The record-union., 1896-09-20


My children, poor things, seldom came
near me. My wife had we'll nigh
ceased to come into my laboratory ex-
cept at stated hours to call me to
meals, My dog never left me. He
had true faith. He knew well that the
time would come when, my work being
done, l should seize my gun and We
should both go forth again into the
sweet-smelling fields and the pleasant
woods, full of scent and adventure to
him. He seemed to know that l was
not working for pleasure or caprice,
and that I had no choice but to be
about my business. AT first, when the
usual hour for going out arrived, he
would bark and jump on-me, and urge
me to come as only a dog can urge;
but after a few days he understood and
accepted the reasons which bound me
to my chair, and never again, irk-
some though the confinement was to
him, did he importune me to leave my
work.
This faithful friend was lying at my
feet now. He was sleeping, half on
his back, with limbs extended and
head thrown a little back. 1t was, 1
have said, past midnight. The house
was still as a tomb All were asleep.
My laboratory was at the end Of a
passage, away from the bedrooms of
the family. 1 thought 1 had found at
last how to make a liquid which, ap-
piled to the eyes, might make them
sensitive to the x rays, and perhaps
to other waves of ether yet unknown.
Taking a camels hair brush, / in
serted a little of this preparation un-
der the half open eyelids Of the sleep
ing dog. l knew it would give him no
pain, and the longer it remained un-
disturbed upon the eyes the more like
ly it's action to be effectual. Scarcely
moving under my touch, which he
knew and loved, the dog slept on. l
sat down again to wait the result.
was excited and impatient; my nerves,
suffering from OVerwOrk, were as tense
as those of a condemned man listen
ing in his cell for the footsteps Of the
executioner. L heard every little wierd
and aweSome sound that breaks the
silence of a sleeping house to a nervous
watcher-the creaking of the stairs un-
der stealthy footsteps; the sigh of
suppressed breathings; the fearful
dread to be heard.
Hark! What Is that at my door? I
must have been half asleep. / jumped
up from my chair with start, tremb-
ling with fear, yet ashamed of my
fears and my childish lack of nerve.
All. there it is again! l was stepping
forward to open my door, when just
at that moment the dog awoke. He
rose lazily, stretched himself, yawned,
and then came up slowly and stiftiy,
stretching his hind legs and wagging
his tail to greet me after his sleep,
and suggest that 1t was time to move.
He rubbed his nose against my knee,
and then looked up in my face. All!
What is it? The brute's eyes dilated
with terror, his hair bristled on his
back, he shrank back from me slowly,
paralyzed by deadly fear. And then
there went forth from him cry of
horror too awful for words to tell. 1t
was unearthly, unfleshly-such a cry
as a damned soul may give forth on
hearing its condemnation. / have read
of the shrieks of wounded horses on
the field of battle; / have heard the
groanS of man in mortal agony; in
the depths of the jungle I have heard
the piteous cry of the deer seized by
beast Of prevail sounds eloquent of
pain and fear. But these were as
voices of joy compared to that cry of
terror and despair that froZe the blood
in my veins and bade my pulse cease to
beat. When that awful cry pierced the
stiffness Of the night, the knocking at
the door became loud and impatient.
I heard my wife's voice imploring me
to let her in. I opened the door and
she rushed in, her face white and dis
torted with terror.
oh my Cod she cried, protect me!
What terrible cry was that? Herbert,
what was it? 1t has nearly killed me
with fear; and if the children had heard
it? oh, my children, my children!
Speak, Herbert! Would you drive me
mad?"
The dog was lying moaning under the
table against the wall. Hearing my
wife's voice, he came out trembling,
and chouching as a hound that breads
the lash.
Poor fellow" she said; poor old fell
low. What's the matter, Dash? What
is to"
Hearing that kind and well-known
voice, the poor beast crawled to her feet
and looked up. Instantly the same aw-
full cry issued from his mouth and he
skunk back into his place of retreat
under the table.
What have you done to the poor
beast?" cried my wife, Indignation now
taking the place of fear. Surely you
have not used him for some wicked ex-
periment?'
Her anger was noble and became her
done. Resorting to a subterfuge, 1 as
sured her that l had done nothing to
hurt or njure the animal, who, as she
knew, was my constant and loved com
panfon. 1 began to realize that the dogs
fear was caused by what he saw, and
triumph in the success of my expert
ments was driving every other consid-
Grafton and feeling out Of my mind.
Come, dear" / said to my wife, 81
am wearied out. Let us to bed The
dog was asleep, and must have dream,
something that terrified him. Let us
leave him alone. He will soon recover
himself
Fearing lest he should see either of us
again and a fresh fit of horror should
seize him, I switched off the electric
light, and taking up a candle. which
lighted hastily, / led the way out Of the
room. and shut the doors on Dash.
Before we slept my wife once more at
tempted by her entreaties to induce me
to forsake this, as she called it, mad pur-
suit. She pointed out the change which
the last few weeks had wrought in my
appearance how / had aged, and how
my strength and health were failing
She prayed me, IL / had not care for my