The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-19

v1u< 70 oo00>houDok
 Well, 1 took of my oil-elcsA coat opened ny dissecsiag case, and stsrsed to wosk. TAe vind stole in through erevices snd Jared tho gas se that was delayed in my invessigatioa considerably But a1tef an hoor's labor 1 approached sAe solution of the problem over which | had @ loag studied. So full cs anxiey wss l my hand trsmhaed, and sseiax this l stopped. ksieS HS pipe, and began smoklng tc conquer my eAxesnesA The face of the dead man vas asAen ia is pAleness, and his aesh was as cnld az marble. Locking hack at the picture DOS. dcat think 1 ever saw . more spectral oorpse than that The eycs wese open. and tn the agony ot death the eaascies cf the mcatk had ceutracted, 50 tAas tn the rsger mossis he had sardcn,e gs,n that ~as horrible ,n isx lees.
 The batter of the rain on the roof vas incesSant. but u sounded pleasant. for |, seemed company ,e one. Ssili m did not drown all other sounds, for nov and again above the storm there came fro the female ward val ct anguish from a poor sufferer i- del.r,um.
 !" IL took but lev miuuses' smoking "a recover my s,eadsnexs of hand. and te- sumed the work.
 While bending over the body. and us, as ncmen, when the greatest deli ctcAey ct operation was required. curious noise from one corner oi the dead house startled me. it vas not like ioos. step, bu, was somewhA, like a shuisi,ng of fcces.
 trs,,n~,...st,, l~.k>a .~ .k.. ,a..-. ton. And noticed tos the first time some four or hve skulls on the floor 10 par ual state of preparation. The younger students had been al work preparing them for their csb,netA The gvinning faces looked as Il 10 ehide me ior working on such a n.ght. but thea vas too anxious about my case to mss my oppot tuni,y.
 Applying myself asaln to my sub lect. was soon lost tn the peculiar de- velopments my eye discovered each mo- ment. when 1 was again anao,ed by a distinct sound from the coInes
 "Glanctng in that direction. II mus, he confessed was not a little surprised ,o see one ot the skulls moving slowly To- ward me along the Aagg,ng of the aoot rubbed my eyes and looked again. There il was-the 6eshless sockets oi the eyes gaaing at me. the uneven. isg ged teeth giving . shassly gr,n te the mouth.
 "l, s little difficult, ios me to tell es. acsly ~ha, were my teeiings. That the, were peculiar 1 frankly admit fell ,o studying about the cause ot this motion on the part of the skull. and examined closely to see whether or no, there vas a string attached and q student playing one of h,s pr lnks.
 : Ba, no. ia the light l could plainly discern that there was nothing attached to thls relic Of humanity. Then what moveilt
 StiIl expressed with my cndeavcrs to solve ,his mystery. did not take my eyes oil the skull
 Slovly. s,eAlthlly and steadily t Ame on directly towards where l was sitting on high stopi. The motion produced a duu. graslnk sound. as some sharp pro tubesances of bone scratched on the mar ble slabs.
 Alter had advanced abou, three feet Il stopped.
 "l lad down my p.p-, sui keeping my eyes on the unpleasant ob)e,t and uned 10 laugh away the morbid senti. menss that had nov began to rise within me. l whispered to myself hos much l would have railed al any brother physi- can should he have told me of expef,sn- eng the slightest feeling oi aersousness under similar circumstances. Even the students would have resaiied the allan as an indication of my etteminacy had they known it. Surely there were mechanical causes ,o produce these results. knew that the unsubstantiai could not give nzosion to the substantial. My natural philosophy told me that there mus, be q force al work to ,mpe. that grim frag- ment of human frame toward me. Yes what force was II!
 determined not to leave my seat to attempt close inspection, fearing to be rewarded by the laughter of those who were endesvoring to astonIsh me.
 The dfeary monotone of the rain and the unearhiy sobbing of the wind turned my reflections to z more so1lbse color and some things came back to me l had read in Robert Dale Owen's Footprint, on the Boundaries of Another World '- curious things, authenticated by affi. davi,s and all the soIemnisy of oaihs o remarkable Tevisitasts from the grave While dwelling on these subjects re- called the many conversations 1 had had with my patient, now dead and buried some three weeks, Sailor John. and hii pessistens xssevefstioas of the possibili. iiss ol the intellectual spirit returning td this world of the hesh.
 I a .t. 4 is came, still siiding along in direct lins toward me.
 Do vhss would could not shakl of . 6esiisg of useAsiness and disquiet l did pos like the situaiion--thas aboui expresses it.
 sE-e-e-sks," grated the skuli's bony pssnts sa the a<sos, shs soan 1 ting. ling my nerves as when one scraaches the 6sger-nail on brick or rough surface
 hy puise grew more srsfsers. es.