Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-09-16

would never leave Annoy WITHOUT me,
and that he would never be left in it II
l was appointed vice consul elsewhere.
Towards sunset he became excited. I
did not like the metallic glitter In his
eye. It recalled to me in an ugly man
rier certain visit had paid to Chi.
Aese rnadhouse little time previously
He was irritable, moreover, and would
not let ms touch his pulse, When ]
wanted him to come into the hut for
the hight he objected.
mo, Repdolph," he said, mot TILL
the moon there also goes to bed in the
antipodes. 1 particularly mean to be
awake tonight"
"Why?" I asked.
Because I am as sure as ! stand
here that saw one last night, and 1t
was when the moon was high. reckon
it went at about the rate of a yard .
minute. l mean to secure 1t. and l
should very much like to photograph IL
before nabbing it."
"What are you talking about, old
chap" asked again, with the dismal
fear at my heart that the fever or sun
stroke had affected his brain.
THE creeping plant, Randolph. 1t
was, as well as could guess at it, nine
feet long, With flowers all the way along
it-the calyx bright blue. I never
saw anything so odd since was born.
Do you know, almost lost my senses
in sort of excitement over 1t, apd
suppose 1t got away in the meantime,
for whep I tried to find it again l
conldn't"
could only stare at him in bewiider-
mept. He was Certainly not joking,
and yet the idea Of plant of this de-
scription was to MY upobservant intel
ligehce perfectly ridiculous.
But poor Hammond did not like my
incredulous look. "You don't believe
me, 1 see!" he exclaimed pettishly.
''That's ever the way with you prac-
teal fellows. am thankful I'm not
practical. Anyhow, too, ] mean to get
it this night, alive or dead-that's q
clear thing"
mo, no; please, don't think of -" l
eptreated. "Wait till you're bit
stronger, and then if you like we'll do
nothing else but hunt this crawling
beanstallk, or whatever IL is"
81 am as strong as ever ! was, il I
may judge by my feelings, and so you
may as well make up your mind to NY
going. ReWember, Randolph, that I'm
your senior In the service, and won't
put up with dictation from you or any
other man of your time of life"
could only shrug my shoulders, and
suggest to him as casually as possible
that of course had no right to inter
fere with his movements, but that for
his own sake he ought not to go off In
"pyjamas" again, as he did before.
Eyes, that was ipdiscreet," the dear
old fellow observed, with smile.
We humored him for the rest of tho
evening, and at length he fell asleep Ia
his bamboo couch-chair, and we COW
efed him lightly and arranged the mos
quito curtains to protect him as much
as possible.
But I had no inteption of going to
bed. Somehow or other, fancied he
would wake and start off into the
woods, just as he had done before. At
the back of my mind / confess, too,
there was Il thin phantom of curiosity
about the shape nine feet long, with
flowers upon It, which had fitted so
well with Hammonds ideal of a creep
ing plant.
Accordingly, lit my pipe and read
the North China Herald until began
to feel drowsy. The paper had dropped
from my hands, and / was ponderinG
weakly about the likelihood Of some
good-natured senior In the service "a
solving to retire or to die for the go6d
of his juniors, when heard a rustlipg.
My eyes opened sharply. Yes; it was
as, with electrical promptitude, I had
surmised: Hammond was bolt upright,
staring at the moonlight outside and
pushing the curtains away from him.
did not move, but watched him be-
tween my half-closed eyelids.
Consciousness seemed to come upon
him all in a moment. He bounded
from the chair and made for the door.
Then, with a look I shall never forget,
he turned back and snatched up the
same blue blanket had wrapped him
in before. He flung it over his Shout
ders and sped into the open. followed
him. And had to be brisk, or else I
should have soon lost sight of him; for
the dark limbs of the trees were thick
enough to hide him for q quarter of q
minute at time. IL was strange
chase, this in the murmurous night,
with ever and anon the startling cry
from q parrot or a monkey resembling
in the air. A barred tail pheasant shot
over my head with whir that would
have made a man unused to such noises
wonder what was happening. Bats,
too, went to and fro in the moonlight,
now and then eclipsing the planet COM
pletely.
/ don't know how long followed
the poor fellow; knew only that I
was much torn by the thorns on the
rose-bushes which inpeded my move.
ments. How sweet was the perfume
of these blossoms in the cool, humid
night air I can recall at this moment
distinctly.
1t was almost by accident that I at
length came upon Hammond. He was
STOPPING and peering here and there
about small spot of common grass
with holes In the ground and thicket
of bramble and clematis at one side.
did not notice it ut first; but there was
a wool of passion flowers hanging from
him. One of the flowers was a superb
specimen with dazzling corolla.
Standing in the shade watched him.
He began to poke among the brambles
with bit of stick. Then there was q
movement, and with an exclamation of
''Did not say sol" Hammond stepped