The Man's Crying

As I drew near the house I saw that the light shone from the open door of my room; and then I heard coming from out of the darkness at the side of that orange oblong of light, the voice of Montgomery shouting, “Prendick!” I continued running. Presently I heard him again. I replied by a feeble “Hullo!” and in another moment had staggered up to him.

As I approached the house, I saw light shining from my open bedroom door. Then I heard Montgomery shouting, “Prendick!” from the darkness beside that orange rectangle of light. I kept running. Soon I heard him again. I called back a weak “Hello!” and a moment later I staggered up to him.

“Where have you been?” said he, holding me at arm’s length, so that the light from the door fell on my face. “We have both been so busy that we forgot you until about half an hour ago.” He led me into the room and sat me down in the deck chair. For awhile I was blinded by the light. “We did not think you would start to explore this island of ours without telling us,” he said; and then, “I was afraid—But—what—Hullo!”

“Where have you been?” he said, holding me at arm’s length so the light from the door fell on my face. “We’ve both been so busy that we forgot about you until about half an hour ago.” He led me into the room and sat me down in the deck chair. For a while, the light blinded me. “We didn’t think you’d start exploring our island without telling us,” he said. Then he added, “I was afraid... But... what... Hello!”

My last remaining strength slipped from me, and my head fell forward on my chest. I think he found a certain satisfaction in giving me brandy.

The last of my strength left me, and my head fell forward onto my chest. I think he took some satisfaction in giving me brandy.

“For God’s sake,” said I, “fasten that door.”

“For God’s sake,” I said, “secure that door.”

“You’ve been meeting some of our curiosities, eh?” said he.

“You’ve met some of our curiosities, huh?” he said.

He locked the door and turned to me again. He asked me no questions, but gave me some more brandy and water and pressed me to eat. I was in a state of collapse. He said something vague about his forgetting to warn me, and asked me briefly when I left the house and what I had seen.

He locked the door and turned back to me. He asked me no questions, but gave me more brandy and water and urged me to eat. I was exhausted and barely able to function. He said something vague about having forgotten to warn me. Then he briefly asked when I had left the house and what I had seen.

I answered him as briefly, in fragmentary sentences. “Tell me what it all means,” said I, in a state bordering on hysterics.

I answered him just as briefly, in fragments. “Tell me what it all means,” I said, nearly hysterical.

“It’s nothing so very dreadful,” said he. “But I think you have had about enough for one day.” The puma suddenly gave a sharp yell of pain. At that he swore under his breath. “I’m damned,” said he, “if this place is not as bad as Gower Street, with its cats.”

“It’s nothing very dreadful,” he said. “But I think you’ve had enough for one day.” The puma suddenly gave a sharp cry of pain. He swore under his breath. “I’m damned,” he said, “if this place isn’t as bad as Gower Street, with its cats.”

“Montgomery,” said I, “what was that thing that came after me? Was it a beast or was it a man?”

“Montgomery,” I said, “what was that thing that came after me? Was it a beast or a man?”

“If you don’t sleep to-night,” he said, “you’ll be off your head to-morrow.”

“If you don’t sleep tonight,” he said, “you’ll be out of your mind tomorrow.”

I stood up in front of him. “What was that thing that came after me?” I asked.

I stood up in front of him. “What was that thing that came after me?” I asked.

He looked me squarely in the eyes, and twisted his mouth askew. His eyes, which had seemed animated a minute before, went dull. “From your account,” said he, “I’m thinking it was a bogle.”

He looked me straight in the eyes and twisted his mouth to one side. His eyes had seemed lively a minute before, but now they went dull. “From your account,” he said, “I think it was a bogle.”

I felt a gust of intense irritation, which passed as quickly as it came. I flung myself into the chair again, and pressed my hands on my forehead. The puma began once more.

I felt a sudden burst of intense irritation, which passed as quickly as it came. I threw myself back into the chair and pressed my hands to my forehead. The puma started again.

Montgomery came round behind me and put his hand on my shoulder. “Look here, Prendick,” he said, “I had no business to let you drift out into this silly island of ours. But it’s not so bad as you feel, man. Your nerves are worked to rags. Let me give you something that will make you sleep. That—will keep on for hours yet. You must simply get to sleep, or I won’t answer for it.”

Montgomery came around behind me and put his hand on my shoulder. “Look here, Prendick,” he said, “I shouldn’t have let you drift onto this silly island of ours. But it’s not as bad as you think, man. Your nerves are worn to shreds. Let me give you something to help you sleep. That will go on for hours yet. You have to get some sleep, or I can’t say what will happen.”

I did not reply. I bowed forward, and covered my face with my hands. Presently he returned with a small measure containing a dark liquid. This he gave me. I took it unresistingly, and he helped me into the hammock.

I didn't reply. I bent forward and covered my face with my hands. Soon he returned with a small container of dark liquid. He gave it to me. I took it without resisting, and he helped me into the hammock.

When I awoke, it was broad day. For a little while I lay flat, staring at the roof above me. The rafters, I observed, were made out of the timbers of a ship. Then I turned my head, and saw a meal prepared for me on the table. I perceived that I was hungry, and prepared to clamber out of the hammock, which, very politely anticipating my intention, twisted round and deposited me upon all-fours on the floor.

