The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-04-11

argument that followed
- 'Oh, you great bearded infant. Put
your hat on and we Il 90 and see Wilson
at once
''We started next morning. was
feeling bit hipped of course, bu; the
Others were jolly enough. As think l
told you, Phil had a weakness for potter
ing about in scientific messes, and he found
kindred spirit in Wilson, whose hobby
was birds 1t was really to gel some
specimens that he had originally proposed
this expedition.
BY the way, Wilson, said Phil,
have you ever managed to get hold of any
curarey
g 'Curare ? said Wilson. L don't
know it. What is it?'
q Probably !. has got some other name
out here We called it curare in Oxford,
Indian arrow poison, you know.
q oh You mean ''wourali No,
| can say have, and | don't think |
want to either. 1t isn't a very safe play
thing
= Safe enough, said Phil, so long as
you haven't any outs or scratches on your
hands.
. For heavens sake, shut up that
scientific shop = | exclaimed We've
come out here to enjoy ourselves, not to
talk ike confounded British association
meeting.
Poor old Mae said Phil What
shall we talk about? VIII billiards do
or barmaids? ?
drop it, Phil, [ said i don't
want to be bear, but your jargn isn'
very interesting to a chap who hardly
knows an ology from an ism. Let's have
something to eat.
awe found shady spot under some
bushes to have our meal in. We We're
just lighting up afterward, and was hold
ing the match to my pipe, when some
thing flashed out of the bushes and knocked
the pipe out of my mouth.
What that !? said Phil, starting up
< It's dagger, I said Just see
what behind those bushes, you chaps
while / tie my handkerchief round this
hand I've got bit of scratch. If
it's The Queen, let her 60. Thank good
ness, she missed my face
1t was The Queen. They caught sight
of her among the bushes, but she got
away all right They didn't follow her
far, but came back to see if was much
hurt
- It's nothing serious, said. Only
scratch, but l think my nerves must he
a bit upset 1t has made me feel horribly
tired. 'Tll go and lie down in the boat
for awhile and let you fellows finish your
smoke. I've got bit of head.
' Mackay, you're crying, exclaimed
Wilson, and the sweat is simply pouring
down your face. You're pretty badly
hurt
. Crying shouted Phil Wilson,
that dagger is poisoned :
. Poisoned? You don't mean
q Yes, | do. It's 'wourali Co
pious secretion of sweat and tears, head
ache, feeling of extreme lassitude-those
are the exact symptoms. Of with that
bandage, Mac.
g Good heavens He's done for,
said Wilson.
"'Done for? Not bit of it. Or
with that bandage. I'm going to suck
the wound 7
II had just energy enough left to pro-
test 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 a poison taken
internally, even if I do manage to swallow
some
"He put his lips to the wound, and then
l closed my eyes and everything became
blank.
at must have been hours afterward
that began slowly to regain, can't say
consciousness, but an indefinite sensation
of existence and horrible WEAKNESS. 1t
seemed to me that was swimming on and
on somewhere in vague, purposeless way,
and l was very, very tired. | called it
swimming, but that ism an exact descrip-
ton. could feel my arms moving back
and fore with steady rhythmical motion,
but the rest of my body was absolutely
still. was almost sufocating for want of
air, but didn't seem to have strength to
gasp. How long that sensation lasted |
can't say, but it must have been very
long time wouldn't voluntarily 20
through another hour of such unutterable
and helpless misery for anything you could
offer me. / tell you it has given me my
theory of what future punishment may be
like.
''As consciousness gradually returned,
the feeling of infinite WEAKNESS became
more and more unbearable. My arms
were still swinging backward and for
ward like a couple of animated pump han
dies, and 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 l did finally come to myself so
far as to know what was going on, did it
pretty thoroughly. You know the theory
that when man loses the use of his eyes
his senses of touch and hearing become
unusually acute From my experience
that day I can quite believe it. had lost
all power of motion, and my perceptive
faculties became, to compensate, most un-
comfortably keen. felt as if l could
almost see through my closed eyelids.
sPhil told me afterward that the pecu-
liarity of 'wourali' poisoning is that if the
dose is not very large. only the nerves of
motion are paralyzed, while those of sensa-
ton become abnormally sensitive. knew
everything that was going on round me,
aud could hear every word they said, but
l couldn't even wink to let them know |
was alive.