleman while Mr. Saznick waited for them in their presumable metallic burden with a covered motor car in Ship Street by the gate in the tall, rare wall of their host's grounds. Desire to avoid needless explanations in the case of unexpected police intrusions prompted these plans for a quiet and unobstiniest departure. As prearranged, the three adventurers started out separately in order to prevent any evil minus suspicions afterwards. Messers Ritchie and Silva met in Water Street by the old man's front gate and although they did not like the way the moon shone down upon the painted stones through the budding branches of the gnarled trees, they had more important things to think about than mere idle superstition. They feared it might be unpleasant work making the terrible old man loquacious concerning his hoarded gold and silver, for aged sea captains are notably stubborn and perverse. Still, he was very old and very feeble, and there were two visitors. Messers Ritchie and Silva were experienced in the art of making unwilling persons loyable, and a screamed of a weak and exceptionally vulnerable old man could be easily muffled. So they moved up to the only lighted window and heard the terrible old man talking childishly to his bottles with pendulums. Then they donned a mask and nodded politely at the weather-stained Okendor. Waiting seemed very long to Mr. Saznick as he fidgeted restlessly in the covered motor car by the terrible old man's back gate and ship street. He was more than ordinarily tender-hearted and he did not like the hideous screams that he had heard in the ancient house just after the hour appointed for the deed. Had he not told his colleagues to be as gentle as possible with the pathetic old sea captain, very nervously he watched that narrow Okend gate in the high and ivy-clad stone wall. Frequently he consulted his watch and wondered at the delay. Had the old man died before revealing where his treasure was hidden, and had a thorough search become necessary, Mr. Saznick did not like to wait so long in the dark in such a place. Then he sensed a soft tread or tapping on the walk inside the gate, heard a gentle fumbling at the rusty latch and saw the narrow heavy door swing inward, and in the pallid glow of the single dim streetlight he strained his eye to see what his colleagues had brought out of that sinister house which loomed so close behind. But when he looked he did not see what he had expected, for his colleagues were not there at all but only the terrible old man, leaning quietly on his knotted cane and smiling hideously. Mr. Saznick had never before noticed the color of that man's eyes. Now he saw that they were yellow. Little things make considerable excitement in little towns which is the reason that Kingsport people talked all that spring and summer about the three unidentifiable bodies, horribly slashed as with many cutlasses, and horribly mangled as by the tread of many cruel boat-heels, which the tide washed in, and some people even spoke of things as trivial, as the deserted motor-car found in Ship Street are of certain, especially in human, cries probably of a stray animal, a migratory bird, heard in the night by wakeful citizens, but in this idle village gossip the terrible old man took no interest at all. He was by nature reserved, and when one is old and feeble one's reserved is doubly strong. Besides, so ancient a sea-captain must have witnessed, scores of things much more stirring in the far off days of his unremembered youth. End of THE TERRIBLE OLD MAN Recording by P. D. Wright This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org THE VOICE IN THE NIGHT It was a dark, starless night. We were becombed in the northern Pacific. Our exact position I do not know, for the sun had been hidden during the course of a weary, breathless week, by a thin haze which seemed to float above us, about the height of our mass-heads, at wilds descending and shrouding the surrounding sea. With there being no wind, we had steadied the tiller, and I was the only man on deck. The crew, consisting of two men and a boy, were sleeping far on in their den, while Will, my friend and the master of our little craft, was aft in his bunk on the port side of the little cabin. Suddenly, from out of the surrounding darkness, there came a hail. SHONER, AHOY! The cry was so unexpected that I gave no immediate answer, because of my surprise. It came again, a voice curiously throaty and inhuman, calling from somewhere upon the dark sea away on our port broadside. SHONER, AHOY! HELLO! I sung out, having gathered my wits somewhat. SHONER, AHOY! What are you? What do you want? SHONER, AHOY! You need not be afraid! answered the queer boys, having probably noticed some trace of confusion in my tone. SHONER, AHOY! I am only an old man. SHONER, AHOY! The pause sounded oddly, but it was only afterwards