When I woke up, it was broad daylight. For a little while, I lay flat, staring at the roof above me. I noticed that the rafters were made from a ship’s timbers. Then I turned my head and saw a meal prepared for me on the table. I realized I was hungry and prepared to climb out of the hammock. The hammock very politely anticipated my intention. It twisted around and deposited me on all fours on the floor.

I got up and sat down before the food. I had a heavy feeling in my head, and only the vaguest memory at first of the things that had happened over night. The morning breeze blew very pleasantly through the unglazed window, and that and the food contributed to the sense of animal comfort which I experienced. Presently the door behind me—the door inward towards the yard of the enclosure—opened. I turned and saw Montgomery’s face.

I got up and sat down in front of the food. My head felt heavy. At first, I could barely remember what had happened during the night. The morning breeze blew pleasantly through the open, glassless window. The breeze and the food gave me a feeling of physical comfort. Soon, the door behind me opened. It led inward toward the yard of the enclosure. I turned and saw Montgomery’s face.

“All right,” said he. “I’m frightfully busy.” And he shut the door.

“All right,” he said. “I’m very busy.” Then he shut the door.

Afterwards I discovered that he forgot to re-lock it. Then I recalled the expression of his face the previous night, and with that the memory of all I had experienced reconstructed itself before me. Even as that fear came back to me came a cry from within; but this time it was not the cry of a puma. I put down the mouthful that hesitated upon my lips, and listened. Silence, save for the whisper of the morning breeze. I began to think my ears had deceived me.

Later, I discovered that he had forgotten to lock it again. Then I remembered the look on his face the night before. With that, the memory of everything I had experienced came back to me. Just as the fear returned, a cry came from inside. But this time, it was not the cry of a puma. I put down the mouthful I had been about to eat and listened. There was silence, except for the whisper of the morning breeze. I began to think my ears had deceived me.

After a long pause I resumed my meal, but with my ears still vigilant. Presently I heard something else, very faint and low. I sat as if frozen in my attitude. Though it was faint and low, it moved me more profoundly than all that I had hitherto heard of the abominations behind the wall. There was no mistake this time in the quality of the dim, broken sounds; no doubt at all of their source. For it was groaning, broken by sobs and gasps of anguish. It was no brute this time; it was a human being in torment!

After a long pause, I began eating again, but I kept listening carefully. Soon I heard something else, very faint and quiet. I sat frozen in place. Though the sound was faint and quiet, it moved me more deeply than all the horrors I had heard behind the wall so far. This time, there was no mistaking the faint, broken sounds. There was no doubt at all about their source. Someone was groaning, with sobs and gasps of anguish. This time it was not an animal. It was a human being in torment!

As I realised this I rose, and in three steps had crossed the room, seized the handle of the door into the yard, and flung it open before me.

As I realized this, I stood up and crossed the room in three steps. I grabbed the handle of the door to the yard and flung it open.

“Prendick, man! Stop!” cried Montgomery, intervening.

“Prendick, man! Stop!” Montgomery shouted, stepping in.

A startled deerhound yelped and snarled. There was blood, I saw, in the sink,—brown, and some scarlet—and I smelt the peculiar smell of carbolic acid. Then through an open doorway beyond, in the dim light of the shadow, I saw something bound painfully upon a framework, scarred, red, and bandaged; and then blotting this out appeared the face of old Moreau, white and terrible. In a moment he had gripped me by the shoulder with a hand that was smeared red, had twisted me off my feet, and flung me headlong back into my own room. He lifted me as though I was a little child. I fell at full length upon the floor, and the door slammed and shut out the passionate intensity of his face. Then I heard the key turn in the lock, and Montgomery’s voice in expostulation.

A startled deerhound yelped and snarled. I saw blood in the sink, some brown and some scarlet. I smelled the distinctive odor of carbolic acid. Beyond the sink was an open doorway. In the dim shadows, I saw something bound painfully to a frame, scarred, red, and bandaged. Then old Moreau’s face appeared, blocking it from view. His face was white and terrible. In an instant, he grabbed my shoulder with a bloodstained hand, twisted me off my feet, and threw me headfirst back into my room. He lifted me as though I were a small child. I fell flat on the floor, and the door slammed shut, hiding the fierce intensity of his face. Then I heard the key turn in the lock and Montgomery’s voice protesting.

“Ruin the work of a lifetime,” I heard Moreau say.

“Ruin the work of a lifetime,” I heard Moreau say.

“He does not understand,” said Montgomery. and other things that were inaudible.

“He does not understand,” said Montgomery. He said other things that could not be heard.

“I can’t spare the time yet,” said Moreau.

“I don’t have the time yet,” said Moreau.

The rest I did not hear. I picked myself up and stood trembling, my mind a chaos of the most horrible misgivings. Could it be possible, I thought, that such a thing as the vivisection of men was carried on here? The question shot like lightning across a tumultuous sky; and suddenly the clouded horror of my mind condensed into a vivid realisation of my own danger.

I did not hear the rest. I picked myself up and stood trembling, my mind in chaos with terrible fears. Could people really be vivisected here, I wondered? The question flashed like lightning across a stormy sky. Suddenly, the cloud of horror in my mind turned into a vivid realization of my own danger.