The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-11-26

disease was mastering every part OF him
in succession. There was a continual
rumbling noise on his inside. Every
three or four seconds it would begin and
roll, then stop and recommence. 1t was
something like the shiver that runs over
a lost dog in winter, sitting by gate
The abdomen and shoulders heaved like
water near the boiling point. He was
ready to shake to pieces, like girl
writhing herself under the effects of tick
ling.
Coupeau was sho wing signs Of exhaus
ton, but seemed to be suffering more
than the night before. He kept groan.
ing and muttering in hoarse. mufiied
voice. His writings and broken excla-
nations indicated the particular nature
OF his sufferings. Thousands of pins
were running into him. A cold and wet
thing was crawling up bis thighs and
its jaws into his flesh. Other
crawling things were clinging to his
shoulders and tearing him with their
claws.
"Water! water!' he cried.
The assistant took cup of lemonade
on salver and gave it to him. He seiz
ed it with both hands, dashed it against
his teeth, and drew it convulsively at a
swallow, spilling half OF it over his per-
son. Instantly be spat it out with a fu-
rious disgust, yelling:
"Name of God! it's brandy!'
The assistant, at sign from the doc
tor, held glass of wster to his lips
This time he forced down mouthful,
bowling as II he had swallowed fire.
"It's brandy, great Godr' he screamed |:
tits brandy! For twenty.four hours
everything be tested had been brandy
The soup was made of vitriol. The cell
was full of the fumes of sulphur. People
we're lighting matches under his nose to
suffoca.e him.
The surgeon got upon his feet, and
stood closely watching Coupeau, who
now in full daylight saw nothing but
specters. Great spider-webs, as large as
fishing.ne:s were on his walls, then they
shrunk close about him like chain ar.
NOR. Black balls danced here and there
among the meshes, like conjurer's balls
now here, now gone; sometimes no
larger than marbles, then like cannon
shot-swelllng, shrinking. Suddenly he
screamed:
80 the rats! see them the rats ~
, The balls had turned irto rats. The
foul vermin sprang through the meshes
of the nets, ran up to his face, leaped
upon the mattress, then vanished to re
appear again instantly, crawling up bis
body. There was hideous ape which
leaped out OF the wall at him and drew
back again. The sides of the cell began
to reel and tumble about him. Coupeau
in an agony of rage and terror yelled:
"Help! FIRE! fire! ring the bells! ring
the bells! Everything is burning-red
fres! green fires yellow fires!"
His shouts sunk into an inarticulate
rattle in the throat. He only gasped out
words at intervals-foam upon his isps,
his chin dripping with saliva.
The doctor rubbed his nose with his
fipger--an action habitual with him in
serious cases. ef
He turned to the Assistant and said in
q low tone: Temperature keeps the
same, eh ? forty degreesP'
aYes, sir"
The old gentleman made . face. He
looked hard at Coupeau couple of min
utes, shrugged his shoulders and said |:
''The same treatment; broth, milk, lem
onade, quinine in potion. Don't leave
him q moment. II necessary send for
me-" ss2ps ~.
Gervaise followed him out to ask a
question, but be brushed roughly past
her and was gone.
When Gervaisei came the next day the
whole corridor was shaking with the
bowling and Stamping Of Coupeau he
was 10 the midst OF bis cell brandishing
his arms on all sides, striking right and
left with the action, of one brushing dis
grsting things off him. He sprsng to
the door; then shrank dowE into cor.
ner, screaming and paving the air.
Then again Gervaise perceived that be
fancied himself plying his trade Of tin.
smith; kneeling down and reachihg over
the roof of a house, heating his solder
ing irons, blowing with his mouth like q
bellows, and yelling all the time at crea.
lures that came round him and stopped
his work, or sat grinning at him from
the neighboring roofs: And besides, the
wretches hal put rats up his legs:I ha
the filthy beasts! he stamped furiously
on the floor to crush them; be smote on
his thighs to kill the big spiders that
were crawling up. g 81 ,1se
Then he had steam engine in his in.
side. With his mouth wide open, be
puffed out-so he fancied-volumes OF
smoke which filed the cell, and then
rolled up and darkened the sky. sl'
Then he saw pistol presented full al
his breast. "Don't fire! Name OF God,
don't firew He sprang back ward, fend
ing off with his hands, till be struck the
opposite wall of the cell. Then think.
ing he was attacked in the rear, be struck
furiously against the wall with his fists
He rushed again to the front and tore
at the mattresses file bounded into The
air, sprang from side to side, struck
himself on the thighs and the shoulders
rolled on the floor, pouring out guttura
and savage cries. However, he wa.
plainly getting the worst off his breatl
became a hurried gasping; his eyes wer,
bursting from their sockets; his Who'll,
frame would sometimes collapse, as i
he hadn't q bone in his body. -, -.
Then, he seemed to be witnessing som,
acts of assassination. Murder! nur
der % he yelled. "Take him off! Ah
the brigand, he's hacking her in pieces
One of her hands is off-there goes th'
other! He has torn her open with biz
knife! Omy God! o my God! {
my God" And bathed in sweat, hi
hair standing on end, he flung himsel
backward. violently pushing with hii
hands as If to repel some horrible sight
With one piercing shrek, he flung him
self backward, and lay stretched on th,
mattress into which his fingers were dug
"Sir, sir" said Gervaise, clasping he
hands. she's dead ~ ,,s -s-.-..