The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-09-13


The bottle contained nothing but
ink"
ssInkI'' | exclaimed. when the great
brain specialist reached this point in
his narrative, and Macpherson smiled
in the peculiarly quiet way he has
when he mas perfectly mystitied a
hearer.
Yes, ordinary ink" he went on.
The discovery naturally made me feel
rather foolish, but not SO much as 1t
would have done if | had not been
convinced still that his action was in
some way a malicious one. What his
idea could be, however, it was impos-
sible for me To divine, and felt so
curious about it that | should have
reused my friend at once to inquire
how five black marks on his arm could
possibly affect his happiness, If he had
not looked so thoroughly worn out and
in need of sleep. As soon as Lashton
was gone left the cabin at once for
fear of disturbing the sleeper, without
stopping even to try and remove the
ink-stains, a piece of stupidity at
which | have not ceased to wonder.
You see, it was impossible for me To
guess how desperately serious the plot
was that the engineer had formed
against the man whom he considered
his rival. | retired to my own cabin
opposite Gilby's, keeping the door
open to make sure that Lashton did
not return to do more mischief, but l
made a poor sentry. L was tired out,
like the Young lieutenant, through
not having had my proper amount of
rest for four nights, and l fell asleep
still wondering about the five black
marks.
When l woke. / do not know how
long after, it was to find Gilby stand
ing in my room, half undressed as !
had seen him in his bunk, but with his
shirt-sleeve buttoned up over the ink
stains ON his arm. / was too full of
sleep, however, to notice the fact at
the time, or even to remem ber for the
moment anything about what l had
seen. Sleepy as / was, L could not
help noticing the look of complete
misery and despair on my friends
face. He was standing at the side OF
my bunk, holding an envelope, and
when l started up, rubbing my eyes,
he put it into my hand.
- am glad you are awake, Mac
pherson,' he said, in a strangely con
strained tone. :. want To ask you to
do me a favor. VIII you give this let
ter to Miss Callan personally when you
see her? | do not want to take the
risk of sending it by mail
But you will see her yourself as
soon as / shall | said, in surprise at
the request, and Gilby did not reply.
Instead, he turned and walked out of
the cabin, leaving me staring at the
letter in my hand and wondering
what 1t meant / was SO stupid with
sleep still that it took me two minutes
to think of any explanation at all.
When / did / was out of my bunk and
running across to the opposite cabin IN
Il second. J ust in time, too, for Gilby
was in the act of locking his door when
| burst il open and rushed in without
ceremony. The fact that the young
Hcutenant's revolver and a couple of
letters one OF them addressed to me,
were lying on the table, served to as
sure me that my fears were not un-
grounded. The first thing l did was
to secure the revolver. Then l turned
to my friend.
What the devil are you going to
shoot yourself for?' l demanded,
bluntly.
'Gilby made no attempt to deny his
intention.
Macpherson he said with perfect cool
ness, because il cannot make any diff
ference"
And the reason?' l asked, with in
terest, for the doctor had paused to
light another cigarette. Macpherson
blew Whit of smoke from his mouth
and continued his story.
Il suppose you have never heard of
a disease called Guinea madness?' he
asked, and when l shook my head he
went on:
Neither had l, until Gilby told me
about it, although | am a doctor 1t is
one of those strange diseases that limit
themselves luckily to particular dis
trict and is only found among a few
tribes along the coast of Guinea. 1t is
generally thought that Europeans can
not take il, but the idea is an erroneous
one, or, at any rate, there are eXcep-
tions, for Lieut.. Gilby's father died of
it when my friend was a boy of ten.
His father was captain OF a trading
vessel, and the lieutenant was accom-
panying him on a voyage when they
called at the Guinea coast. He there
fore saw his father in all the indescrib-
able agony of the disease, which seems
more like hydrophobia than anything
else. although it is infectious.
The sight made n great impression
on him, and, since his constitution was
quite similar to his fathers, he had. al
ways suffered from an almost supernat-
ural terror of the Guinea coast. He was
quite persuaded that if ever he went
ashore there he would catch the dis
ease and die like his father. Lashton
il seems, was aware of this monomania
of his, for it almost amounted to mono
mania"
And he really had caught the dis
ease?" / asked
Macpherson smiled. He thought he
had. The first symptom is the appear
ance of small black marks on the arm
or leg. Pail Mall Budget