The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1896-03-11

| lONtNls
ooh, you great bearded infant;
put your hat on and we'll 60 and see
Wilson at once
"We started next morning. / was
feeling a bit hipped, of course, but
the others we're jolly enough. As I
think l told you, Phil had weakness
for potteTing about in scientific
messes, and he found kindred spirit
in Wilson, whose hobby was birds. It
was really to get some specimens that
he had originally proposed this expe-
dition.
BY the way, Wilson, said Phil,
have you ever managed 10 get hold
of any curareP
Curare?' said Wilson. Il don't
know what it is; what is it?
Probably it has got some other
name out here. We called it curare
in Oxford-Indian arrow poison, you
know.
"'Ohl you mean "wourali." No,
can't say have. and 1 don't think
l want to, either. 1t isn't very safe
plaything.
Safe enough, said Phil, so long
as you haven't any cuts or scratches
on your hands.
" For heavens sake, shut up that
scientific shopP / exclaimed. We've
come out here to enjoy ourselves, not
to talk like a confounded British AS
sociation meeting
=" Poor old Mac + said Phil, ss'what
shall we talk about? Will billiards do
or waitressesP'
"'Drop it, Phil 1 said; Il don't
want to be q bear, but your jargon
isn't very interesting to a chap who
hardly knows an ologY from an ism.
Let's have something to eat
"We found shady spot under some
bushes to have our meal in. We were
just lighting up afterwards, and was
holding the match to my pipe when
something flashed out of the bushes
and knocked the pipe out of my mouth.
What's that?' said Phil, starting
up.
Its dagger, 1 said. Just see
what's behind those bushes, you chaps,
while tie my handkerchief around
this hand. I've got bit of a scratch.
If it's "The Queen" let her go.
Thank goodness she missed my face.
''It was The Queen They caught
sight OF her among the bushes, but she
got away all right. They didn't fol-
low her far, but came back to see if l
was much hurt.
It's nothing serious, I said; only
a scratch, but think my nerves must
be bit upset. 1t has made me feel
horribly tired. I'll go and lie down in
the boat for while, and let you fell
lows finish your smoke. I've got a
bit of head.
'Mackay, you're crying, exclaimed
Wilson, and the sweat is simply pour
ing down your face. You're pretty
badly hurt.
"'Cryingr shouted Phil. Wilson,
that dagger is poisonedl
Poisoned? You don't mean
"'Yes, do. It's ''wouralia;" copi-
ous secretion of sweat and tears, head
ache, feeling of extreme lassitude-
those are the exact symptoms. OF
with that bandage, Mac
"'Good heavens he's done for,
said Wilson.
Done for? Not bit of it. OF
with that bandage; I'm going to suck
the wound =
81 had just got energy enough left |
to protest against his doing this, but |
he insisted, and was too feeble to
prevent him.
Nonsense, man, he said; I'm safe
enough. The stuff isn't poison taken
internally, even if do manage to
swallow some
''He put his lips to the wound, and
then l closed my eyes and everything
became blank.
"It must have been hours afterwaSd
that began to regain, can't say
consciousness, but an indefinite sem
sation of existence and horrible
WEAKNESS. 1t seemed to me that was
swimming on and on somewhere in q
vague, purposeless way, and 1 was
very, very tired. called it swim.
ming, but that isn't an exact descrip-
tion. l could feel my arms moving
back and fore with a steady rhythmi,
cal motion, but the rest of my body
was absolutely still. Twas almost suf-
locating for want of air, but j didn't
seem to have strength to gasp. How
long that sensation lasted can't say,
but it must have been a very long
time. wouldn't voluntarily go
through another hcur of such unutter-
able aud helpless misery for anything
you. could offer me. tell you it has
given me my theory of what future
may be like.
"As consciousness gradually re-
turned, the feeling of infinite weari-
ness became more and more unbeara'
BILE. My arms we're still swinging
backwards and forwards like couple
of animated pump handles aud L was
quite unable either to stop them or to
move any other part of my body. Try
and imagine the sensation; 1t was
simply awful.
"When did finally come to myself
so far as to know what was going on,
1 did it pretty thoroughly, You know
the theory that when a man loses the
use of his eyes, his senses of touch and
hearing become unusually accute?
From my experience that day l can
quite believe it. ] had lost all power
OF mot on, and my perceptiye facul.
ties became, to compensate, most un-
comfortably keen. felt as though
could almost see through my closed
eyelids.
"Phil told me afterwards that the