The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-29
WAS IT HYpRoPHoBrA7
Queer Story Told in Letter 70 the
London Spectator

A Queer Story Told IN a Letter 70 the
London Spectator.
SIR-Allow me to relate to you an ex-
perience, unique. as far as know, in the
annals Of railway sdventureI.
/, in my husbands unavoidable absence.
crossed alone in the middle OF that dreadful
weather We had about a fortnight ago, from
Dublin to Holyhead, aud, having had a
rough passage, I sought and found the soli-
tude OF an empty second-clRss carriage
After the usual delay we started, and as the
train moved, a gentleman, for he had every
appearance of one, jumped IN. Hooked sus-
piciously at him, wondering why he should
have delayed getting on till the last moment,
and remembering that, for better or worse,
l was compelled TO enjoy or endure his So
ciety for a considerable time, as the
train was an express, and stopped but
seldom. he was a man of perhaps IS years
of age, and from the few surreptitious
glances was able TO give while he was ar
ranging himself and his rug, l decided be
was mild and Misunderstanding. Not many
minutes had. however, passed, when dogs
bark in the carriage alarmed me not little
but, sir, you can we'll imagine that felt
frozen to my seat with an indescribable
terror, while my hair seemed TO rise from
the roots and stand on end, when became
aware that it was the man in the corner who
was barking like large angry dog No
words can convey to you the horror felt as
the horrible thought passed through my
mind-"H ydrophobia; he will tear me to
pieces in minutem
But, paralyzed as was, / yet remem-
bered that | could stop the train, aud =,
afraid even to move my eyelids, tried to
recollect on which side the Communication
cord was. On mine, thankfully perceived.
But IL did stop the train how could ac-
count to the guard for my actions What
proof should have to offer that the gentle
man in the corner had been barking Good
heavens he was barking again, more
angrily and furiously than before, growing
and swapping. Terror-stricken, a horrible
fascination, nevertheless, compelled me to
look him in the facs, and o. blessed reaction
of feeling, 1 ssw that he was
asleep; yes, sir, sound asleep, aud
barking as he slept. Stealthily
watched him for nearly an hour-was he
indeed only dreaming, or would he wake to
fall in dog-like fury on bis fellow traveller ?
l, however, became convinced that he was
sleeping like a child-or rather, like dog
he snored loudly and groaned from time 60
time; and at last terribly anxious moment
for mel woke with an audible shudder las if
TO see ii had observed the shudder) and re-
marked quite sanely: "What bitter weather
for trayelingw And he slept nor barked no
more till l left the train.
Now, sir, have you ever heard OF like
experience for no fancy tale Is this, but
literally true from beginning to end or that
human beings ever dream they are animalsl
And yet, if not, what was its am, sir,
ETC., A. d. q.
strangely enough, we had not received
this letter two hours when we heard Of an
other case. The sufferer, this time a
laborer, barked so loudly and so exactly
like dog that his comrades. believing him
to be in some way uncanny struck. His
employer threatened to send for a doctor
ton; and the unlucky wretch, frightened to
death, ceased TO bark for few days His
disease was, in fact, a rare nervous affec-
toned. SPECTATOR