IV

           ItisonlywithvasthesitancyandrepugnancethatIletmymindgobacktoLake’scampandwhatwereallyfoundthere—andtothatotherthingbeyondthemountainsofmadness. Iamconstantlytemptedtoshirkthedetails,andtolethintsstandforactualfactsandineluctabledeductions. IhopeIhavesaidenoughalreadytoletmeglidebrieflyovertherest;therest,thatis,ofthehorroratthecamp. Ihavetoldofthewind-ravagedterrain,thedamagedshelters,thedisarrangedmachinery,thevarieduneasinessofourdogs,themissingsledgesandotheritems,thedeathsofmenanddogs,theabsenceofGedney,andthesixinsanelyburiedbiologicalspecimens,strangelysoundintextureforalltheirstructuralinjuries,fromaworldfortymillionyearsdead. IdonotrecallwhetherImentionedthatuponcheckingupthecaninebodieswefoundonedogmissing. Wedidnotthinkmuchaboutthattilllater—indeed,onlyDanforthandIhavethoughtofitatall. 

           TheprincipalthingsIhavebeenkeepingbackrelatetothebodies,andtocertainsubtlepointswhichmayormaynotlendahideousandincrediblekindofrationaletotheapparentchaos. Atthetime,Itriedtokeepthemen’smindsoffthosepoints;foritwassomuchsimpler—somuchmorenormal—tolayeverythingtoanoutbreakofmadnessonthepartofsomeofLake’sparty. Fromthelookofthings,thatdemonmountainwindmusthavebeenenoughtodriveanymanmadinthemidstofthiscenterofallearthlymysteryanddesolation. 

           Thecrowningabnormality,ofcourse,wastheconditionofthebodies—menanddogsalike. Theyhadallbeeninsometerriblekindofconflict,andweretornandmangledinfiendishandaltogetherinexplicableways.