that it came back to me with any significance. SHONER, AHOY! Why don't you come alongside, then? I was carried somewhat snappishly, for I liked not his handing, and might having been a trifle shaken. SHONER, AHOY! I can't! It wouldn't be safe. The voice broke off, and there was silence. SHONER, AHOY! What do you mean? I asked, growing more and more astonished. SHONER, AHOY! Why not safe? Where are you? I listened for a moment, but there came no answer. And then a sudden indefinite suspicion of I know not what coming to me. I stepped swiftly to the binocle, and took out the lighted lamp. At the same time I knocked on the deck with my heel to awaken will. Then I was back at the side throwing the yellow funnel of light out into the silent immensity beyond our rail. As I did so I heard a slight muffled cry, and then the sound of a splash as though I had dipped oars abruptly, yet I cannot say that I saw anything with certainty. Save, it seemed to me, that with the first flash of the light there had been sitting upon the water where now there was nothing. SHONER, AHOY! I called. What foolery is this? But there came only the indistinct sounds of a boat being pulled away into the night. Then I heard Will's voice in the direction of the after-scuttle. What's up, George? Come here, Will," I said. What is it? he asked, coming across the deck. I told him the queer thing which had happened. He put several questions. Then after a moment's silence he raised his hands to his lips and hailed, boat, ahoy! from a long distance away there came back to us a faint reply, and my companion repeated his call. Presently at very short period of silence there grew on our hearing the muffled sound of oars, at which Will held again. This time there was a reply. Put away the light! I'll be damned if I will," I muttered. But Will told me to do as the voice bade, and I shoved it down under the bulwarks. Come there, he said, and the oat-strokes continued. Then, when apparently some half-dozen fathoms' distance they again ceased. Come alongside! explained Will. There's nothing to be frightened of on board here. Promise that you will not show the light! What to do with you? I bust out. That you're so infernally afraid of the light, because— began the voice, and stopped short. Because of what? I asked quickly. Will put a hand on my shoulder. Shut up a minute, old man, he said, in a low voice. Let me tackle this. He leaned more over the rail. Say here, mister, this is a pretty queer business. You coming upon us like this, right out in the middle of the blessed Pacific? How are we to know what sort of hanky-panky trick you're up to? You say there's only one of you. How are we to know, unless we get a squint at you, eh? Once you're objecting the light anyway. As he finished, I heard the noise of the oars again. And then the voice came. But now, from a greater distance, an ex-sounding, extremely hopeless empathetic. I—I am sorry! Sorry! I would not have troubled you, only I am hungry, and so is she! The voice died away. Sound of the oars dipping irregularly was born to us. Stop! sung out Will. I don't want to drive you away. Come back. We'll keep the light hidden if you don't like it. He turned to me. It's a damn queer rig, this. But I think there's nothing to be afraid of. There was a question in his tone, and I replied. No, I think the port has been wrecked round here and gone crazy. The sound of the oars do nearer. Sheld that lamp back in the binocle, said Will. Then he leaned over the rail and listened. I replaced the lamp and came back to his side. The dipping of the oars ceased some dozen yards distance. Won't you come alongside now? asked Will in an even voice. I have had the lamp put back in the binocle. I—I—I cannot reply to the voice. I dare not come nearer. I dare not even pay for the—the provisions. That's all right, said Will, and hesitated. You're welcome to as much grub as you can take. Again he has stated. You are very good, claimed them. May God who understands everything reward you— It broke off hustly. The—the lady, said Will abruptly. Is she—I have left her behind upon the island, came the voice. What island, I cut in. I know not its name, returned the voice. I would—to God, it began, then checked itself as suddenly. Could we not send a boat for her? asked Will at this point. No! said the voice. Was the extraordinary impetus. My God! No! There was a moment's pause, then it added, and atoned, which seemed a merited reproach. It was because of our want I ventured. Because her agony tortured me. I am a forgetful brute, explained Will. Just wait a minute, whoever you are, and I will bring you up something at once. In a couple of minutes he was back, and his arms were full of various edibles. He paused at the rail. Can't you come alongside for them? he asked. No! I dare not, replied the voice, and it seemed to me that in