Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-03-09
TIE DOCTORS Fright.
1t Was Almost Sufficient to Convince
Him that His Hair Stood Erect.

1
Him that His Hair Stood Erect.
A well-known physician of Massachu-
setts, whose science is thoroughly mod
ern, lately had an experience which
gave him new interest in the time
honored belief that the hair sometimes
stands erect on occasions of fright.
He had accepted an invitation to pass
TWO weeks of a much-needed vacation
with some friends who were hunting
In the wilds of New Brunswick. While
there he went out one afternoon, arm
ed only with his cane, for a walk in
the woods, and managed, without actu-
ally losing the path, to wander so far
from the camp that ii was dark before
be could get back.
lie was cropping along on his return,
ieellng his way with his cane, at an
unknown distance from the camp,
when he heard, apparently but two or
three feet in front of him, a frightfnl
yen, and then saw as distinctly as ne
wished to see, even in the gloom, the
neau, ana especially the mouth and
teeth, of wild animal, which he knew
TO be a lynx. The creature occupied
the path, and the doctor had had expe-
flence enough in hunting to know that
lynx across the path of an unarmed
man Is serious mattr
Inc doctor was undoubtedly scared.
and he had reason to be. A strange
sensation of extreme GOODNESS went all
over him. and especially seemed to af-
feet the top of his head, which, for that
matter, Is not well provided with h..ir.
But he did with calmness the only thing
that there was to do. He drew back
step, and began beating the bushes
ahead of him violently with his cane.
The lynx, snarling ferociously, back
ed into the bushes at the side of the
path, and the doctor advanced, still
striking before him with his cane. He
knew that the lynx might leap upon
MIN, and that II 1t did, 1t would proba-
bly, be all over with him; but the lynx
ala not jump. Snarling still, it kept in
the bushes, while the doctor steadily
advanced. He could see the animals
horrible mouth open as he passed it:
once past, the doctor turned about and
kept backing away, beating the bushes.
When he got so far along that he felt
safe again, he faced about and took ac-
count of himself. He was all right, but
he still felt that terrible cold at the top
Of his head.
WELL" he said to himself, Il have
got out of 1t very well, with only the
loss of my cap; but / shall take hor-
'ibie cold getting back to camp in this
light air bareheaded"
He pressed on, feeling his way, and
at last reached the comfortable camp
ire, finding his companions considera-
oily exercised about him. He made
haste to relate his adventure.
"And after ALL" he ended, "all the
1arm that came to me was the loss of
my cap, and probably a cold caught
for the want of it,
"You lost your cap?" said one of the
hunters. They looked significantly at
one another and at the doctor.
yes"
"Then what's that you have on your
headT'
The doctor put up his hand. There
was his cap, just where it belonged.
The hunters burst into roar of laugh
ter, while the doctor stood before the
fire with his hand held at the top of his
head, and a puzzled expression on his
| face.
"Well, that is stranger he said. "The
top of my head was as cold as If a block
of ice had lain ON it,
One of thu hunters paused in his
laughter long enough to say, That's
what the lynx did. Your hair was on
end, and it held your cap up and let the
cold air in around your scalp"
The doctor does not accept this ex-
PLANTATION in its entirety, especially in
view of what he scientifically calls the
feeble dynamic capability of the hair
on top of his head; but lie is convinced
| that great excitement, due to the sense
| of bodily peril, may result in sensa-
| ton of extreme GOODNESS in the region
of the scalp. And this coldness, he is
| led to believe, when experienced by
others, may have given rise to the pop
| ular notion of the hair standing on end
| during fright.