The story revolves around an archaeological expedition to a remote hill where ancient artifacts have been discovered. The team's leader, a scholar, becomes increasingly obsessed with uncovering the secrets of the site, despite warnings from local villagers about the area being cursed. As the excavation progresses, strange occurrences start to happen, and the team members begin to vanish one by one. The remaining scholars are left to unravel the mystery behind the disappearances, which they eventually discover is linked to an ancient ritual that was performed on the hill centuries ago. The story builds up to a climactic confrontation between the surviving scholar and the malevolent force that has been awakened by the excavation.
By M.R. James · First published 1930 · Genre: Horror, Gothic Fiction, Mystery