New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-13
WORK DAILY TRIBUNE SUNDAY rA

Was listening-for what: could not imagine
mt bis head down. and for anothei zen mhu es
did not move. Then gradually ana noseHSS"" 3
rosc to his feet and came toward the Wu.
little distance away he stopped and Listened assi
Evidently he did not hear what be ad ,, ~
for after standing moment he returned " "''
Snddeniy found the explanation of his strange
conduct He had listened TO my breathing 'ha'
he might determine II slept ~. ,s.uon slow.
" to Iengthcn my respiration and to expel IL
with more sound and force che. T vas
At the end Of few minutes saw IpaI = We We
succeedina In INV design. A second time ne r0se
with perfect stiffness and came 70 the peg. ".S
face wore an expression Of dcvilish cunning, ~
utterly foreign to his customary men shse .ocng.
other circumstances should have failed 10 recog-
nize him. swift fash OF satisfaction IN nus w
showed that he thought me asleep, and ne turned
TO the window TO make his escape
His motions were slow and cautious, remind,
ing me of cat rather than dog: had expecte .
him TO make some slight noise IN uhnooRlng Va" i
blind. for doubt IL | myself, with my m dt, -
hazard, could have accomplished ~ La raor,
But there was no sound to be heard In tnc roon'
except that of my own slow, steady respiration,
/ think il must have taken him hye minutes
to draw the hook. Then the blind was SWUNG
back quietly inch by inch, and his way was cieaa az
He stood for moment with his forepaws upon 5n e
wipdow-sil and looked back at me. AS ne uia
So again felt the same strange impression OF elros
that had overwhelmed me the hrst Time NY cyes
had met his In that lonely canon. FOR an
instant held my breath, and had ne cohIIlnue s
TO look, he must have discovered that l was
not asleep. But now with sudden YET hoise S;S
leap he went out or the wlndoW-eonc oA "~
murderous quest
It was several minutes before yentured 10
move. AT last / rose and went to the wihoow,
Far away, where the bright moonlight fell upon
piece of darkness scudding swiftly along. IL
was Demon on his way to the sheep pastures. =,
l scarcely knew what impulse sent mel out !
went to the closet in my room, took down .
large navy revolver, and when got back *, into INTO
bed. slipped it underneath my pillow, did NOT
then, and will not now, confess to any re, feai
There was dread-a vague, indistnct horror-at
something unexplainable that seemed TO see IN
his eyes But had / really feared him, should
have, closed the blind, rendering his return III
possible.
/ lay still and watched for an hour The nearest
iocks knew, could be reached in few minutes,
and his return might be expected at any Time;
for the sound that should indicate his approach
| Suddenly q great black head appeared at the
window without the warning OF footialI-
of the night In it two round red lights cleaned
| like Goals of fire. The moon shone clear and full
| on his face, and could plainly see the 5iood ana
foam with which his jaws were covered.
He climbed slowly into the room. Then, Win
| an ingenuity that was even more than human,
| he drew the blind shut-noiselessy-an fastened
| II In place.
| He gave one quick glance at me. and went over
| I watched him, while he licked the blood-stains
from his feet and washsd his face and neck, with
| the motions and attitude Of a cat
I grew faint with the horror Of 1t all, and at
| last forgot the part which / was playing, and
ceased to counterfeit the respiration OF one who
sleeps. Even when Demon suddenly started up,
| looked at me and listened, did not notice my
| mistake.
Then he came nearer to the bed-a few feet
| away-and glared at me out OF those terrible
| eyes
That was the moment in which ! saw the
thing and understood it all. You will not believe
| i'll don't ask that you should--but saw through
| that creatures ewes down into the lost human
| soul that occupied its body.
| 1t was the soul of a murderer-the destroyer OF
the drunken Basque in his lonely howell, the slayer
| Of the shecp-now, at last throwing OIL al dis
guise.
With a strange half-animal and hslf-human cry,
| the thing sprang at my throat threw up my
hand and IL missed it's aim, the teeth closing only
| on the skin. The next instant fired the re-
volver, and it rolled over dead.
The wound was not serious, but it left that
| ugly looking scar. There is another scar that
| the experience left. which is probably much
| arger-if one could see il. l mean on my
memory Charles Dwight Willard in The San
| Francisco ArgOnaut.