As to Mr. Trelawny he seemed less changed than any.  Perhaps this was only natural, as he had had in his mind the intention for so many years of doing that in which we were tonight engaged, that any event connected with it could only seem to him as an episode, a step to the end.  His was that commanding nature which looks so to the end of an undertaking that all else is of secondary importance.  Even now, though his terrible sternness relaxed under the relief from the strain, he never flagged nor faltered for a moment in his purpose.  He asked us men to come with him; and going to the hall we presently managed to lower into the cave an oak table, fairly long and not too wide, which stood against the wall in the hall.  This we placed under the strong cluster of electric lights in the middle of the cave.  Margaret looked on for a while; then all at once her face blanched, and in an agitated voice she said: 

“What are you going to do, Father?”

“To unroll the mummy of the cat!  Queen Tera will not need her Familiar tonight.  If she should want him, it might be dangerous to us; so we shall make him safe.  You are not alarmed, dear?”

“Oh no!” she answered quickly.  “But I was thinking of my Silvio, and how I should feel if he had been the mummy that was to be unswathed!”

Mr. Trelawny got knives and scissors ready, and placed the cat on the table.  It was a grim beginning to our work; and it made my heart sink when I thought of what might happen in that lonely house in the mid-gloom of the night.  The sense of loneliness and isolation from the world was increased by the moaning of the wind which had now risen ominously, and by the beating of waves on the rocks below.  But we had too grave a task before us to be swayed by external manifestations:  the unrolling of the mummy began.

There was an incredible number of bandages; and the tearing sound—­they being stuck fast to each other by bitumen and gums and spices—­and the little cloud of red pungent dust that arose, pressed on the senses of all of us.  As the last wrappings came away, we saw the animal seated before us.  He was all hunkered up; his hair and teeth and claws were complete.  The eyes were closed, but the eyelids had not the fierce look which I expected.  The whiskers had been pressed down on the side of the face by the bandaging; but when the pressure ws taken away they stood out, just as they would have done in life.  He was a magnificent creature, a tiger-cat of great size.  But as we looked at him, our first glance of admiration changed to one of fear, and a shudder ran through each one of us; for here was a confirmation of the fears which we had endured.

His mouth and his claws were smeared with the dry, red stains of recent blood!

Doctor Winchester was the first to recover; blood in itself had small disturbing quality for him.  He had taken out his magnifying-glass and was examining the stains on the cat’s mouth.  Mr. Trelawny breathed loudly, as though a strain had been taken from him.