its tone I detected a note of stifled craving. As though the owner hushed a mortal desire, it came to me, then in a flash, that the poor, old creature out there in the darkness was suffering from actual need of life. It was that which Will held in his arms, and yet because of some unintelligible dread befriending from dashing to the side of our little schooner and receiving it. And with the lightning-like conviction there came the knowledge that the invisible was not mad, but sanely facing some intolerable horror. Damn it, Will! I said, full of many feelings over which predominated a vast sympathy. Get a box! We must float off the stuff to him in it. This we did, propelling it away from the vessel out into the darkness by mean of a boat-hook. In a minute a slight cry from the invisible came to us, and we knew that he had secured the box. A little later he caught out a farewell to us, and so heartfelt a blessing that I am sure we were the better for it. Then without much ado we heard the ply of oars across the darkness. Pretty soon off, remarked Will with perhaps just a little sense of injury. Wait! I replied. I think somehow he'll be back. He must have been badly needing that food. And the lady, said Will. For a moment he was silent, then he continued. It's the queerest thing I've ever tumbled across since I've been fishing. Yes, I said, and filled a pondering. And so the time slipped away, an hour, another, and still Will stayed with me, for the queer adventure had knocked all desire for sleep out of him. And the third hour was three parts through when we heard again the sound of oars across the silent ocean. Listen, said Will, in a low note of excitement in his voice. He's coming, just as I thought, I muttered. The dipping of the oars grew nearer, and I noted that the strokes were firmer and longer the food had been needed. I came to a stop a little distance off the broadside, and the queer voice came again to us through the darkness. Sooner, ahoy! That you, asked Will. Yes, replied the voice. I left you suddenly, but there was great need. The lady, questioned Will. The lady is grateful now on earth. She will be more grateful soon in heaven. Will began to make some reply in a puzzled voice, but came confused and broke off short. I said nothing. I was wondering at the curious pauses, and, apart from my wonder, I was full of great sympathy. The voice continued. We, she and I, have talked, as we shared the result of God's tenderness, and yours will interposed with that quarence. I beg of you not to belittle your deed of Christian charity this night, said the voice. Be sure that it has not escaped his notice. It was a full minute's silence. Then it came again. We have spoken together upon that which has fallen us. We had thought to go out without telling any of the terror which has come into our lives. She is with me in believing that tonight's happenings are under a special ruling that it is God's wish that we should tell you all that we have suffered since— Yes, said Will softly. Since the sinking of the Albatross— Ah, I exclaimed involuntarily. She left Newcastle for Frisco some six months ago. It hasn't been heard of since. Yes, answered the voice. For some few degrees to the north of the line she was caught in a terrible storm and dismested. When the day came and it was found that she was leaking badly and presently it falling to a calm the sailors took to the boats, leaving a young lady— and myself upon the wreck. We were below, gathering together a few of our belongings when they left. They were entirely callous through fear. And when we came up upon the deck we saw them only as small shapes afar off upon the horizon. Yet we did not despair but set to work and constructed a small raft. Upon this we put such few matters as it would hold, including a quantity of water and some ship's biscuits. Then the vessel, being very deep in the water, we got ourselves onto the raft and pushed off. It was later when I observed that we seemed to be in the way of some tide or current which bore us from the ship at an angle, so that in the course of three hours by my watch her hull became invisible to our sight. Her broken masks remaining in view for a somewhat longer period. Then, towards evening, it grew misty and so through the night. The next day we were still encompassed by the mist, the weather remaining quiet. For four days we drifted through this strange haze until, on the evening of the fourth day, the grew upon our ears the murmur of breakers at a distance. Gradually it became plainer. And, somewhat after midnight it appeared to sound upon either hand at no very great space. The raft was raised upon a swell several times and then we were in smooth water, and the noise of the breakers was behind. When the morning came we found we were in a sort of great lagoon, but of this we noticed little at the