Black Hound of Death – synopsis

Introduction

The synopsis for The Black Hound of Death outlines a tense and brutal tale set in the dark, foreboding pine woods. The story follows Kirby Garfield as he attempts to warn Richard Brent of an escaped convict, only to uncover a much deeper and more terrifying mystery. With elements of revenge, madness, and a monstrous figure from the past, the narrative weaves a chilling and violent confrontation between those seeking justice and those haunted by their own sins.

“Black Hound of Death” was received by Howard’s agent, Kline, on August 16, 1934. See also The Black Hound of Death.

First published in Weird Tales, November 1936. A tale of horror in the Deep South Piney Woods. Featuring Kirby Garfield, Tope Braxton, Adam Grimm, and Richard Brent, and his niece Miss Gloria Brent. Black devil-monks of Yahlgan are also involved. Sold for $100.00, $90.00 to Howard.

Summary

Kirby Garfield moves cautiously along a dark forest path, heading to warn a man named Richard Brent that a dangerous convict named Tope Braxton has escaped and is believed to be hiding in the woods. Brent is a newcomer to the area, having settled in a remote cabin deep in the pine forest with only a single servant, Ashley, who occasionally ventures out to gather supplies.

As Garfield proceeds along the path, he suddenly hears a man screaming in terror and running. A moment later, a wounded and dying Black man, Jim Tike, stumbles into him and collapses. Striking a match, Garfield sees that Tike has been horribly torn apart, as if by vicious hounds. Before dying, Tike gasps out that he was hired by a masked man to guide him into a remote area known as Egypt, but when the man’s mask slipped, he killed Tike—seemingly by setting savage dogs on him.

Garfield barely has time to process this information when he notices a dark, silent figure looming in his path. He strikes a match to see more clearly, but the figure snarls, slaps the match away, and slashes at Garfield’s throat before fleeing into the pines. Garfield fires at the attacker, but the figure vanishes into the darkness. Examining himself, Garfield is horrified to find his shirt and shoulder slashed in the same manner as Jim Tike, leaving him shaken but determined to continue his mission.

He reaches Brent’s cabin and finds the man alone, as Ashley has gone to gather supplies. Upon hearing Garfield’s warning, Brent descends into hysteria and violently drives Garfield away with a shotgun, even firing after him. Garfield, now convinced that Brent is either insane or terrified beyond reason, decides to return to the village and gather men to retrieve Jim Tike’s body.

On his way back, he encounters Ashley, who is accompanied by a frightened young woman—Gloria Brent, Richard Brent’s niece. Garfield, concerned for her safety, decides to escort her to Brent’s cabin, despite Brent’s previous hostility and Ashley’s open distrust.

Upon their arrival, Ashley immediately turns violent, attempting to murder Garfield. Ashley is convinced that Garfield is a spy for a mysterious figure he calls Grimm—a deadly pursuer from Brent’s past. Through Ashley’s ravings, Garfield learns that Brent was once part of an expedition into Mongolia alongside Grimm. During a brutal attack by fanatical natives, Brent deserted Grimm and left him to die. Somehow, Grimm survived and has since returned to America, hunting Brent for vengeance.

Brent again orders Garfield to leave, but after stepping away, Garfield hesitates, worrying about Gloria. He turns back, just in time to see the cabin suddenly explode in a blinding burst of flame. Before he can react, he is struck from behind and loses consciousness.

When Garfield regains consciousness, he finds himself in a glade, illuminated by torchlight. He is handcuffed, the restraints identified as those stolen from a deputy sheriff whom Tope Braxton had murdered. Tope is now crouched over Garfield, holding a revolver and waiting to kill him. Thinking quickly, Garfield deceives Tope by claiming that a cross is scratched inside the cuffs, and that anyone who murders a man while he wears them will be cursed. Falling for the trick, Tope removes the handcuffs, giving Garfield an opening to attack. A savage fight ensues, ending with Garfield killing Tope.

Garfield rushes back to the cabin, where he witnesses a horrifying scene. Grimm, described as a dog-headed man, has thrown a strange bomb into the cabin—an explosive that only works within enclosed spaces—rendering Garfield and Gloria unconscious. Ashley, who had been outside, has had his throat torn out by Grimm’s jaws, which are described as being like those of a monstrous beast.

Inside the cabin, Garfield awakens to find Gloria spread-eagled on a table, helpless. Brent is bound on the floor, reduced to a state of insanity. Grimm, also consumed by madness, begins ranting about the unspeakable punishment inflicted on him by Mongolian monks, revealing that his monstrous condition is the result of his past actions. In a final act of horror, he prepares to flay Gloria alive.

Garfield, acting quickly, shoots Grimm before he can harm her. Mortally wounded but still filled with vengeance, Grimm uses his last strength to murder Richard Brent before succumbing to his wounds.

Characters

  • Kirby Garfield – The protagonist, a determined and capable man trying to warn Richard Brent of an escaped convict, only to uncover a deeper horror. He fights against multiple enemies, ultimately saving Gloria and putting an end to Grimm’s reign of terror.
  • Richard Brent – A mysterious man who has been hiding in the pine woods. Once part of an expedition to Mongolia, he abandoned Grimm during a deadly attack. His past actions come back to haunt him, and he ultimately meets a violent end.
  • Ashley – Brent’s loyal but paranoid servant, convinced that Garfield is a spy. He tries to kill Garfield and is later killed by Grimm outside the cabin.
  • Gloria Brent – Richard Brent’s niece, an innocent caught in the middle of the violent conflict. She is kidnapped and nearly flayed alive by Grimm but is saved by Garfield.
  • Tope Braxton – A dangerous escaped convict who had previously murdered a deputy sheriff. He captures Garfield but is tricked into a fight and killed.
  • Jim Tike – A local Black man who is lured into the deep woods by a masked figure. He is brutally attacked and killed early in the story.
  • Grimm – A monstrous, dog-headed man and the primary antagonist. Once an explorer in Mongolia, he was abandoned by Brent and subjected to a horrific transformation by Mongolian monks. He hunts Brent down for revenge and nearly kills Gloria before Garfield shoots him.

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