The Graveyard Rats

Downloads: Under 100
Pages: 8

Read online EPUB Download Save

About this book

Oversized rats are interfering with Old Masson's secret trade in valuables stolen from the graves of the Salem cemetery he tends. When a newly opened coffin reveals another theft by his rivals, he follows them into a network of cramped tunnels beneath the burial ground. His pursuit of cuff links and a pearl pin soon becomes a struggle to find his way back.

Henry Kuttner builds this short horror tale around wet earth, little room to move, and the narrow reach of a flashlight. Local stories of strange beings below Salem give Masson's encounter with the rats a further source of dread. The contrast between his practical greed and his growing panic gives the story its momentum, while the underground setting makes each movement feel difficult and dangerous.

About the author

Henry Kuttner

Henry Kuttner filled pulp magazines of the 1930s and 1940s with speculative tales, dark fantasy, and weird fiction. The Short Fiction of Henry Kuttner corresponds to a modern collection titled Short Fiction, which arranges public domain stories by publication order. Kuttner became known for inventive premises, wit, and a wide range of bylines.