Amazing Stories, Vol. 3, No. 2 — page 21: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

116 “In the face are two very large eyes, capable of see- ing well m the dark and located directly in front of the large brain. The mouth consists of a huge beak, razor- edged. There are no teeth. Add this formidable beak to their exteaordmary powers of swimming, their swift progress on land, their giant strength and their great intelligence, and it becomes evident that the human race is faced with a great peril. “There is nothing whatever to prevent these animals from swimming the ocean or attacking the greatest city. One of these beasts could kill a hundred people in an hour and hardly any weapon we possess would be of the slightest use...” As he wrote, Weyl’s mind was again filled with the terror of that mad march through the jungle with the “Umbrella Beasts” whistling on every side, and his imagination shuddered at the picture of London or New ~ York under an invasion from those grim Madagascar jangles; all business stopped, every door barred, the octopuses triumphantly parading the streets, breaking in here and there and strangling the last resistance of families cowering in corners, powerless against the in- vulnerable and irresistible animals. Here and there some squad armed with dynamite or some other weapon more powerful than rifles, would offer a brief resist- ance, but they too would go down in time. Civilization ‘throttled, and in its place a ghastly reign of ani- malisin,.,.. \ - CHAPTER V Mee LARIVET was inclined to skepticism over Weyl’s report. In a brusque, but kindly way, he had suggested that it be delayed, . till you have had. time to think it over, Perhaps, when the effect of your experience has—ah—worn off—” Weyl gazed at him in astonishment at this sugges- tion, but he was to remember it forty days later. Meanwhile, there was nothing to do but wait till the report reached the outer world, and some echo of it in the form of men, aeroplanes, scientists with their in- struments and death dealing concoctions arrived to wipe out that terrible blot. And during the waiting, even Major Larivet’s skepticism manished under the Peepetire of events. The octopuses, as Weyl called them, had confined their raids to isolated districts up to the time of his expedition, but mow, acting apparently upon a well- formed plan, they became bolder and began a syste- matic extermination of every native in this part of the island. Three days ates the return of the expedition, 2 a native runner dashed in half-crazed with fright to re- port a twilight raid on a whole village, from which hardly a soul escaped. ominous news was followed by such demonstration of the power and intelligence of the octopuses: a5 confirmed: = Weyl’s darkest fears. A village on the coast was attacked, and the ive = taking to their clumsy boats to escape the terror by land, — found themselves no less heh ess on the water, the ae _ to the captain of the boat with the m As the days drew on, this AMAZING STORIES who had gone there and found only a circle of empty huts. Alarm of panic proportions spread like wildfire among the Malagasy, and in a stream that became a torrent they poured into Fort Dauphin for protection. Daily the reports of depredations showed that the octopus terror was spreading and coming nearer, and Major Larivet found himself faced with the problem of feeding several hundred hungry and frightened natives with means wholly inadequate. The climax came with the arrival of four men, or rather, shadows of men, who babbled that they were the last of the great tribe of the Tanésy. Fighters to the core, instead of flying, they had stood out in battle array against their antagonists. The result had been unspeakably horrible—they had seen their comrades torn to pieces before their eyes, and the women and children hunted down. It was while things were in this state that the little tin-pot mail boat arrived with its cargo of supplies and European newspapers. Weyl's heart rose as he marched off to his quarters eagerly with the papers under his arm, but it sank like lead when he and Duperret opened journal after Journal, in quick, disappointed perusals. “Not one, they perceived, took the matter seu Weyl’s phrase, “Umbrella Beasts,” had been seized upon by humorous commentators with gusto, rolled on their tongues and spun off their pens to tickle the ribs of readers. Of serious acceptance there was not a sign. The general tone of the papers was one of howling de- ~ It was suggested that Weyl had gone crazy, rision, that he was a publicity-mad mountebank. But the more usual spirit of the papers was that of the French wit who blared: “Weyl’s Umbrella Beasts; Inseparable companions for that rainy-day walk. No one acquainted with the dictates of fashion can afford to dispense with this novel combination of household pet and Protective Implement !” And the cartoons... ! Weyl looked up from the papers to meet Duperret’s glance. eyes, : : “Tt seems to be up to us,” said Weyl, after a mo- ment. “Well—I am not a ae ian, Asif 45 reckoned = in America, but I can command a considerable. amount — of money, and can borrow more. 1 will write a cable- gram to be sent off immediately, and have AEs een spent for materials to fight this thing.” = ‘sage to Wey?’s: assistant in the labor atory in New York, and together they took it to the dock and deliver ed it irgent instruc tions to send it the moment he arrived at Andovoranbo. CHAPTER vi or oe: alter ape ae Ae Aner was : roused from his sleep by a confu: d sh uting, Nsunder the window, ‘Hurrying into hi the dashed out to see the little mail boat w . ths i SS es that guarde hi There were actual tears in the Frenchman’s " * 2 Le