time, for close before us, through the enshrouding mist loomed the hull of a large sailing vessel. With one accord we fell upon our knees and thanked God, for we thought that here was an end to our perils. We had much to learn. The raft drew near the ship and we shouted on them to take us aboard, but none answered. Presently the raft touched against the side of the vessel and, seeing a rope hanging downwards, I seized it and began to climb, yet I had much adieu to make my way up because of a kind of gray, literous fungus which had seized upon the rope and which blotched the side of the ship lividly. I reached the rail and clambered over it, on to the deck. Here I saw that the decks were covered with gray messes, some of them rising into modules several feet in height, but at the time I thought less of this matter than of the possibilities of there being people aboard the ship. I shouted, but none answered. Then I went to the door below the poop deck. I opened it and peered in. There was a great swell of stainless and so that I knew in a moment that nothing living was within. And with the knowledge I shut the door quickly, for I felt suddenly lonely. I went back to the side where I had scrambled up. My sweetheart was still sitting quietly upon the raft. Seeing me look down she called up to know whether there was any aboard the ship. I replied that the vessel had the appearance of having been long deserted, but that if she would wait a little I would see whether there was anything in the shape of a ladder by which she could extend to the deck. Then we would make a search through the vessel together. A little later on the opposite side of the deck I found a rope side ladder. This I carried across in a minute afterward she was beside me. Together we explored the cabins and apartments in the after part of the ship, but nowhere was there any sign of life. Here and there within the cabins themselves we came across odd patches of that queer fungus, but this as must we had already said could be cleaned away. In the end having assured ourselves that the after portions of the vessel was empty we picked our way to the bowels. Between the ugly gray modules of that strange growth and here we made a further search and told us that there was indeed none aboard but ourselves. This being now beyond any doubt we returned to the stern of the ship and proceeded to make ourselves as comfortable as possible. Together we cleared out and cleaned two of the cabins. And after that I made an examination whether there was anything edible in the ship. This I soon found so and thanked God in my heart for His goodness. In addition to this I discovered the whereabouts of the freshwater pump and having fixed it I found the water drinkable, though somewhat unpleasant to the taste. For several days we stayed aboard the ship without attempting to get to the shore. We were busily engaged in making the place habitable. Yet even thus early we became aware that our lot was even less to be desired than might have been imagined. For though at first step we scraped away the odd patches of growth that stood at the floors and walls of the cabin and saloon, yet they returned almost to their original size within the space of twenty-four hours which not only discouraged us but gave us a feeling of vague unease. Still we would not admit ourselves beaten, so set to work afresh and not only scraped away the fungus but soaked the places where it had been with carbolech, a can full of which I had found in the pantry. Yet by the end of the week the growth had returned in full strength and in addition it had spread to other places as though our touching it had allowed germs from it to travel elsewhere. On the seventh morning my sweetheart woke to find a small patch of it growing on her pillow close to her face. At that she came to me so soon as she could get her garments upon her. I was in the galley at the time lighting the fire for breakfast. Come here, John, she said, and led me out. When I saw the thing upon her pillow I shuddered and then and there we agreed to go right out of the ship and see whether we could not fare to make ourselves more comfortable ashore. Hurriedly we gathered together our few belongings and even amongst these I found that the fungus had been at work for one of her shawls had a little lump of it growing near one edge. I threw the whole thing over the side without saying anything to her. The rat was still alongside, but it was too clumsy to guide. And I lured it down a small boat that hung across the stern and in this we made our way to the shore. Yet as we drew nearer to it I became gradually aware that here the vile fungus which had driven us from the ship was growing riot. In places it rose into horrible fantastic mounds we seemed almost a quiver with a quiet life when the wind blew across them. Here and there it took the forms