Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1897-01-08

twitching. And tho chief of 1t was q
pallid dread of something unspeakably:
uncouth and loatllsome-actual contact
with the thing in the darkroom. l be-
lieve l could have borne Il stroke from
any weapon it might have in hand bet
ter than a touch or close meeting with
the body of the repulsive creature.
1 crawled into the corner nearest the
door and waited With strained ear
Presently I heard q low shuftiing and
then q putting along the wall and n
scraping along the floor. He Of the
black hand was feeling for me; Of that.
was certain. My ear is good, and,
Judging by the location Of the patting
and scraping, as we'll us of another
sound, like the dragging of some small,
soft body upon the floor, l moved with
out noise around the edge. away from
my pursuer. Though shaken and fever
ed. 1 kept out of that dread clutch.
1t was nerve-straining work and the
tension was something frightful, hut I
kept it up until 1'fell v a box and
went sprawling right into the arms Of
the creature. My head fell upon its
clammy shoulder, from which oozed the,
noisome moisture. and its wet and ILL
smelling arms closed upon me, bringing
to bear such force that l thought they
would crush my brcast-bone. At the
same time there came out a low,
throaty laugh--a laugh so uncouth and
lacking in levity as to be positively har-
rowing.
There was fight in me yet. shaken and
crushed as l was. and. getting II arm
loose, l hammered with all my force
upon the creature. striking where L
Judged its head should be. My blows
Slid off because of the slime that envel-
oped the face. but once. l struck full
hard upon a solid jaw. and before 1
could pull my hand back my thumb was
bitten nearly in two. And then the
hand of the creature--tlHit great black
hand that l had seen in the low red
light-stole up to my throat. and, clutch
ing it in mighty grasp. shut off my
breath and made me grow dizzy and
faint there in the darkroom. My own
hands, flying about wildly, now struck
an iron hat hook in the wall. Wrench
ing this hook off, 1 drove it so deeply
into the hand at my throat that. breath.
ing very hard, almost gasping in pain.
the creature suddenly let 30 its hold
upon ME, and 1 was free.
Now l was furious-frenzied. l dart
ed at my a%ssailant With the hook in my.
hand. and presently l dealt a vicious
blow full in the face.
The creature butted forward With a
head SO hard that when it struck me in
tn breast l thought my breath was
gone. / fell " and 1t came upon me
again, its blood falling on my face and
its breath hot on my forehead.
OF n sudden there was IL shock as of
the solid earth bursting asunder, and I
sped off into space and oblivion.
When next l knew the world the door
of my darkroom was open and the
morning I'LL was shining in upon the
floor where l lay, with aching head and
a soaring of pain in my throat. while
my bitten thumb fairly throbbed. My
face, hands md clothes were nearly
covered With blood. green slime and
llllNluS OOZS, uIlu ILl lUOul TIE SCuulO the
walls and floors We're streaked and
daubed with the same offensive mix
ture. In one place there was the plain
imprint of five long fingers. doubted
not that it had been made by the great
black hand that had clutclled my throat
in the darkness.
1 crawled to the sink and washed my
self and took n good drink. after which
I made my way out of the darkroom,
into the house, where l changed my,
clothes and bandaged my thumb.
At my gate I saw two men on horse,
back.
"Seen anything of n big buck Niger,
going by here% asked one of them,
Hes got big hands and feet and is per-
fectly dumb. We tracked him down
to the slough, where he probably wadI
ed across"
1 stared hard ut the men.
"Yes." I replied. 1--WE seen him, or atj
least I've seen his hand. Where Is he
from?"
"Napa insane asylum. Broke loose!
yesterday morning."-San Francisco
ArgOnaut.
Rubfnstetn's Feat.