My splendid lamp cast a brilliant flood
of vivid light in front of me, very different
from the yellow glimmer which had aided
me down the same passage only twelve days
before. As I ran, I saw the great beast lurching
along before me, its huge bulk filling up the
whole space from wall to wall. Its hair looked
like coarse faded oakum, and hung down in
long, dense masses which swayed as it moved.
It was like an enormous unclipped sheep in
its fleece, but in size it was far larger than
the largest elephant, and its breadth seemed
to be nearly as great as its height.

Chapter 5