Slowly, and keeping a careful watch in all directions, I made the circuit of the Pit; but found little else, that I had not already seen.  From the West end, I could see the four waterfalls, uninterruptedly.  They were some considerable distance up from the surface of the lake—­about fifty feet, I calculated.

For a little while longer, I loitered about; keeping my eyes and ears open, but still, without seeing or hearing anything suspicious.  The whole place was wonderfully quiet; indeed, save for the continuous murmur of the water, at the top end, no sound, of any description, broke the silence.

All this while, Pepper had shown no signs of uneasiness.  This seemed, to me, to indicate that, for the time being, at least, there was none of the Swine-creatures in the vicinity.  So far as I could see, his attention appeared to have been taken, chiefly, with scratching and sniffing among the grass at the edge of the Pit.  At times, he would leave the edge, and run along toward the house, as though following invisible tracks; but, in all cases, returning after a few minutes.  I had little doubt but that he was really tracing out the footsteps of the Swine-things; and the very fact that each one seemed to lead him back to the Pit, appeared to me, a proof that the brutes had all returned whence they came.

At noon, I went home, for dinner.  During the afternoon, I made a partial search of the gardens, accompanied by Pepper; but, without coming upon anything to indicate the presence of the creatures.

Once, as we made our way through the shrubberies, Pepper rushed in among some bushes, with a fierce yelp.  At that, I jumped back, in sudden fright, and threw my gun forward, in readiness; only to laugh, nervously, as Pepper reappeared, chasing an unfortunate cat.  Toward evening, I gave up the search, and returned to the house.  All at once, as we were passing a great clump of bushes, on our right, Pepper disappeared, and I could hear him sniffing and growling among them, in a suspicious manner.  With my gun barrel, I parted the intervening shrubbery, and looked inside.  There was nothing to be seen, save that many of the branches were bent down, and broken; as though some animal had made a lair there, at no very previous date.  It was probably, I thought, one of the places occupied by some of the Swine-creatures, on the night of the attack.

Next day, I resumed my search through the gardens; but without result.  By evening, I had been right through them, and now, I knew, beyond the possibility of doubt, that there were no longer any of the Things concealed about the place.  Indeed, I have often thought since, that I was correct in my earlier surmise, that they had left soon after the attack.

XII

THE SUBTERRANEAN PIT

Another week came and went, during which I spent a great deal of my time about the Pit mouth.  I had come to the conclusion a few days earlier, that the arched hole, in the angle of the great rift, was the place through which the Swine-things had made their exit, from some unholy place in the bowels of the world.  How near the probable truth this went, I was to learn later.