_VII_
THE ATTACK
I spent some time, puzzling how to strengthen the study door. Finally,I went down to the kitchen, and with some trouble, brought up severalheavy pieces of timber. These, I wedged up, slantwise, against it, fromthe floor, nailing them top and bottom. For half-an-hour, I worked hard,and, at last, got it shored to my mind.
Then, feeling easier, I resumed my coat, which I had laid aside, andproceeded to attend to one or two matters before returning to the tower.It was whilst thus employed, that I heard a fumbling at the door, andthe latch was tried. Keeping silence, I waited. Soon, I heard several ofthe creatures outside. They were grunting to one another, softly. Then,for a minute, there was quietness. Suddenly, there sounded a quick, lowgrunt, and the door creaked under a tremendous pressure. It would haveburst inward; but for the supports I had placed. The strain ceased, asquickly as it had begun, and there was more talk.
Presently, one of the Things squealed, softly, and I heard the soundof others approaching. There was a short confabulation; then again,silence; and I realized that they had called several more to assist.Feeling that now was the supreme moment, I stood ready, with my riflepresented. If the door gave, I would, at least, slay as manyas possible.
Again came the low signal; and, once more, the door cracked, under ahuge force. For, a minute perhaps, the pressure was kept up; and Iwaited, nervously; expecting each moment to see the door come down witha crash. But no; the struts held, and the attempt proved abortive. Thenfollowed more of their horrible, grunting talk, and, whilst it lasted, Ithought I distinguished the noise of fresh arrivals.
After a long discussion, during which the door was several timesshaken, they became quiet once more, and I knew that they were going tomake a third attempt to break it down. I was almost in despair. Theprops had been severely tried in the two previous attacks, and I wassorely afraid that this would prove too much for them.
At that moment, like an inspiration, a thought flashed into my troubledbrain. Instantly, for it was no time to hesitate, I ran from the room,and up stair after stair. This time, it was not to one of the towers,that I went; but out on to the flat, leaded roof itself. Once there, Iraced across to the parapet, that walls it 'round, and looked down. As Idid so, I heard the short, grunted signal, and, even up there, caughtthe crying of the door under the assault.
There was not a moment to lose, and, leaning over, I aimed, quickly,and fired. The report rang sharply, and, almost blending with it, camethe loud splud of the bullet striking its mark. From below, rose ashrill wail; and the door ceased its groaning. Then, as I took my weightfrom off the parapet, a huge piece of the stone coping slid from underme, and fell with a crash among the disorganized throng beneath.Several horrible shrieks quavered through the night air, and then Iheard a sound of scampering feet. Cautiously, I looked over. In themoonlight, I could see the great copingstone, lying right across thethreshold of the door. I thought I saw something under it--severalthings, white; but I could not be sure.
And so a few minutes passed.
As I stared, I saw something come 'round, out of the shadow of thehouse. It was one of the Things. It went up to the stone, silently, andbent down. I was unable to see what it did. In a minute it stood up. Ithad something in its talons, which it put to its mouth and tore at....
For the moment, I did not realize. Then, slowly, I comprehended. TheThing was stooping again. It was horrible. I started to load my rifle.When I looked again, the monster was tugging at the stone--moving it toone side. I leant the rifle on the coping, and pulled the trigger. Thebrute collapsed, on its face, and kicked, slightly.
Simultaneously, almost, with the report, I heard another sound--that ofbreaking glass. Waiting, only to recharge my weapon, I ran from theroof, and down the first two flights of stairs.
Here, I paused to listen. As I did so, there came another tinkle offalling glass. It appeared to come from the floor below. Excitedly, Isprang down the steps, and, guided by the rattle of the window-sash,reached the door of one of the empty bedrooms, at the back of the house.I thrust it open. The room was but dimly illuminated by the moonlight;most of the light being blotted out by moving figures at the window.Even as I stood, one crawled through, into the room. Leveling my weapon,I fired point-blank at it--filling the room with a deafening bang. Whenthe smoke cleared, I saw that the room was empty, and the window free.The room was much lighter. The night air blew in, coldly, through theshattered panes. Down below, in the night, I could hear a soft moaning,and a confused murmur of swine-voices.
Stepping to one side of the window, I reloaded, and then stood there,waiting. Presently, I heard a scuffling noise. From where I stood in theshadow, I could see, without being seen.
