“Rot!” Curtis snapped.  “How do you know?  You can’t tell from this distance.  It might be the Daisy, or the San Marie, or any other ship.”

Kelson made no reply; Hamar blew his nose, and once again there was silence.

The effect of the moonlight had now become weird.  From the trees and bushes crept legions of tall, gaunt shadows, and whilst some of these were explicable, there were others that certainly had no apparent counterparts in any of the natural objects around them.  Even Curtis, in spite of his scoffing, showed no inclination to examine them too closely; but kept his face resolutely turned to the more cheery light of the fire.  The soft, cool, sweet-scented air gradually acted as an anaesthetic, and Kelson and Curtis were almost asleep, when Hamar’s voice recalled them sharply to themselves.

“It’s just two!” he said.  “Sit tight and listen while I repeat the incantation, and for goodness’ sake keep cool if anything happens.  Remember we are here with an object—­namely—­to get everything we can out of the Other World.”

“Trust you for that!” Curtis sneered; “but all the same nothing’s going to happen.”

“I am not sure of that,” Hamar said, and after a brief pause began to repeat these words[18]—­

    “Morbas from the mountains,
    Where flow malignant fountains. 
      We are ready for you—­Come! 
    Vampires from the passes,
    Where grow blood-sucking grasses,
      We are ready for you—­Come! 
    Vice Elementals pretty
    Give ear unto our ditty
      We are ready for you—­Come! 
    Planetians, forms so fearful,
    We inform you, eager, tearful,
      We are ready for you—­Come! 
    Clanogrians, things of sorrow. 
    Postpone not till to-morrow,
      We are ready for you—­Come! 
    Barrowvians, shades seclusive,
    Be not to us exclusive,
      We are ready for you—­Come! 
    Earthbound spirits of the Dead
    Approach with grim and noiseless tread—­
      We are ready for you—­Come!”

He then got up and, going to the fire, sprinkled over the flames six drachms of belladonna, three drachms of drosera and one ounce of nux vomica; using in each case his left hand.  Returning to his former position he drew with the forefinger of his left hand, on the ground, the outline of a club-foot; a hand with the fingers clenched and a long pointed thumb standing upright; and a bat.  At his request Kelson and Curtis carefully imitated the devices, each in the space allotted to him.

Hamar then cried:  “Creastie havoonen balababoo!”; which Hamar explained was Atlantean for “devil of the damned appear!”

“He won’t!” Curtis muttered, “because he doesn’t exist.  There are devils—­Meidler Brothers were devils—­but there is no one devil!  It’s all——­” He suddenly stopped and an intense hush fell upon them all.

A cloud obscured the moon, the fire burned dim, and the gloom of the amphitheatre thickened till the men lost sight of each other.  A cold air then rose from the ground and fanned their nostrils.  Something flew past their heads with an ominous wail; whilst from the direction of the fire came a hollow groan.