
A grim tale of horror unfolds when a man, scarred by the cruel rites of secretive priests in a distant land, seeks revenge that leads him across oceans to the deep pine forests of the American South. The narrator, a determined traveler, follows a narrow, shadow‑filled trail through a place locals call “Egypt,” a tangled wilderness where every rustle feels like a hidden threat. As rumors of a blood‑thirsty outlaw spread, the atmosphere grows thick with dread, and the forest itself seems to swallow light.
He pushes on alone, intent on warning a reclusive cabin dweller about the lurking danger. In the choking darkness a desperate, wounded figure emerges, pleading for salvation, while a monstrous presence prowls nearby, its snarls echoing through the trees. The encounter leaves the traveler torn between his mission and the instinct to survive, setting the stage for a night of relentless terror.
Language
en
Duration
~57 minutes (55K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Popular Fiction Publishing Company, 1936.
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2023-07-03
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1906–1936
Best known as the creator of Conan the Barbarian, this Texas writer helped shape modern sword-and-sorcery fantasy while also turning out horror, adventure, boxing tales, and westerns for the pulp magazines. His stories move fast, hit hard, and still feel vivid nearly a century later.
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