I saw that he could not escape even if he had the strength, for before him, almost at his very feet, lay a deep, shining swamp.
As I stepped forward my foot broke a twig. At the sound the figure started a little, then its head fell forward again. Its face was masked. Walking up to the man, I bade him tell where he was wounded. Durand and the others broke through the thicket at the same moment and hurried to my side.
“Who are you who hide a masked face in a priest’s robe?” said the gendarme loudly.
There was no answer.
“See — see the stiff blood all over his robe,” muttered Le Bihan to Fortin.
“He will not speak,” said I.
“He may be too badly wounded,” whispered Le Bihan.
“I saw him raise his head,” I said, “my wife saw him creep up here.”
Durand stepped forward and touched the figure.
“Speak!” he said.
“Speak!” quavered Fortin.
Durand waited a moment, then with a sudden upward movement he stripped off the mask and threw back the man’s head. We were looking into the eye sockets of a skull. Durand stood rigid; the mayor shrieked. The skeleton burst out from its rotting robes and collapsed on the ground before us. From between the staring ribs and the grinning teeth spurted a torrent of black blood, showering the shrinking grasses; then the thing shuddered, and fell over into the black ooze of the bog. Little bubbles of iridescent air appeared from the mud; the bones were slowly engulfed, and, as the last fragments sank out of sight, up from the depths and along the bank crept a creature, shiny, shivering, quivering its wings.
It was a death’s-head moth.
I wish I had time to tell you how Lys outgrew superstitions — for she never knew the truth about the affair, and she never will know, since she has promised not to read this book. I wish I might tell you about the king and his coronation, and how the coronation robe fitted. I wish that I were able to write how Yvonne and Herbert Stuart rode to a boar hunt in Quimperle, and how the hounds raced the quarry right through the town, overturning three gendarmes, the notary, and an old woman. But I am becoming garrulous and Lys is calling me to come and hear the king say that he is sleepy. And his highness shall not be kept waiting.
THE KING’S CRADLE SONG
Seal with a seal of gold
The scroll of a life unrolled;
Swathe him deep in his purple stole;
Ashes of diamonds, crystalled coal,
Drops of gold in each scented fold.
Crimson wings of the Little Death,
Stir his hair with your silken breath;
Flaming wings of sins to be,
Splendid pinions of prophecy,
Smother his eyes with hues and dyes,
While the white moon spins and the winds arise,
And the stars drip through the skies.
Wave, O wings of the Little Death!
Seal his sight and stifle his breath,
Cover his breast with the gemmed shroud pressed;
From north to north, from west to west,
Wave, O wings of the Little Death!
Till the white moon reels in the cracking skies,
And the ghosts of God arise.
THE END
The Short Stories
Chambers’ house at Broadalbin, New York
LIST OF SHORT STORIES IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
THE REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS
THE MASK
IN THE COURT OF THE DRAGON
THE YELLOW SIGN
THE DEMOISELLE D’YS
THE PROPHETS’ PARADISE
THE STREET OF THE FOUR WINDS
THE STREET OF THE FIRST SHELL
THE STREET OF OUR LADY OF THE FIELDS
RUE BARRÉE
THE MAKER OF MOONS.
THE SILENT LAND.
THE BLACK WATER.
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST HIGH.
THE BOY’S SISTER.
THE CRIME.
A PLEASANT EVENING.
THE MAN AT THE NEXT TABLE.
THE PURPLE EMPEROR.
POMPE FUNÈBRE.
THE MESSENGER.
THE WHITE SHADOW.
PASSEUR.
THE KEY TO GRIEF.
A MATTER OF INTEREST.
ENVOI.
THE GOD OF BATTLES
PICKETS.
AN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR
SMITH’S BATTERY
AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY.
YO ESPERO
COLLECTOR OF THE PORT
THE WHISPER
THE LITTLE MISERY
ENTER THE QUEEN
ANOTHER GOOD MAN.
ENVOI.
