Finding Moreau

When I saw Montgomery swallow a third dose of brandy, I took it upon myself to interfere. He was already more than half fuddled. I told him that some serious thing must have happened to Moreau by this time, or he would have returned before this, and that it behoved us to ascertain what that catastrophe was. Montgomery raised some feeble objections, and at last agreed. We had some food, and then all three of us started.

When I saw Montgomery swallow a third dose of brandy, I decided to intervene. He was already more than half drunk. I told him something serious must have happened to Moreau, or he would have returned by now. I said we needed to find out what had happened. Montgomery raised a few weak objections, but finally agreed. We ate some food, and then all three of us set out.

It is possibly due to the tension of my mind, at the time, but even now that start into the hot stillness of the tropical afternoon is a singularly vivid impression. M’ling went first, his shoulder hunched, his strange black head moving with quick starts as he peered first on this side of the way and then on that. He was unarmed; his axe he had dropped when he encountered the Swine-man. Teeth were his weapons, when it came to fighting. Montgomery followed with stumbling footsteps, his hands in his pockets, his face downcast; he was in a state of muddled sullenness with me on account of the brandy. My left arm was in a sling (it was lucky it was my left), and I carried my revolver in my right. Soon we traced a narrow path through the wild luxuriance of the island, going northwestward; and presently M’ling stopped, and became rigid with watchfulness. Montgomery almost staggered into him, and then stopped too. Then, listening intently, we heard coming through the trees the sound of voices and footsteps approaching us.

Perhaps it is because of the tension I felt at the time. But even now, I remember setting out into the hot stillness of the tropical afternoon with unusual clarity. M’ling went first, his shoulder hunched. His strange black head moved in quick jerks as he peered from one side of the path to the other. He was unarmed. He had dropped his axe when he encountered the Swine-man. Teeth were his weapons when it came to fighting. Montgomery followed, stumbling, with his hands in his pockets and his face downcast. He was confused and sullen with me because of the brandy. My left arm was in a sling. Luckily, it was my left. I carried my revolver in my right hand. Soon we followed a narrow path northwest through the island’s lush, wild growth. Before long, M’ling stopped and became rigid, watching for danger. Montgomery almost staggered into him before stopping too. Then, listening intently, we heard voices and footsteps coming toward us through the trees.

“He is dead,” said a deep, vibrating voice.

“He is dead,” said a deep, vibrating voice.

“He is not dead; he is not dead,” jabbered another.

“He’s not dead. He’s not dead,” another jabbered.

“We saw, we saw,” said several voices.

“We saw, we saw,” said several voices.

“Hul-lo!” suddenly shouted Montgomery, “Hullo, there!”

“Hel-lo!” Montgomery suddenly shouted. “Hello, there!”

“Confound you!” said I, and gripped my pistol.

“Blast you!” I said, gripping my pistol.

There was a silence, then a crashing among the interlacing vegetation, first here, then there, and then half-a-dozen faces appeared,—strange faces, lit by a strange light. M’ling made a growling noise in his throat. I recognised the Ape-man: I had indeed already identified his voice, and two of the white-swathed brown-featured creatures I had seen in Montgomery’s boat. With these were the two dappled brutes and that grey, horribly crooked creature who said the Law, with grey hair streaming down its cheeks, heavy grey eyebrows, and grey locks pouring off from a central parting upon its sloping forehead,—a heavy, faceless thing, with strange red eyes, looking at us curiously from amidst the green.

There was silence, then a crashing in the tangled vegetation, first here, then there. Then half a dozen faces appeared, strange faces lit by a strange light. M’ling growled in his throat. I recognized the Ape-man. In fact, I had already recognized his voice. I also recognized two brown-faced creatures wrapped in white whom I had seen in Montgomery’s boat. With them were the two spotted brutes and the gray, horribly crooked creature who recited the Law. Gray hair streamed down its cheeks beneath heavy gray eyebrows. Gray locks fell from a center parting over its sloping forehead. It was a heavy, faceless thing, gazing at us curiously from among the green plants with strange red eyes.

