Page:Doughty--Mirrikh or A woman from Mars.djvu/85

 “I knew it!” I answered. “I’m going down.”

“Stay! We will light up first. I have matches.”

“You can’t do it in this draught,” said Maurice? [sic] “I’m going back. I’ve had enough of it up here.”

The attempt to light the brand proved futile. Without waiting to see the result, I had already started. The shadows oppressed me. I had had quite enough of them and was anxious to get back to our retreat on the ground floor.

Last to ascend, I was first on the stairs going back. My mental state spurred me on, and I reached the top of the last flight before Maurice and the Doctor had started on the  one above.

Now, as I hurried down, my eyes naturally fixed themselves upon the fire, and I perceived that a man stood beside it with his back turned toward me, warming his hands by the blaze.

Instantly that same cold sensation came upon me, and in the same moment I saw that the man was Mirrikh. The next—I will swear that I never removed my eyes from  him—and I perceived that the spot which he had occupied  before the fire was vacant—Never pausing even to wonder, I dashed on, but when I reached the fire, he was no longer  there.

I was glad of it. I had no wish to see him. Past being amazed at any phenomena which might present itself in connection with this man, I never even looked behind the  statue to see if he was in hiding, never stopped to consider  whether I had been the victim of an illusion or had actually  seen him. It seemed useless to disturb myself about this mysterious person any longer, so I just shouted to my companions and bade them make haste, telling what I had seen  when they reached my side.

Maurice said nothing, but Philpot was entirely incredulous. He took another brand from the fire and passed behind the big stone Buddha, calling out that there was no one concealed there. In no other part of the enclosure could a man have successfully hidden, so we found ourselves just where we started out.

“It won’t wash, Wylde,” said the Doctor, coarsely. “You didn’t see him.”

“But I did, though.”

“An optical illusion. You were scared, puzzled; thinking of Mirrikh is what brought it about.”