And I made presently a strong walking unto that place where did glow in the night the shine of the fire-holes, as I did well judge them to be; and so was like to have come over-swiftly upon my death, as you shall presently see; for, as I came anigh to the first, I perceived that the light came upward out of a great hollow among the moss-bushes, and that the fire-hole burned somewhere in the deep of the hollow; so that I did but look upon the shine thereof.

Yet so very eager was I to come to that warmth, that I made more of haste than care, coming very swift to the top of the hollow; yet was still hidden by the kindness of the moss-bushes.

As I made to thrust forward out of the bushes, that I might then look and go downward into the hollow, there rose up to me the sound of a very large voice, deep and husky. A dreadful voice that did speak as though it said ordinary things, but in a fashion so monstrous as it were that a house did speak. This is a strange thing to say; yet shall it have the truth of my feelings and terror in that moment.

And I drew back swiftly from discovering of myself; and was then all feared to move, or to make to go more backward, lest that I give knowledge that I was come anigh. And likewise did I shiver, lest that I was even then perceived. And so shall you know something of the utter fear that did shake me. I abode there very quiet, and moved not for a very great space; but did sweat and shake; for there was a monstrous horridness in the voice that did speak.

As I crouched there within the moss-bushes, there came again the large voice, and it was answered by a second voice; and thereupon there arose, as it did seem, the speech of Men that must have the bigness of elephants, and that did have no kindness in all their thoughts; but were utter monstrous. The speech was slow; it rose up out of the hollow, brutish and hoarse and mighty. I would that I could make you to hear it, and that you could but borrow mine ears for a little moment, and be shaken with that utter horror and an afraidness, even as I was.

Now presently there was a very long quiet, and I ceased at last a little from mine over-fear; and later I did calm somewhat; so that I made to shift my position, which was grown very uneasy.

And there was still no sound from the hollow.

Wherefore, having a little boldness and much curiousness, and these despite my great fearfulness, I put forth mine hand, very cautious, and did move the moss-bush a little from my face. And I went forward upon the earth, and did lie upon my belly; and was by this so close upon the edge of that place, that I was abled to look downwards.

I peered down into that great hollow, and did see a very strange and horrid sight. In truth, there was a large fire-hole in the centre of that place. All about the sides there were great holes into the slopes of the hollow, and there were great men laid in the holes, so that I might see a great head that did show out to my sight here, from one of those holes, and would seem to be that of a monstrous man heavy with sleep. And there I would see but the buttocks of another, as that he did curl himself inward to his slumbering. So was it all about; and to my memory there were maybe a score of these holes; yet had I not time for a counting, as you shall see. For, after I had made but a glance at these sleeping and utter monstrous men, I perceived that there sat beyond the fire-hole, three great men. They were each greater than elephants, and covered in large part with a stiff and horrid hair, that did be of a reddish seeming. And there were upon them great segs and warts, as though their skin had been hides that had never known covering. There was between them the body of a mighty hound as big as an horse that they did skin; and I judged that this beast was one of those fearsome brutes which we did call the Night Hounds.

Yet they did nothing in that time in which I lookt at them; but did sit each with a sharp and monstrous bloody stone in his fist, and did look to the ground, as though they heeded not the earth or the food that they did prepare; but did listen to some outward sound. This brought to me a very swift and sudden terror; for I perceived now the why of their long silence; for they had an unease upon them, being subtly aware that one was anigh, even as are the brute beasts are in this manner.

I made to draw back, and win unto safety, if indeed this thing were to be done. But as I moved me, I shook a little earth into the hollow; for there was, indeed, a little sifting of dry dust below me, as I did wot, being very keen to hear, by reason of my fright. And immediately did those three monstrous men look upward, and did seem to me to stare into mine eyes, as I did lie there hid amid the moss-bushes. I was so put in fear that I moved clumsily, and sent another siftering of dust downward as I did strive to go backward swift and quiet from the edge. And all the time I did look through the bushes very fixedly into the eyes of the giants; and lo, their eyes did shine red and green, like to the eyes of animals.

At once there rose up a roar from them that did nigh slay my soul with the horridness of the noise. And at that roaring, all the giants that did lie in the holes did awake, and began to come outward into the hollow.

Now I was surely lost and given over to destruction. They had possessed me immediately, it would seem. But in that moment, as I went backward, the earth gave behind me, and I fell into a hole among the moss-bushes to my back. I made at first to come out very hurried, and all choked with a dust of sand and ash; but in a moment I was sane enough to know that I had come to a sudden hiding-place, and I lay very still and strove neither to cough nor to breathe.

And it was well for me I came to so close a hiding; for there were all about me the sounds of monstrous footsteps, running, that seemed to shake the ground; though maybe this be an imagining bred of my fear. And shoutings of great voices there were; and the thudding of huge feet all about; and the noises of the bushes rustling...