Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-03-11

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 slight twitch
ing of his cyclids 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 few min
utes, while | watched him closely, the
eyelids trembled and with great effort
slowly opened, and two great eyes of
intense blackness stared solemnly into
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 / 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 pyramid was found
| ed, what mystic rites, what mighty
men Of old long sunk into oblivion, had
| been mirrorcd in those hideously ancient
| orbs?
1t was as though the sphinx had
awakened from her granite sleep and
| looked upon me. Luckily for me | was
not called upon to long endure that
awesome gaze. The eyelids fell, and, as
| if exhausted 10y the effort of opening his
eyes the Egyptians respiration soon
! evidenced that he was again sleeping
l laid his head upon a fold of the can
vas and arose to my feet. As did so
cry from the doctor attracted my atten-
ton. lie had arisen and was pacing
| foverishly about the tomb.
"Oh, fools and madmcn!' he cried.
"Oh, blind and more than blind! Idiots
and imbecilcs! What have we done,
asses that we are? What have we done!"
stared at my friend in terror and
amazcmcnt His words were those of a
mailman, and the glitter of his eye and
the frenzy Of his manner were III keep
ing. While l still stared he continued
bis CALCULATIONS in a half dozen Ian
Euagos, gesticulating wildly, throwing
his hands aluft, tearing his hair and
dartng about the chamber.
"Do you know what this ISL at
length he cried in terrible voice, adj
vancing toward me with the flask held
aloft
"Of course not, -" II. o, striving
to appear calm and self ,.,.d.
"Of course you do not, J., answered
with "a sheer "Of couI>, NDu DO not
How should an imbecile liz, yuu know
what it is: What should it be: What is
it but the real elixir vita, the elixir
Of life the wine of youth, the medicine
of immortality, so long sought and
never foundl That's what il is, and
that's what we have been wasting on
that muddy carcass there instead of
treasuring il for the preservation Of our
own lives through countless ages. And
why not, he cried, his voice rising &c
a scream, as he turned hercely to me.
"why not for 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-
: cd: Eternity Etcrnity!' he screamed.
! "An eternity Of life Is ours!'
! A cold, icy horror seized me. There
could be- no doubt Of my companion
= insanity. lie was raviug maniac. The
exciting events Of the last few hours
had been too much for his highly
wrought nervous system. l was alone
with him, far from human aid, anC
, where no sound or cry Of mine coult
{ reach the ear Of man, To what ex
5 tremity might not this insanity drive
, | him? ] was unarmed, and, though {
stronger man than he, yet | knew tina
, insanity lends strength almost super
human. There was nothing TO do bu
to strive to appear calm and If possible
4 quiet him.
| 80 you really think this must b
$ the elixir Of lfe:" / inquired calmly.
"Of course il is, " he cried do yol
r. huppose it Will restore life to that car
, rion there after 80 centuries or NOR
v and not prolong the life of one alIead.
, living! Yes, it is the true elixir, tn
> true fountain of youth. Here his raw
ings became incoherent and so contin
ued for some time.
"Well it may be as you say, doctor,
q said at length. But let us first &c
i this fellow fully resuscitated and &c
4 out of here as soon AS we can. Heavens
q Think what fame will be ours when W
introduce TO the world living prizes
;. of the eighteenth dynastyr
o "Resuscitate that dog" he screamed
!. Waste on him any more of the pre-
Il cious fluid which means thousands {
d years of life to us! No, no! Let hiI
IS sleep as he has slept. All that a ma
% has will he give for his life, and heI
i. is life, life, life-thousands of yeal
= of il!
r. "Why should you have any of it?' /
ID continued, casting a look of deep mi
Lightly upon me. "Why should you eI
re JOY what you did not discover? Yo
lie would never have suspected the trI
- nature of the liquor. You would hay
IS wasted it all on that carcass there N
st no! You have no right to it. 1t is a
1r mine. Millions of years of life, and a
N mineH'
"You are welcome TO it all, docto
if you wish it, l managed to say.
L