, 1896-04-11
A QUEER ADVENTURE

A QUEER ADVENTURE
1t happened about seven years age. !
had been ~trunsacting some business III
London. and wa returning by the after.
loon mail to my home in the country.
Being the only occupant of the carriage
in which l rode, I broke the tedium OF
the journey by reading, in the dim lieh,
Of the chill December day. some Of the
several periodicals with which / had
furnished myself ct the bookstall PIE
vious to my departure from the station.
The papers at that time were full of
accounts respecting some startling out
RACES committed just previously by Il
band Of desperate Nihilists, who, in
their own particular manner We're levy
ing wal upon civilization in u we'll
known European capital. The reports
were alarmingly graphic. and an air of
insecurity was cngendered by reading
them, for rumor had it that the rami-
f'cations Of these champions Of assassi-
nation were we'll nigh limitless, extend
ing into other lands besides their own.
and it was plainly limited that England
was shortly to receive a special share of
their attentions.
read en- until the growing darkness
rendered the operation too difficult to be
longer INDUCED in. and then unused upon
what l had read until. half my journey
being accomplished, it became necessary
for me to change my train. With a quar-.
ter Of an hour to spare. / entered the
buffet attached to the station at which
I had stopped. with the object of obtain
ing some needed re%freshment. Having
eaten nothing since breakfast. l was
hungry, and looked round for something
substantial wherewith to appease my ap-
petite.
The only available thing besides the
usual sandwich was o German sausage,
which l began to tackle without the
least conjunction. Although not an edi-
BILE that l usually indulge into be cor.
rect, I had never before tasted 1.-THE
inelegant polony seemed to my sharpen
cd palate quite toothsome food, and 1
ate vigorously. and felt. ~ l believed.
all the better for it when the time came
to resume my journey.
had a companion this time. a man
who. like myself. was closely wrapped,
and who occupied the seat directly oppo-
site to the corner ono III which ! placed
myself. In his hand I noticed that he
carried a small, oblong parcel. incased
in brown paper and tied with a strip Of
thin string, SO arranged as to form a
loop for the fingers that held it.
On starting my fellow traveller made
q few commonplace remarks about the
weather, aud later OH, with an air Of
decided sooiability. offered me his flask.
I am aware that 1t is not ordinarily ad-
visable to accept hospitality in this way
from a stranger, and 1t is a thing I al
ways set my face against, but in this in
stance l broke through my custom and
took the proffered drink, and then, draw
ing my wraps closely around me, snug
gled into my corner and tried to make
myself comfortable for the rest Of the
ride.
had not been long thus ensconced
creep yer me, which steadily increased.
despite repeated efforts on my part to
shake It Oh. AS I sat in this semicon-
scious state my thoughts reverted to the
nihilistic literature I had been reading,
and Instantly ii occurred to me that the
brandy I had been drinking was drug
sed. The thought vas not q pleasant
one. and, somewhat alarmed by It. I made
a further attempt to rouse myself from
the lethargy into which I was falling,
but without success. Suddenly I lost
consciousness entirely. and everything
became d blank.
It was only for q few moments, how
ever. for my senses returned as quickly
az they had left me, although my power
Of action was quite gone. I seemed like
q person under the influence Of some
mesmeric spell, from which there was no
escapa. In this condition my gaze in
stinctively turned to my companion, and
I noticed, a. I thought. a mysterious
change In his appearance. His complex
ion had assumed q malignant air, his
eyes wore = wild look and round his
mouth there curled 4 cunning smile.
A. I sat watching him. he began to
undo the parcel in his hands, and draw
Ing away the paper in which it was in
closed exposed to view . box apparently
made Of tin. A little hinged door on o
q il sides, which he presently opened,
showsd that the interior WA filed with
aspscdes Of :lockwork arrangement, and
in~stinctively / guessed that the thing I
baAsA was ono Of those diabolical In
vsntions which have come to be known