It was one of the Things. It went up to the stone, silently, and
bent down. I was unable to see what it did. In a minute it stood up. It
had something in its talons, which it put to its mouth and tore at....
For the moment, I did not realize. Then, slowly, I comprehended. The
Thing 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 to
one side. I leant the rifle on the coping, and pulled the trigger. The
brute collapsed, on its face, and kicked, slightly.
Simultaneously, almost, with the report, I heard another sound--that of
breaking glass. Waiting, only to recharge my weapon, I ran from the
roof, and down the first two flights of stairs.
Here, I paused to listen. As I did so, there came another tinkle of
falling glass. It appeared to come from the floor below. Excitedly, I
sprang 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.
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