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denoted almost utter imbecility and he was quite the most repulsive creature that
ever Bertha Kircher had looked upon.
For several minutes after she was conducted into his presence he appeared not to
be aware that she was there but continued his restless pacing to and fro.
Suddenly, without the slightest warning, and while he was at the far end of the
room from her with his back toward her, he wheeled and rushed madly at her.
Involuntarily the girl shrank back, extending her open palms toward the frightful
creature as though to hold him aloof but a man upon either side of her, the two
who had conducted her into the apartment, seized and held her.
Although he rushed violently toward her the man stopped without touching her.
For a moment his horrid white-rimmed eyes glared searchingly into her face,
immediately following which he burst into maniacal laughter. For two or three
minutes the creature gave himself over to merriment and then, stopping as
suddenly as he had commenced to laugh, he fell to examining the prisoner. He
felt of her hair, her skin, the texture of the garment she wore and by means of
signs made her understand she was to open her mouth. In the latter he seemed
much interested, calling the attention of one of the guards to her canine teeth
and then baring his own sharp fangs for the prisoner to see.
Presently he resumed pacing to and fro across the floor, and it was fully fifteen
minutes before he again noticed the prisoner, and then it was to issue a curt
order to her guards, who immediately conducted her from the apartment.
The guards now led the girl through a series of corridors and apartments to a
narrow stone stairway which led to the floor above, finally stopping before a small
door where stood a naked Negro armed with a spear. At a word from one of her
guards the Negro opened the door and the party passed into a low-ceiled
apartment, the windows of which immediately caught the girl's attention through
the fact that they were heavily barred. The room was furnished similarly to those
that she had seen in other parts of the building, the same carved tables and
benches, the rugs upon the floor, the decorations upon the walls, although in
every respect it was simpler than anything she had seen on the floor below. In
one corner was a low couch covered with a rug similar to those on the floor except
that it was of a lighter texture, and upon this sat a woman.
As Bertha Kircher's eyes alighted upon the occupant of the room the girl gave a
little gasp of astonishment, for she recognized immediately that here was a
creature more nearly of her own kind than any she had seen within the city's
walls. An old woman it was who looked at her through faded blue eyes, sunken
deep in a wrinkled and toothless face. But the eyes were those of a sane and
intelligent creature, and the wrinkled face was the face of a white woman.
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