a strange green fire, and did
know that they spelled to me in the Set-Speech a swift warning that a
grey monster, that was a Great Grey Man, had made scent of me in the
dark, and was even in that moment of time, crawling towards me through
the low moss-bushes that lay off beyond the fire-hole to my back. And
the message was sharp; and bade me to leap into the bushes unto my left;
and to hide there; so that I might chance to take the thing to an
advantage.

And, as may be thought, they had scarce flashed the tale unto me; but I
was gone in among the shadows of a clump of the moss-bush that did grow
anigh; and I sweat with a strange terror, and a cold and excited shaking
of the heart; yet was my spirit set strong to conquer.

And lo! as I did crouch there, hidden, I saw something come very quiet
out of the bushes that did grow beyond the fire-hole; and it was great,
and crept, and was noways coloured but by greyness in all its parts. And
the glare from the fire-hole did seem to trouble it; so that it looked,
laying its head to the ground, and spying along the earth, in a strange
and Brutish fashion; that it might oversee the glare of the fire-hole.
Yet, I doubt that it saw beyond the fire with plainness; for, in a
moment, it crept swift in among the bushes again, and came out towards
the edge of the fire-hole in another place; and this it did thrice unto
my left, and thrice unto my right; and every time did lay its head to
the earth, and spy along; and did hunch its shoulders, and thrust
forward the jaw horridly and turn the neck, as a very nasty beast might
go, wanton.

Now, as you may think, this manner of the Beast-Man did shake my courage
mightily; for I did think each time that it did go inward among the
moss-bushes, that it had made discovery of me, and would make to take me
in the back, from out of the dark of the bushes; and this was an
uncomfortable thing to consider, as others might think also, had any
been there in the bush with me. And then, in truth, did that same swift
sense of mine Hearing, prove helpful to my saving; for, behold, the
thing did go back into the moss-bushes, after that last coming out; and
did seem to make as it had made a failing to discover me, and had no
further intent, save to return unto the Night; and I had this thought
truly in mine heart, and for maybe a minute; and then, lo! within my
soul a voice did speak plain, and did warn me that the thing did make a
great compass among the