Nearer came the sounds, and then I saw something come up above thesill, and clutch at the broken window-frame. It caught a piece of thewoodwork; and, now, I could make out that it was a hand and arm. Amoment later, the face of one of the Swine-creatures rose into view.Then, before I could use my rifle, or do anything, there came a sharpcrack--cr-ac-k; and the window-frame gave way under the weight of theThing. Next instant, a squashing thud, and a loud outcry, told me thatit had fallen to the ground. With a savage hope that it had been killed,I went to the window. The moon had gone behind a cloud, so that I couldsee nothing; though a steady hum of jabbering, just beneath where Istood, indicated that there were several more of the brutes closeat hand.
As I stood there, looking down, I marveled how it had been possible forthe creatures to climb so far; for the wall is comparatively smooth,while the distance to the ground must be, at least, eighty feet.
All at once, as I bent, peering, I saw something, indistinctly, thatcut the grey shadow of the house-side, with a black line. It passed thewindow, to the left, at a distance of about two feet. Then, I rememberedthat it was a gutter-pipe, that had been put there some years ago, tocarry off the rainwater. I had forgotten about it. I could see, now, howthe creatures had managed to reach the window. Even as the solution cameto me, I heard a faint slithering, scratching noise, and knew thatanother of the brutes was coming. I waited some odd moments; then leantout of the window and felt the pipe. To my delight, I found that it wasquite loose, and I managed, using the rifle-barrel as a crowbar, tolever it out from the wall. I worked quickly. Then, taking hold withboth bands, I wrenched the whole concern away, and hurled it down--withthe Thing still clinging to it--into the garden.
For a few minutes longer, I waited there, listening; but, after thefirst general outcry, I heard nothing. I knew, now, that there was nomore reason to fear an attack from this quarter. I had removed the onlymeans of reaching the window, and, as none of the other windows had anyadjacent water pipes, to tempt the climbing powers of the monsters, Ibegan to feel more confident of escaping their clutches.
Leaving the room, I made my way down to the study. I was anxious to seehow the door had withstood the test of that last assault. Entering, Ilit two of the candles, and then turned to the door. One of the largeprops had been displaced, and, on that side, the door had been forcedinward some six inches.
It was Providential that I had managed to drive the brutes away justwhen I did! And that copingstone! I wondered, vaguely, how I had managedto dislodge it. I had not noticed it loose, as I took my shot; and then,as I stood up, it had slipped away from beneath me ... I felt that Iowed the dismissal of the attacking force, more to its timely fall thanto my rifle. Then the thought came, that I had better seize this chanceto shore up the door, again. It was evident that the creatures had notreturned since the fall of the copingstone; but who was to say how longthey would keep away?
There and then, I set-to, at repairing the door--working hard andanxiously. First, I went down to the basement, and, rummaging 'round,found several pieces of heavy oak planking. With these, I returned tothe study, and, having removed the props, placed the planks up againstthe door. Then, I nailed the heads of the struts to these, and, drivingthem well home at the bottoms, nailed them again there.
Th
us, I made the door stronger than ever; for now it was solid with thebacking of boards, and would, I felt convinced, stand a heavier pressurethan hitherto, without giving way.
After that, I lit the lamp which I had brought from the kitchen, andwent down to have a look at the lower windows.
Now that I had seen an instance of the strength the creaturespossessed, I felt considerable anxiety about the windows on the groundfloor--in spite of the fact that they were so strongly barred.
I went first to the buttery, having a vivid remembrance of my lateadventure there. The place was chilly, and the wind, soughing in throughthe broken glass, produced an eerie note. Apart from the general air ofdismalness, the place was as I had left it the night before. Going up tothe window, I examined the bars, closely; noting, as I did so, theircomfortable thickness. Still, as I looked more intently, it seemed tome, that the middle bar was bent slightly from the straight; yet it wasbut trifling, and it might have been so for years. I had never, before,noticed them particularly.
I put my hand through the broken window, and shook the bar. It was asfirm as a rock. Perhaps the creatures had tried to 'start' it, and,finding it beyond their power, ceased from the effort. After that, Iwent 'round to each of the windows, in turn; examining them with carefulattention; but nowhere else could I trace anything to show that therehad been any tampering. Having finished my survey, I went back to thestudy, and poured myself out a little brandy. Then to the towerto watch.