A YOUNG MAN IN A HURRY
A PILGRIM
THE SHINING BAND
ONE MAN IN A MILLION
THE FIRE-WARDEN
THE MARKET-HUNTER
THE PATH-MASTER
IN NAUVOO
MARLITT’S SHOES
PASQUE FLORIDA
THE CARPET OF BELSHAZZAR
THE SIGN OF VENUS
THE CASE OF MR. HELMER
THE TREE OF DREAMS
THE BRIDAL PAIR
EX CURIA
THE GOLDEN POOL
OUT OF THE DEPTHS
THE SWASTIKA
THE GHOST OF CHANCE
POLICE!!!
THE THIRD EYE
THE IMMORTAL
THE LADIES OF THE LAKE
ONE OVER
UN PEU D’AMOUR
THE EGGS OF THE SILVER MOON
THE PROGRESS OF JANET
A LYNX PEAK PASTORAL
WILDRICK’S DUMP
HELL’S ASHES
THE FIRE-BIRD
THE BETTER MAN
THE GERM OF MADNESS
LUCILLE’S LEGS
A NURSERY TALE
NUMBER SEVEN
DOWN AND OUT
CARONDELET
OWL’S HEAD
OLE HAWG
THE REAL THING
A STORY OF PRIMITIVE LOVE
THE MESSENGER
LIST OF SHORT STORIES IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
A LYNX PEAK PASTORAL
A MATTER OF INTEREST.
A NURSERY TALE
A PILGRIM
A PLEASANT EVENING.
A STORY OF PRIMITIVE LOVE
A YOUNG MAN IN A HURRY
AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY.
AN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIR
ANOTHER GOOD MAN.
CARONDELET
COLLECTOR OF THE PORT
DOWN AND OUT
ENTER THE QUEEN
ENVOI.
ENVOI.
EX CURIA
HELL’S ASHES
IN NAUVOO
IN THE COURT OF THE DRAGON
IN THE NAME OF THE MOST HIGH.
LUCILLE’S LEGS
MARLITT’S SHOES
NUMBER SEVEN
OLE HAWG
ONE MAN IN A MILLION
ONE OVER
OUT OF THE DEPTHS
OWL’S HEAD
PASQUE FLORIDA
PASSEUR.
PICKETS.
POLICE!!!
POMPE FUNÈBRE.
RUE BARRÉE
SMITH’S BATTERY
THE BETTER MAN
THE BLACK WATER.
THE BOY’S SISTER.
THE BRIDAL PAIR
THE CARPET OF BELSHAZZAR
THE CASE OF MR. HELMER
THE CRIME.
THE DEMOISELLE D’YS
THE EGGS OF THE SILVER MOON
THE FIRE-BIRD
THE FIRE-WARDEN
THE GERM OF MADNESS
THE GHOST OF CHANCE
THE GOD OF BATTLES
THE GOLDEN POOL
THE IMMORTAL
THE KEY TO GRIEF.
THE LADIES OF THE LAKE
THE LITTLE MISERY
THE MAKER OF MOONS.
THE MAN AT THE NEXT TABLE.
THE MARKET-HUNTER
TH
E MASK
THE MESSENGER
THE MESSENGER.
THE PATH-MASTER
THE PROGRESS OF JANET
THE PROPHETS’ PARADISE
THE PURPLE EMPEROR.
THE REAL THING
THE REPAIRER OF REPUTATIONS
THE SHINING BAND
THE SIGN OF VENUS
THE SILENT LAND.
THE STREET OF OUR LADY OF THE FIELDS
THE STREET OF THE FIRST SHELL
THE STREET OF THE FOUR WINDS
THE SWASTIKA
THE THIRD EYE
THE TREE OF DREAMS
THE WHISPER
THE WHITE SHADOW.
THE YELLOW SIGN
UN PEU D’AMOUR
WILDRICK’S DUMP
YO ESPERO
Broadalbin Mayfield Rural Cemetery – Chambers’ final resting place
Chambers’ grave
Works of Robert W Chambers Page 1207
