《Slime》（史莱姆）六(4)

到了晚上十一点，舞台已经布置好了。海滩屏障就位，警卫在车站，巨大的探照灯竖立在高速公路附近，用探查的光锥扫过阴暗的沼泽。
十一点十五分，每支由十名全副武装的人组成的夜间巡逻队再次闯入沼泽。
Fred Storr and Luke Matson, on the midnight-to-three o'clock patrol, passed an uneventful two hours on their particular stretch of highway. Matson finally sat down on a fallen tree stump a few yards from the edge of the road.
"Legs givin' out," he commented wryly, resting his rifle on the stump. "Might as well sit a few minutes."
Fred Storr lingered nearby. "Guess so, Luke. Don't look like -" Suddenly he scowled into the black fringe of the swamp. "You hear something, Luke?"

Luke listened, twisting around on the stump. "Well, maybe," he said finally, "kind of a little scratchy sound like."
He got up, retrieving his rifle.
"Let's take a look," Fred suggested in a low voice. He stepped over the stump and Luke followed him toward the tangle of brush which marked the border of the swamp jungle.
Several yards farther along they stopped again. The sound became more audible. It was a kind of slithering, scraping sound, such as might be produced by a heavy body dragging itself over uneven ground.