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Stout, Rex, 1886-1975

"Under the Andes"

Here, put your arm on my shoulder. Take it easy."
We advanced to the corner together within the patch of light and
turned to the right, directly facing its source.
It is impossible to convey even a faint idea of the wild and
hugely fantastic sight that met our gaze. With us it was a
single, vivid flash to the astonished brain. These are the
details:
Before us was an immense cavern, circular in shape, with a
diameter of some half a mile. It seemed to me then much larger;
from where we stood it appeared to be at least two miles to the
opposite side. There was no roof to be seen; it merely ascended
into darkness, though the light carried a great distance.
All round the vast circumference, on terraced seats of rock,
squatted row after row of the most completely hideous beings
within possibility.
They were men; I suppose they must have the name. They were
about four feet tall, with long, hairy arms and legs, bodies of a
curious, bloated appearance, and eyes--the remainder of the face
was entirely concealed by thick hair--eyes dull and vacant, of an
incredibly large size; they had the appearance of ghouls, apes,
monsters--anything but human beings.


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