The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-11-06

AS L did so L noticed something alarm
ing in his appearance. His features
were set and drawn, while his eyes
glittered with a light that was fearful
i'll the wild intensity of their glare. l
hesitated to speak and stood looking ir-
resolutely at him for some minutes. He
seemed unconscious of my presence.
From time to time he would mutter in
a hoarse and inarticulate voice.
In the hope that he might become
more composed if left to himself, and
in order to distract my own excited
thoughts, l turned my attention to the
Egyptian. His respirations had become
somewhat shorter, and a slight twitch
ing of his eyelids was apparent. Sitting
down beside him and taking his head in
my lap, / knocked off the neck of the
bottle of wine and poured some of its
contents down his throat, at the same
time pinching the epiglottis to make
him swallow. The effect of the draft
was soon evidenced by an increased color
i'll the swarthy cheek, and in a few min
utes, while l watched him closely, the
eyelids trembled and with great effort
slowly opened, and two great eyes of
ihtChEC DldShASSS otuISu SOlciuDly 1utO
mine.
There could have been nothing more
natural than for the man to have opened
his eyes after having been restored to
consciousness, yet this action, natural
as it was, affected me more than the
first discovered indications of life. A
cold wave swept along my spine, and
my heart paused until l thought it
would never resume its pulsations.
On what prehistoric scenes had those
inscrutable eyes last gazed before they
looked into mine? What awful events,
forgotten ere yet a pyramid was found
ed, what mystic rites, what mighty
men of old long sunk into oblivion, had
been mirrored in those hideously ancient
orbs?
1t was as though the sphinx had
awakened from her granite sleep and
looked upon me. Luckily for me l was
not called upon to long endure that
awesome gaze. The eyelids fell, and, as
if exhausted by the effort of opening his
eyes, the Egyptians respiration soon
evidenced that he was again sleeping.
I laid his head upon a fold of the cam
vas and arose to my feet. AS l did SO a
cry from the doctor attracted my atten-
ton. He had arisen and was pacing
feverishly about the tomb.
ooh, fools and madmen!' he cried.
"Oh, blind and more han blindl Idiots
and imbeciles! What nave we done,
asses that we are? What have we done?"
1 stared at my friend in terror and
amazement. His words were those of a
mailman, and the glitter of his eye and
the frenzy of his manner were in keep
ing. While l still stared he continued
his CALCULATIONS in Il half dozen Ian
guages, gesticulating wildly, throwing
his hands aloft, tearing his hair and
darting about the chamber.
"Do you know what this ISL" at
length he cried in a terrible voice, ad-
v~ancing toward me with the flask held
aloft.
"Of course not, l replied, striving
! to appear calm and self possessed.
"Of course you do not" he answered
with a sneer. "Of course you do not.
How should an imbecile like you know
what it is? What should it be? What is
it but the real elixir vitae, the elixir
Of life, the wine of youth, the medicine
of Immortality, SO long sought and
never found! That's what it is, and
that's what we have been wasting OIL
that muddy carcass there instead OF
treasuring it for the preservation of our
own lives through countless ages. And
why not" he cried, his voice rising ia
a scream, as he turned f~ercely to me.
"why not fer all eternity, for, in the
long ages of existence that this will
give us shall we not be able to discover
the ingredients of which it is made
and the manner in which it is concoct-
ed? Eternity! Eternity p he screamed.
can etc, atty of life is oursl'
A cold, icy horror seized me. There
could be no doubt of my companions
insanity. He was a raving maniac. The
exciting events of the last few hours
had been too much for his highly
wrought nervous system. l was alone
d with him, far from human aid, and
where no sound or cry of mine could
n reach the ear of man. To what ex
trerG:ry might not this insanity drive
him? ] was unarmed, and, though
9 stronger man than he, yet l knew thai
insanity lends a strength almost super
human. There was nothing to do but
to strive to appear calm and II possible
quiet him.
$50 you really think this must BIZ
|, the elixir Of life?' l inquired calmly.
d "Of course it is, " he cried. "Do yor
n AuppCse it will restore life to that car
q rion there after 80 centuries or more
and lot prolong the life of one already
living? Yes, it is the true elixir, thu
true fountain of youth" Here his raw
g ings became incoherent and SO contin
ued for some time.
"Well, it may be as you say, doctor,
g / said at length. but let us first ge
this fellow fnlly resuscitated and ge
out of here as soon as we can. Heavens
Think what fame will be ours when w
he introduce to the world a living prizes
al of the eighteenth dynastyr'
"Resuscitate that dogp' he screamed
fe Waste on him any more of the pre-
cious fluid which means thousands O
years of life to us! No, no! Let hin
q sleep as he has slept. All that a ma
4, has will he give for his life, and her
I'd is life, life, life-thousands of year
I'd of it'll