The Mountains Of Madness
Part 4's

“11:30 P.M. Attention, Dyer, Pabodie, Douglas. Solved highest — I can say transcendent — important. Arkhammust delivers to Kingsport Central Station at once. Strange barrel growth is an Archaean object that leaves traces on the rocks. Mills, Boudreau, and Fowler found a group of thirteen more in the underground point forty feet from the aperture. Mixed with round soap stone pieces and configured to a smaller size than previously found — is star-shaped but there are no signs of damage except at some point. Of the organic specimens, eight appear to be perfect, with all the appendages. Has brought all to the surface, kept the dog away. They can't stand those things. Pay attention to the description and repeat for accuracy. Papers should get this right."

"That thing is eight feet long. Six feet five serrated rod middle diameter 3.5 feet, diameter 1 foot tip. Dark gray, flexible, and infinite tough. Seven-foot membranous wings of the same color, found folded, spread out of grooves between ridges. The wing skeleton is tubular or gland-shaped, light grey, with holes in the wingtips. The wing spreads have serrated edges. Around the equator, one at the central apex of each of the five vertical ridges, such as the ridge, are five gray-colored flexible arm systems or tentacles found folded tightly onto the torso, but it can be extended to a maximum length of more than 3 feet. Like a primitive crinoid arm. Single stalk 3 inches branch diameter after 6 inches into five sub-stalk, each branch after 8 inches into five small, tapered tentacles or tendrils, giving each stalk a total of 25 tentacles."

"Above a round trunk a round neck of light gray with gills-like advice holding a yellowish-shaped five-star-shaped head covered with thin three-inch cilia of various prismatic colors. The head is thick and swollen, about 2 feet point to point, with a flexible yellowish tube three inches projecting from each point. The gap right in the middle of the top may be a breathing opening. At the end of each tube is a spherical expansion in which the yellowish membrane rotates back on its handling to reveal a glass, red-iris eyeball, the clear eye. The five reddish tubes are slightly longer starting from the inner corner of the starfish-shaped head and ending in a sac-like swelling of the same color that at open pressure into a bell-shaped hole of maximum diameter 2 Inch and coated with sharp projections like white teeth. Mouth maybe. All the tubes, cilia, and points of the star's head were found to be tightly folded; the tubes and points were attached to the round neck and trunk. Surprising flexibility despite exceptional toughness."

“At the bottom of the rod is rough but works differently peer head setting is there. The round light grey pseudo-neck, without gill advice, has a five-pointed starfish array of greenish color. The arms are tough and muscular at 4 feet long and tapered from 7 inches in diameter at the base to about 2.5 in point. For each point attached the small end of the five-veined greenish-veined triangular membrane is 8 inches long and 6 inches wide at the farther end. It is a paddle, fin, or pseudo-foot that has made molds in stone from a thousand million to fifty or sixty million years. From an angle in the starfish arrangement project, the two-foot reddish tube tapered from 3 inches in diameter at the base to 1 at the tip. Orifices on tips. All of these parts are very tough and rugged, but very flexible. Four-foot arms with paddles are undoubtedly used for some sort of locomotion, sea or other. When moved, display suggestions about excessive muscle tone. As found, all of these projections are folded tightly around the pseudo neck and end of the trunk, corresponding to the projection at the other end."

“Can't yet set positively for the animal or plant kingdom, but it's likely to now prefer animals. It may represent the highly advanced evolution of radiata without losing certain primitive features. The similarity of Echinoderm is unquestionable despite contradictory local evidence. The wing structure puzzle recalls possible marine habitats, but may have been used in water navigation. The symmetry is oddly vegetable-like, showing the basic structure of up-and-down vegetables rather than the forward and back structures of animals. The remarkable early date of evolution, before the simplest known ancient protozoa, confuses all conjectures of its origin."

“Broad study field opened. Deposits may be from the late Cretaceous or early Eocene period, as seen from related specimens. Large stalagmites are stored on top of them. Hard work goes out, but toughness prevents damage. A state of miraculous preservation, evident due to the action of limestone. Nothing else has been found so far, but it will continue the search later. Find a job now to get fourteen large specimens to camp without dogs, who bark furiously and untrustworthy near them. With nine men — three are left to keep the dogs — we have to manage three sleds quite well, despite the bad wind. Must establish aircraft communication with McMurdo Sound and start shipping goods. But I have to dissect one of these things before we rest. If only I had a real lab here. Dyer was better off kicking himself for trying to stop his westward journey. First the greatest mountain in the world, and then this. If this last one wasn't the top spot of the expedition, I don't know what it was. We are made scientifically. Congratulations, Pabodie, on the drill that opened the cave. Now, can Arkham repeat the description? ”

The sensation of Pabodie and myself upon receiving this report was almost indescribable, as well as our friends who were far behind us in enthusiasm. McTighe, who hastily translated some high points when they came from the wandering set of receivers, wrote the entire message of his short version as soon as the Lake operator signed on. All appreciated the importance of this discovery, and I sent Lake a congratulatory note as soon as the Arkham operator repeated the descriptive passage as requested; and my example was followed by Sherman from his station in the McMurdo Sound supply cache, as well as by Captain Douglas of Arkham. Later, as the head of the expedition, I added a few comments to be conveyed through Arkham to the outside world. Of course, rest is an unreasonable thought in the midst of this excitement; and my only hope is to go to Lake camp as quickly as possible. It let me down when he sent word that the strong winds that rose the mountain made early air travel impossible.

The Elder