The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-07-06

we were requested to submit wltnouI
demur to any preparations necessary
complied with alacrity, but he evidently
| hesitated before answering, and notlced
| with pleasure that his voice trembled
| and his face paled with cowardly dread.
| "The old electrician produced two
long close fitting robes that enveloped
| us from neck to heels, and with slillful
| fingers he speedily buttoned them around
us, making the shroudlike garments
more secure by passing a stout cord
about the outside in innumerable turns.
Fettered in this way we lay upon the
floor unable to move hand or foot. Sat
isied at last that the fastenings were
secure, he dragged us with infinite care
into the chamber of death.
sit was small, square room, devoid of
furniture, and but dimly lighted by a
common oil lamp suspended from the
ceiling. The floor had been waxed and
polished until it was as smooth as glass.
In two corners of the room, diagonally
opposite each other, were couple of pc
culiar looking metal disks placed hori-
zontally on the Aoor, and having round,
fiat knob in the center. Leading from
each were two lines of insulated wire
about six or seven yards long, ending in
shallow cups containing dampened felt.
Placing us side by side, midway be-
tween the corners, the cups were fastened
to our bodies, one being placed on the
neck at the base of the brain and the
other at the extremity of the spinal col
umn. Thus attached to our respective
disks we were told that he who first
reached his opponents corner could, by
merely placing his head on the elevated
spot, send the annihilating current on its
deadly way.
''The old scientist, after few hurried
directions, given in a voice agitated with
strong emotion, retired to corner,
where could see him standing in an at
titude of rapt attention, his head bent
forward, his eyes protruding and glow
ering with fxity of expression almost
maniacal in its intensity.
1.-THE room was filed with a solemn
quiet, unbroken save by the low muir
muir of heavy respiration or the regular
tick of clock, whose monotonous
rhythm sounded like the beat of drum
to my overstrained nerves Thus we
lay for nearly half minute, each wait.
ing for the other to make the move.
"a short reflection had shown me that
victory would come to him who showed
the greatest cunning, as the manner in
which we were tied precluded the dis
play of brute force, and the slippery
floor offered no fulcrum wherewith to
propel ones self along.
"Slyly / turned my head and saw,
close by, the livid face of my antagonist
his deep set eyes watchful and alert.
''As a feint turned slowly over. He
did the same. Then with sudden ef-
fort l swung around SO that my feet
struck him sharp blow in the face. II |
aroused all the devil in his nature, and
he quickly retaliated by making des-
perate lunge at my head. His heels |
flew past within an inch, and the force
of the movement placed him almost be-
tween me and my corner. He was quick
TO see the advantage, and started to roll
with increasing force in that direction.
Then ensued terrible race for the disk.
"Over the CLASSY floor, slipping and
sliding, with head advanced in futile en-
deavor to gain a greater momentum. we
Wr1tned ana squlrmed, vatnly grasp1ng |
at the polished surface.
1.-THE room revolved in dizzy whirl, |
and soon my eyes were blinded by aching |
tears called forth by raging terror at |
the heart-a fear that he might gain the |
victory and live. With one last super
human effort threw myself across the |
widening gap between us and stopped |
his progress There we lay painting for
breath on the very edge of the metal
plate, but was nearest.
AFTER what seemed an eternity of |
time the strange combat recommended. |
l was posted in the angle, my feet pressed |
hrmly against one wall and my head
against the other. 1t was living bar
rier of resistless strength.
Suddenly felt his form against
mine. creeping cunningly closer. With
hasty jerk drew my body in, and |
with shoulders pressed firmly against |
the plastered sides gave one powerful |
kick and sent him sliding to the center
OF the room. Before he had stopped l |
was rolling in the direction of his corner.
"With elbow and heel, invoking the aid |
OF every nerve and muscle, rapidly COW
cred the intervening space, and then |
found my passage barred and the goal |
snatched from my eager grasp on the |
threshold of victory. Wild with baffled |
rage | threw myself upon him, and with |
hellish fury tried to tear his throat with |
my teeth.
"As we struggled the room resounded
with an internal din of gasping means
and oaths strangled in their utterance.
For time lost all sense of direction,
and was only intent on crushing out his
vigorous life.
"We had neared the middle when, by
what crafty trick know not, he broke
away, and with miraculous speed, now
leaping half erect and now writhing like
serpent, he again approached the disk.
| watched him with fascinated eye as he
drew nearer and nearer. My tongue
Glove to the roof of my mouth, every
drop of blood turned to ice, and 1 felt
the bony hand of death clutching that
heart which in a second would shrivel
at the lightning's touch.
"He reached it; up went his head,
higher and higher. My God! why does
he prolong this living death? A thud as
it touched the iron plate; horrible
gurgling noise cut off in its infancy; one
long, convulsive shudder of the body,
and he lay dead before me, killed by his
own wire. He had mistaken the PLATED
''Hours afterward was carried from
the house, my reason almost gone and
the dread terror of the scene still before
me. How his body was disposed of do
mob IL L
der false name. His death was not at
my hands, but the horror of it rests upon
me and it is more than can bear"