of vast fingers and in others it just spread out flat and smooth and treacherous. Odd places it appeared as grotesque stunted trees seeming extraordinarily kinked and gnarled, the whole quaking vile at times. At first it seemed to us that there was no single portion of the surrounding shore which was not hidden beneath the masses of the hideous lichen. Yet in this I found we were mistaken. Somewhat later coasting along the shore of a little distance we described a smooth white patch of what appeared to be fine sand and there we landed. It was not sand. What it was I do not know. All that I have observed is that upon it the fungus will not grow while everywhere else save were the sand like earth wanders oddly path-wise amid the gray dissolution of the lichen there is nothing but that loathsome grayness. It is difficult to make you understand how cheered we were to find one place that was absolutely free from the growth and here we deposited our belongings. Then we went back to the ship for such matters as it seemed to us we should need. Among other matters I managed to bring ashore with me one of the ship sails with which I constructed two small tents which though exceedingly rough shaped served the purpose for which they were intended. In these we lived and stored our various necessities and thus for a matter of some four weeks all went smoothly. And without particular unhappiness indeed I may say with much of happiness for we were together. It was on the thumb of her right hand that the growth first showed. It was only a small circular spot much like a little gray mole. My God how the fear leapt to my heart when she showed me the place. We cleansed it between us washing it with carbolic and water. In the morning of the following day she showed her hand to me again. The gray wordy thing had returned. For a little while we looked at one another in silence. Then still worthless we started again to remove it. In the midst of the operation she spoke suddenly. What's that on the side of your face dear? Her voice was sharp with anxiety. I put my hand up to feel. There under the hair by your ear a little to the front a bit. My finger rested on the place and then I knew. Let us get your thumb done first I said. And she submitted only because she was afraid to touch me until it was cleansed. I finished washing and disinfecting her thumb and then she turned to my face. After it was finished we sat together and talked a while of many things. There had come into our lives sudden very terrible thoughts. We were all at once afraid of something worse than death. We spoke of loading the boat with provisions and water and making our way out onto the sea. Yet we were helpless for many causes and the growth had attacked us already. We decided to stay. God would do with us what he will. We would wait. A month, two months, three months passed and the places grew somewhat and there had come others. Yet we fought so strenuously with the fear that its headway was but slow comparatively speaking. Occasionally we ventured off to the ship for such stores as we needed. Then we found that the fungus grew persistently. One of the modules on the main deck became soon as high as my head. And we had now given up all thought or hope of leaving the island. We had realized that it would be unallowable to go amongst healthy humans with the things from which we were suffering. With this determination and knowledge in our minds we knew that we should have to husband our food and water. For we did not know at the time that we should possibly live for many years. This reminds me that I have told you that I am an old man dosing by the years. This is not so, but he broke off and then continued somewhat abruptly. As I was saying we knew that we should have to use care in the matter of food. But we had no idea then how little food there was left of which to take care. It was a week later that I made the discovery that all of the other bread tanks which I had supposed full were empty. And that beyond odd tints of vegetables and meat and some other materials we had nothing upon which to depend but the bread in the tank which I had already opened. After learning this I bestowed myself to do what I could and met to work at fishing in the lagoon. But met with no success at this I was somewhat inclined to feel desperate until the thought came to me to try outside the lagoon in the open sea. Here at times I caught odd fish, but so infrequently that they proved of but little help in keeping us from the hunger which threatened. It seemed to me that our deaths were likely to come by hunger and not by the growth of the thing which had seized upon our bodies. We were in this state of mind when the fourth month wore out when I made a very horrible discovery. One morning a little before a midday I came off the ship with a portion of the biscuits which