For a space no one spoke. Then Montgomery hiccoughed, “Who—said he was dead?”

For a while, no one spoke. Then Montgomery hiccupped, “Who said he was dead?”

The Monkey-man looked guiltily at the hairy-grey Thing. “He is dead,” said this monster. “They saw.”

The Monkey-man looked guiltily at the hairy grey Thing. “He is dead,” said the monster. “They saw.”

There was nothing threatening about this detachment, at any rate. They seemed awestricken and puzzled.

At least there was nothing threatening about this group. They seemed awed and puzzled.

“Where is he?” said Montgomery.

“Where is he?” said Montgomery.

“Beyond,” and the grey creature pointed.

“Beyond,” the gray creature said, pointing.

“Is there a Law now?” asked the Monkey-man. “Is it still to be this and that? Is he dead indeed?”

“Is there a Law now?” asked the Monkey-man. “Do we still have to do this and that? Is he really dead?”

“Is there a Law?” repeated the man in white. “Is there a Law, thou Other with the Whip?”

“Is there a Law?” repeated the man in white. “Is there a Law, you Other with the Whip?”

“He is dead,” said the hairy-grey Thing. And they all stood watching us.

“He is dead,” said the hairy-gray Thing. They all stood watching us.

“Prendick,” said Montgomery, turning his dull eyes to me. “He’s dead, evidently.”

“Prendick,” said Montgomery, turning his dull eyes toward me. “He’s apparently dead.”

I had been standing behind him during this colloquy. I began to see how things lay with them. I suddenly stepped in front of Montgomery and lifted up my voice:—“Children of the Law,” I said, “he is not dead!” M’ling turned his sharp eyes on me. “He has changed his shape; he has changed his body,” I went on. “For a time you will not see him. He is—there,” I pointed upward, “where he can watch you. You cannot see him, but he can see you. Fear the Law!”

I had been standing behind him during this conversation. I began to understand how things stood with them. I suddenly stepped in front of Montgomery and raised my voice. “Children of the Law,” I said, “he is not dead!” M’ling turned his sharp eyes on me. “He has changed his shape. He has changed his body,” I went on. “For a while, you will not see him. He is there,” I said, pointing upward, “where he can watch you. You cannot see him, but he can see you. Fear the Law!”

I looked at them squarely. They flinched.

I looked straight at them. They flinched.

“He is great, he is good,” said the Ape-man, peering fearfully upward among the dense trees.

“He is great, he is good,” said the Ape-man, looking fearfully up into the thick trees.

“And the other Thing?” I demanded.

“And the other Thing?” I demanded.

“The Thing that bled, and ran screaming and sobbing,—that is dead too,” said the grey Thing, still regarding me.

“The Thing that bled and ran away screaming and sobbing is dead too,” said the grey Thing, still looking at me.

“That’s well,” grunted Montgomery.

“That’s good,” grunted Montgomery.

“The Other with the Whip—” began the grey Thing.

“The Other with the Whip...” began the grey Thing.

“Well?” said I.

“Well?” I said.

“Said he was dead.”

“Said he was dead.”

But Montgomery was still sober enough to understand my motive in denying Moreau’s death. “He is not dead,” he said slowly, “not dead at all. No more dead than I am.”

But Montgomery was still sober enough to understand why I denied Moreau’s death. “He is not dead,” he said slowly, “not dead at all. No more dead than I am.”

“Some,” said I, “have broken the Law: they will die. Some have died. Show us now where his old body lies,—the body he cast away because he had no more need of it.”

“Some,” I said, “have broken the Law. They will die. Some have died. Now show us where his old body lies. He cast it away because he no longer needed it.”

“It is this way, Man who walked in the Sea,” said the grey Thing.

“This way, Man who walked in the Sea,” said the grey Thing.

