The Lurking Fear and Other Stories

I doubt very much if Ammi consciously lied to me, and I do not think his tale was all a freak of madness as the townsfolk had forewarned. Something terrible came to the hills and valleys on that meteor, and something terrible – though I know not in what proportion – still remains. I shall be glad to see the water come. Meanwhile I hope nothing will happen to Ammi. He saw so much of the thing – and its infl uence was so insidious. Why has he never been able to move away? How clearly he recalled those dying words of Nahum’s – “Can’t git away – draws ye – ye know summ’at’s comin’ but tain’t no use – ”. Ammi is such a good old man – when the reservoir gang gets to work I must write the chief engineer to keep a sharp watch on him. I would hate to think of him as the grey, twisted, brittle mon­strosity which persists more and more in troubling my sleep.