were left. In the mouth of her tent I saw my sweetheart sitting, eating something. What is it my dear? I called out as I leapt. Yet on hearing my voice she seemed confused and turning slightly through something towards the edge of the little clearing. It fell short and a vague suspicion having arisen within me I walked across and picked it up. It was a piece of the gray fungus. As I went to her with it in my hand she turned deadly pale then rose red. I felt strangely dazed and frightened. My dear, my dear! I cried. I could say no more. Yet at words she broke down and cried bitterly. Gradually as she calmed I got from her the news that she had tried it in the preceding day and liked it. I got her to promise on her knees not to touch it again, however great our hunger. After she had promised she told me that the desire for it had come suddenly and that until the moment of desire she had experienced nothing towards it but the most extreme repulsion. Later in the day feeling strangely restless and much shaken with the thing which I had discovered I made my way along one of the twisted paths formed by the white sin-like substance which led among the fun-guide growth. I had, once before, ventured along there but not to any great distance. This time being involved in perplexing thoughts I had went much further than her hitherto. Suddenly I was called to myself by a queer, hoarse sound on my left. Turning quickly I saw that there was movement among an extraordinarily shaped mass of fungus close to my elbow. It was swaying uneasily as though it possessed life of its own. Abruptly as I stared the thought came to me that the thing had a grotesque resemblance to the figure of a distorted human creature. Even as the fancy flashed into my brain there was a slight sickening noise of tearing and I saw that one of the branch-like arms was detaching itself from the surrounding grey masses and coming towards me. The head of the thing, a shapeless grey ball, inclined in my direction. I stood stupidly and the vile arm brushed across my face. I gave out a frightened cry and ran back a few paces. There was a sweetish taste upon my lips where the thing had touched me. I licked them and was immediately filled with an inhuman desire. I turned and seized a mass of fungus. Then more and more I was insatiable. In the midst of devouring the remembrance of the morning's discovery swept into my mazed brain. It was sent by God. I dashed the fragment I held to the ground then utterly wretched in feeling a dreadful guiltiness. I made my way back to the little encampment. I think she knew by some marvelous intuition which love must have given. So soon as she set eyes upon me her quiet sympathy made it easier for me and I told her of my sudden weakness. Yet omitted to mention the extraordinary thing which had gone before. I desired to spare her all unnecessary terror. But for myself I had added an intolerable knowledge to breed an incessant terror in my brain. For I doubted not but that I had seen the end of one of those men who had come to the island in the ship in the lagoon. And in that monstrous ending I had seen our own. Thereafter we kept from the abominable food though the desire for it had entered into our blood. Yet our drear punishment was upon us. Far day by day with monstrous rapidity the fungoid growth took hold of our poor bodies. Nothing we could do would check it materially. And so we who had been human became well it matters less each day. Only we had been man and maid. And day by day the fight is more dreadful to withstand the hunger lust for the terrible lichen. A week ago we ate the last of the biscuit. And since that time I have caught three fish. I was out here fishing to-night when your schooner drifted upon me out of the mist. I held you. You know the rest. And may God out of his great heart bless you for your goodness to a couple of poor outcast souls. There was a dip of an oar, another. Then the voice came again for the last time, sounding through the slight surrounding mist ghostly and mournful. God bless you. Goodbye. Goodbye!" we shouted together, hoarsely, our hearts full of many emotions. I glanced about me. I became aware that the dawn was upon us. The sun flung a stray beam across the hidden sea, pierced the mist dully, and lit up the receding boat with a gloomy fire. Indistinctly I saw something knotting between the oars. I thought of a sponge, a great gray, sodding sponge. The oars continued fly. They were gray, as was the boat. And my eyes searched a moment vainly for the conjunction of hand and oar. My gaze flashed back to the head. It knotted forward as the oars went backward for the stroke. Then the oars were dipped, the boat shot out of the patch of light, and then the thing went knotting into the mist. End of The Voice in the Night by William Hope Hodgson This recording is in the public domain.