“It had now been dark some time, and I made haste to get the ‘Defense’ complete.  To this end, I got the men well together, and began to fit the Electric Pentacle right around us, so that the five points of the Defensive Star came just within the Hair Circle.  This did not take me long, and a minute later I had connected up the batteries, and the weak blue glare of the intertwining vacuum tubes shone all around us.  I felt happier then; for this Pentacle is, as you all know, a wonderful ‘Defense.’  I have told you before, how the idea came to me, after reading Professor Garder’s ‘Experiments with a Medium.’  He found that a current, of a certain number of vibrations, in vacuo, ‘insulated’ the medium.  It is difficult to suggest an explanation non-technically, and if you are really interested you should read Carder’s lecture on ’Astral Vibrations Compared with Matero-involuted Vibrations below the Six-Billion Limit.’

“As I stood up from my work, I could hear outside in the night a constant drip from the laurels, which as I have said, come right up around the house, very thick.  By the sound, I knew that a ‘soft’ rain had set in; and there was absolutely no wind, as I could tell by the steady flames of the candles.

“I stood a moment or two, listening, and then one of the men touched my arm, and asked me in a low voice, what they should do.  By his tone, I could tell that he was feeling something of the strangeness of it all; and the other men, including Wentworth, were so quiet that I was afraid they were beginning to get shaky.

“I set-to, then, and arranged them with their backs to one common center; so that they were sitting flat upon the floor, with their feet radiating outward.  Then, by compass, I laid their legs to the eight chief points, and afterward I drew a circle with chalk around them; and opposite to their feet, I made the Eight Signs of the Saaamaaa Ritual.  The eighth place was, of course, empty; but ready for me to occupy at any moment; for I had omitted to make the Sealing Sign to that point, until I had finished all my preparations, and could enter the Inner Star.

“I took a last look ’round the great hall, and saw that the two big hounds were lying quietly, with their noses between their paws.  The fire was big and cheerful, and the candles before the two rows of doors, burnt steadily, as well as the solitary ones in the corners.  Then I went ’round the little star of men, and warned them not to be frightened whatever happened; but to trust to the ‘Defense’; and to let nothing tempt or drive them to cross the Barriers.  Also, I told them to watch their movements, and to keep their feet strictly to their places.  For the rest, there was to be no shooting, unless I gave the word.

“And now at last, I went to my place, and, sitting down, made the Eighth sign just beyond my feet.  Then I arranged my camera and flashlight handy, and examined my revolver.

“Wentworth sat behind the First Sign, and as the numbering went ’round reversed, that put him next to me on my left.  I asked him, in a low voice, how he felt; and he told me, rather nervous; but that he felt confidence in my knowledge and was resolved to go through with the matter, whatever happened.