opposite to our starboard bow, and something slid down into the water. I
swayed upon the oar to turn the boat's head outward, and with the same
movement leant forward and sideways to peer, bringing my face near to the
boat's rail. In the same instant, I found myself looking down into a
white demoniac face, human save that the mouth and nose had greatly the
appearance of a beak. The thing was gripping at the side of the boat with
two flickering hands--gripping the bare, smooth outer surface, in a way
that woke in my mind a sudden memory of the great devilfish which had
clung to the side of the wreck we had passed in the previous dawn. I saw
the face come up towards me, and one misshapen hand fluttered almost to
my throat, and there came a sudden, hateful reek in my nostrils--foul and
abominable. Then, I came into possession of my faculties, and drew back
with great haste and a wild cry of fear. And then I had the steering-oar
by the middle, and was smiting downward with the loom over the side of
the boat; but the thing was gone from my sight. I remember shouting out
to the bo'sun and to the men to awake, and then the bo'sun had me by the
shoulder, was calling in my ear to know what dire thing had come about.
At that, I cried out that I did not know, and, presently, being somewhat
calmer, I told them of the thing that I had seen; but even as I told of
it, there seemed to be no truth in it, so that they were all at a loss to
know whether I had fallen asleep, or that I had indeed seen a devil.

And presently the dawn was upon us.




VII

The Island in the Weed