Случай Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 5
thethreedivisionslefttheFennerfarmhouse;onetoguardthelanding,anothertoseektherivervalleyandthehillsidedoor,andthethirdtosubdivideandattendtotheactualbuildingsoftheCurwenfarm.
EleazarSmith,whoaccompaniedtheshore-guardingparty,recordsinhisdiaryanuneventfulmarchandalongwaitonthebluffbythebay;brokenoncebywhatseemedtobethedistantsoundofthesignalwhistleandagainbyapeculiarmuffledblendofroaringandcryingandapowderblastwhichseemedtocomefromthesamedirection.Laterononemanthoughthecaughtsomedistantgunshots,andstilllaterSmithhimselffeltthethroboftitanicandthunderouswordsresoundinginupperair.Itwasjustbeforedawnthatasinglehaggardmessengerwithwildeyesandahideousunknownodorabouthisclothingappearedandtoldthedetachmenttodispersequietlytotheirhomesandneveragainthinkorspeakofthenight’sdoingsorofhimwhohadbeenJosephCurwen.Somethingaboutthebearingofthemessengercarriedaconvictionwhichhismerewordscouldneverhaveconveyed;forthoughhewasaseamanwellknowntomanyofthem,therewassomethingobscurelylostorgainedinhissoulwhichsethimforevermoreapart.Itwasthesamelateronwhentheymetotheroldcompanionswhohadgoneintothatzoneofhorror.Mostofthemhadlostorgainedsomethingimponderableandindescribable.Theyhadseenorheardorfeltsomethingwhichwasnotforhumancreatures,andcouldnotforgetit.
