We had been on the verge of a
discovery, but as we recalled the incident, lying there helpless, we
were doubtful if it would have saved us from the fate we expected. The
note which Soma had dropped gave full confirmation to all our suspicions
concerning Leith, yet we had been unable to hold our own against him.
One end of the slab remained stationary after it had risen a few inches
from its bed, but the other end, which was nearest us, went up and up,
pushed by some screwjack arrangement that lifted it with slow, jerky
movements till it was nearly upright. The moonlight fell upon the under
surface that was turned toward us, and we understood the manner in which
Leith's friends had arranged for us to make our exit from this world.
The bottom of the stone slab had been carved into a perfect
representation of a centipede, and as the slab remained stationary just
before it reached the perpendicular, I began to dive into my mental
reticule for the scraps of prayers that had been caught and held through
a rather checkered career in places where the efficacy of prayer was
looked upon with a cold eye.
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