And with these six creatures guiding us, we went through the tumult of ferns and creepers and tree-stems towards the northwest. Then came a yelling, a crashing among the branches, and a little pink homunculus rushed by us shrieking. Immediately after appeared a monster in headlong pursuit, blood-bedabbled, who was amongst us almost before he could stop his career. The grey Thing leapt aside. M’ling, with a snarl, flew at it, and was struck aside. Montgomery fired and missed, bowed his head, threw up his arm, and turned to run. I fired, and the Thing still came on; fired again, point-blank, into its ugly face. I saw its features vanish in a flash: its face was driven in. Yet it passed me, gripped Montgomery, and holding him, fell headlong beside him and pulled him sprawling upon itself in its death-agony.

With these six creatures guiding us, we headed northwest through a tangle of ferns, vines, and tree trunks. Then came a yell and a crash among the branches. A little pink homunculus rushed past us, shrieking. A bloodstained monster appeared immediately afterward, chasing it at full speed. The monster was among us almost before it could stop. The grey Thing leapt aside. M’ling lunged at the monster with a snarl, but it struck him aside. Montgomery fired and missed. He bowed his head, threw up his arm, and turned to run. I fired, but the Thing kept coming. I fired again, point-blank into its ugly face. I saw its features vanish in a flash. Its face was smashed in. Yet it passed me and grabbed Montgomery. Still holding him, it fell headlong beside him. In its death agony, it pulled him down on top of itself.

I found myself alone with M’ling, the dead brute, and the prostrate man. Montgomery raised himself slowly and stared in a muddled way at the shattered Beast Man beside him. It more than half sobered him. He scrambled to his feet. Then I saw the grey Thing returning cautiously through the trees.

I found myself alone with M’ling, the dead brute, and the man lying on the ground. Montgomery slowly raised himself and stared in confusion at the shattered Beast Man beside him. The sight more than half sobered him. He scrambled to his feet. Then I saw the grey Thing returning cautiously through the trees.

“See,” said I, pointing to the dead brute, “is the Law not alive? This came of breaking the Law.”

“Look,” I said, pointing to the dead beast, “isn't the Law alive? This is what happened because the Law was broken.”

He peered at the body. “He sends the Fire that kills,” said he, in his deep voice, repeating part of the Ritual. The others gathered round and stared for a space.

He looked closely at the body. “He sends the Fire that kills,” he said in his deep voice, repeating part of the Ritual. The others gathered around and stared for a while.

At last we drew near the westward extremity of the island. We came upon the gnawed and mutilated body of the puma, its shoulder-bone smashed by a bullet, and perhaps twenty yards farther found at last what we sought. Moreau lay face downward in a trampled space in a canebrake. One hand was almost severed at the wrist and his silvery hair was dabbled in blood. His head had been battered in by the fetters of the puma. The broken canes beneath him were smeared with blood. His revolver we could not find. Montgomery turned him over. Resting at intervals, and with the help of the seven Beast People (for he was a heavy man), we carried Moreau back to the enclosure. The night was darkling. Twice we heard unseen creatures howling and shrieking past our little band, and once the little pink sloth-creature appeared and stared at us, and vanished again. But we were not attacked again. At the gates of the enclosure our company of Beast People left us, M’ling going with the rest. We locked ourselves in, and then took Moreau’s mangled body into the yard and laid it upon a pile of brushwood. Then we went into the laboratory and put an end to all we found living there.

At last we neared the western end of the island. We came upon the puma’s gnawed and mutilated body. A bullet had smashed its shoulder bone. Perhaps twenty yards farther on, we finally found what we were looking for. Moreau lay facedown in a trampled clearing among the canes. One hand was almost severed at the wrist, and his silvery hair was stained with blood. The puma’s shackles had battered in his head. The broken canes beneath him were smeared with blood. We could not find his revolver. Montgomery turned him over. With the help of the seven Beast People, we carried Moreau back to the enclosure, stopping to rest along the way. He was a heavy man. Night was falling. Twice we heard unseen creatures howl and shriek as they passed our little group. Once the little pink sloth-creature appeared and stared at us, then vanished again. But we were not attacked again. At the gates of the enclosure, the Beast People left us. M’ling went with them. We locked ourselves in, then carried Moreau’s mangled body into the yard and laid it on a pile of brushwood. Then we went into the laboratory and killed everything we found alive there.