“Hush!” cried Maupuis in an eager voice.
There was dead silence. Then there came a sound of uneasy movement with a strange flapping vibration.
“The bird!” said an awestruck whisper.
There was silence and then once again came the sound of movement and an impatient flap.
“Have you all ready, Réne?” asked the doctor.
“All is ready.”
“Then shoot!”
The flash of the luminant mixture filled the room, while the shutter of the camera fell. In that sudden glare of light the visitors had a momentary glimpse of a marvellous sight. The medium lay with his head upon his hands in apparent insensibility. Upon his rounded shoulders there was perched a huge bird of prey—a large falcon or an eagle. For one instant the strange picture was stamped upon their retinas even as it was upon the photographic plate. Then the darkness closed down again, save for the two red lamps, like the eyes of some baleful demon lurking in the corner.
“My word!” gasped Malone. “Did you see it?”
“A crocodile out of the pond,” said Mailey.