The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-08-29

full OF anxiety was my hand trembled,
and seeing this i stopped, filled my
pipe, and began smoking to conquer
my eagerness.
s.The face of the dead man was
ashen in its paleness, and his flesh was
as cold as marble. Looking back at
tho picture now, / don't think / ever
saw more spectral corpse than that.
The eyes were open, and in the agony
of death the muscles of the mouth had
contracted, so that in the rigor morris
he had sardonic grin that was horri-
BILE in its leer.
1.-The patter of the rain on the roof
was incessant but it sounded pleasant,
for 1t seemed company TO one. Still it
did not drown all other sounds. for
now and again above the storm there
came from the female ward wall of
anguish from n poor sufferer in de-
lirium.
at took but a few minutes smoking
10 recover my steadiness of hand, and
| resumed the work
While bending over the body, and
just at a moment when the greatest
deiicacy of operation was required.
curious noise from one corner of tho
dead-house startled me. 1t was not
like foot-step, but was somewhat like
a shufiling of feet.
''Instinctively looked in that direc-
ton, and noticed for the first time
some four or five skulls on the floor in
partial state of preparation. The
younger students had been ut work
preparing them for their cabinets. The
grinning faces looked rs if to chide me
for working on such n night, but then
/ was too anxious about my case to
miss my opportunity.
applying myself again to my sub
ject. was soon lost in the peculiar de-
velopments my eye discovered each
moment. when | was again annoyed
by a distinct sound from the corner.
''Glancing in that direction, it must
be confessed ! was not a little sur
pried 10 see one of the skulls moving
slowly toward me along the tagging
of the floor. | rubbed my eyes and
looked again. There it was-the flesh
less sockets of the eyes gazing at me,
the uneven, jagged teeth giving a
gnastly grin to the mouth.
at is little difficult for me to tell
exactly what were my feelings. That
they were peculiar frankly admit. |
fell 10 studying about the cause of this
motion on the part of the skull, and
examined closely 10 see whether or not
there was string attached and a
student playing one Of his pranks.
"But no. In the light could plain
ly discern that there was nothing
attached TO this relic of humanity.
Then what moved it?
Still engrossed with my endeavors
to solve this mystery, did not take
my eyes off this skull.
Slowly, stealthilv and steadily it
came on directly towards where was
sitting on high stool. The motion
produced Il dull. grating sound, as
some sharp protuDerances of bone
scratched on the marble slabs.
after it had advanced about three
feet it stopped.
Il laid down my pipe, still keeping
my eyes on the unpleasant object and
tried to laugh away the morbid senti-
mcnts that had now began to rise with
in me. l whispered TO myself how
much | would have rallied at any
brother physician should he have told
hAS Va lCCl-
ing of nervousness under similar cir
cumstances. Even the students would
have retailed the affair as an indication
of my effeminacy had they known ii.
Surely there were mechanical causes
10 produce these results. / knew that
the unsubstantial could not give mo-
ton to the substantial. My natural
philosophy told Inc that there must be
a force at work to impei that grim
fragment of human frame toward
me. Yet what force was it?
Il determined not TO leave my seat
TO attempt close inspection, fearing
10 be rewarded by the laughter of those
who were endearor!ng 10 astonish me.
The dreary monotone of the rain
and the unearthly sobbing of the wind
turned my reflections 10 more sombre
color. and some things came hack to
me had read in Robert Dale Ovens
Footprints on the Boundaries of
Another World -- curious things,
authenticated by afiidavits and all the
solemnity of oaths of remarkable re-
visitants from the grave. While dwell
ing on these subjects | recalled the
many conversations had had with my
patient, now dead and buried some
three weeks, Sailor John, and his per-
sistent asseverations of the possibilities
of the intellectual spirit returning to
this world of the flesh.
There! The skull moved again.
On 1t came, still sliding along in a d.
rect line toward me.
do what l would could not shake |
off a feeling of uneasiness and disquiet.
l did not like the situation-that about
expressed 1t.
"E-e-e-eks," grated the skulls
bony points on the floor, the sound
tingling my nerves as when one
scratches tho fnger-nail on brick or
a rough surface.
my pulse grew more frequent. I ex-
perienced chilly sensation down my
oack. and cold perspiration dampen-
ed my forehead.
Around me the corpscs lay. the gas
light making them saffron yellow.
"They at least did not move.
81 could stand this strain no longer.
1t was unbearable. / was becoming
the victim OF weakness for which |
would have reprimanded n child. |
felt pale, If that is possible, for it
seemed as If all my blood had rushed
to my heart
with bound / sprang toward the
skull, and STOPPING, grasped it with my
hands. lifted IL from the floor.
''Out jumped large rat and ran
scampering away. l cannot describe
my feelings when / saw the cause OF
all my discontinue. At first | laughed,
and then became angry with myself
for. even for moment, allowing such
an incident to disturb my equilibrium.
Examining the skull saw how 1t
had occurred. The rat had entered
the cavity In which the brain had been
through the foramen magnum or aper-
ture through which the nerve matter Of
the spinal column communicates with
the brain. The skull turned over, i'm
prisoning the body Of the creature,
and permitted the use of his feet only
through this foramen. He could move
the skull, but while it was on the floor
he could not get his body out.
pasted across the whitened brow
was slip Of paper, and on 1t a stu
dents name-'Henry j. Stubbs'-and
below Skull OF Sailor John, King of
one of the Polynesian islands; died
May ~. 1869. Charity Hospital
I'm an instant remembered the day
of the month. 1t was June so, the
night of Johns birthday. His promise
same back to me. Ha had said ha