The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-16

couldn't have his own opinion without
being bullyragged like pickpocket. md
what was the use of being experimentcd
upon when ono knew nothing could come
OF it,? '" 'oi''
Dut you can't know till you've tried.
my dear fellow" urged the captain. con.
c"iated ut once by tho change in Poduy's
,| ana eager to make IL proselyte
on have got an hour before you have to
start, and FIVE minutes will he cuou,h tn
prove the truth or falsehood Of my theory.
VIII you let me try to mesmerize YOU for
five minutcs?"
zen! twenty, if you like" said Pod
gers desperately, "if you will promise tha.
after tonight you will leave me alone and
in peace"
10 this the confident captain willingly
agreed. So rs soon rs the table was cleared
the victim delivered himself up to his w.
rant, and we all sat around and watched
the proceedings. Podgy sat in his chair,
with Il stolid look, such as have never
seen except in oxen, and Miles made
passes Mt him, and also faces of great
resolution and intensity. For the first ten
minutes nothing happened, but gradually
and not ut all to our surprise, for it must
have been weary work. 'odgy fell into n
deep slumber.
Hes OIL" whispered the captain de
liHhtedly; "hc's falling into II mesmcric
state, ana he made more passes to make
him fall deeper and to keep him there.
Don't you ovcrdo it. Miles," observed
the doctor warningly; Il don't like that
riSidity Of his limbs"
What rubbish; that's just as it ought
to be-" said Miles. Now let's try him
with the liquor tests" He tried him with
port and sherry and clarct and whisky.
and when Miles said, is not this mort
bitter, OLD fellow" poor Podgy said it was.
ana on the other hand, at the professors
suggestion, pronounced the dry sherry as
sweet Us sirup. All this we had been nc
custoncd to; but when the patient held
ont his arms at Miles bidding, and kept
them out for time apparently beyond all
human endurance, we began to express our
admiration and the doctor lis alarm.
You are going too far, Miles," he said
"fhe pulsations of his hcart-and he's not
n good subject. mind you, us regards his
he"rt, there is very likely fatty degenera-
iion-arc getting aniss Take cure. for
Staff and nonsense! | have only to re-
verse the passes" said the captain.
'lhcn all have to say in my medical
capacity" replied the doctor gravely. "is
that you had better do it,"
Just little alarmed perhaps by tho doc.
tors words, the captain began to reverse
the passes, but he might rs well have "put
his thumb unto his nose" like the little
vulgar boy in the ballad, land spread his
fingers out" for any effect they had on the
patient, who remained in II state of COM
plctc Inconsistencies. We screamed Mt
him. we threw water Oh him, we stuck
pins i'll his fat legs but save for IA sterto-
rious breathing Qtsclf, as the doctor r.
marked, II very bad sign Podgers-for il
was noticeable that we called him by his
nickname no lOngcr-showed no signs of
life
lie is in state Of what we call com
plctc -uspcnsion,'" observed the captajn
in II hushcd voice
Yes and SO will the man be who put him
there if the case comes before a Jury"
nurmUred til. doctor.
DO you mean to say he'll never get right
aSain!" stammercd the professor
1T looks TO me uncommonly like it," an
swered the doctor. ''Thc poor fellow has
got to go his rounds too"
"Oh, hang his rounds! I'll take them for
him." cried the captain that's the least |
can do, he added rcmorsefully, "and in
decd upon my life | can't bear to see him
in thiS-this Internal state Do what Won
can for me, doctor" (his saying "fo- me"
shovel the direction to which his thoughts
were tcnding), ''nnd do hope that when |
coma back shall find him himself again.n
Then off he went through the snow and
rain, with thoughts still more dismal than
his surroundings. Miles was, us I have
said, II good fellow ut bottom, and repeuted
his folly as well rs its consequences: he
now confessed to himself that, rs an anna
tenr, he had rushed in where even eXperts
might have feared to tread, and had raised
Il devil which he could not lay. If Pod
gers should not get round he might be
tried for manslaughter, or, at the best,
would have to write to the poor fellows
mother 20 break it" to her, which would
DC IL delicate job.
spondcncc, and even in 1.-THE Complete
Letter Writer" it was probable he would
not find parallel case. Never even mt
Ell, had there been such weather for visit
ing the posts; but the captain hardly
knew that he had become Il snow man ana
was wet through from head to foot His
mind until he got back to barracks was
entirely occupied with the inquiry, Ind
the doctor pulled Podgers through
Fortunately he had. TO the great relief
of all our minds, the poor lad began 10
show signs of returning life directly the
captain had left the room. The meeting
between the professor and his patient was
quite touching.
you shall never he troubled again bv
me, my lad" said Miles efTusivcly as ne
shook hands with him. 1--WE done with
mesinerism forever"
nevertheless it was n most successful
experiment." observed the doctor.
We'll l think it was" admitted the
captain modestly.