The Savannah morning news., 1900-09-16
l:lE!I! 0 |! ] i!|i;!

had the greatest dlmcully IN preventing
his disturbing the sleep Of the tenants
In adjoining suites.
Meanwhi!e / had two men upon my
hands whose sleep was beyond disturb
iHE. have 10 natural horror % the dead
aud bad gained IA my medical studies an
additional immunity. yet I found the stu
alton Increasingly disquietiuE. After a
short interval / began 20 employ ordinary
restorative measures upon Colwin whose
appearance seemed 10 me somewhat more
alarming than HOLSTERS.
IL may be thot the events Of the night
had unsteadied my nerves. Certainly J
BEGAN 10 be conscious Of a loss OF self
control ! became so tremulOus as 10 b
almost incapable VI performing the man
ual labor necessary. and Precipitation drip
ped from my forehead.
Time as measured by the clock. seemed
alternately 10 leap ahead and 10 stand
SIN. 1 thought day must BE- far advanc-
81, and the next moment 1 was
startled by the light Of dawn at the
edges Of the heavy curtain that covered
the windows.
The dog. imprisoned IN a closet. did
not cease 10 whine. but ! had become
accustomed 90 the sound Yet when /
heard the tremuious breath OF sigh ]
1 spraug clear 20 the wall with panic ter
I ror, and faced about, expecting 20 see !
I fnew not what.
II was HOLSTER. who was stirring upon
I the cushions. His eyes we're open. and
were staring straight upward. could see
/ MS chest rising ana falling. and present
/ ~ be moved his limbs as one who labors
| With a dream.
Running 10 his side. I lifted him up
/ and addressed some words 10 film. which
/ he seemed not 20 understand ] got him
into an easy chair. and offered him
brandy. lie struck the glass out Of my
hand. not angrily. but unfeelingiy. a. IL
she glass had come there hy mechanical
/ process. without human agency.
| For several minutes he lay heavily in
the big chair, while stood before him
| uuering wonds that made no more i'm
| preston upon him than upon the wall
behind him. HIS intelligence. however
was awake. a. che expression OF his eyes
I showed plainly enough. He was suffer
ing. but not as 7 had-seen any one else
'Iucr There was neither mental nor
I physical pain He seemed 10 endure the
weight Of some strange burden. mere
/ heaviness without the spur Of pain
Presently HIS c0un,enanee began 20 shoev
/ a greater animation. something moro
specific IA its expression. There was
iight In his eyes that presaged action.
open the window wide" he said Il
want more air"
and go was nos wholly unpropared for
what occurred When turned toward
the window he suddenly eprang up and
| darted toward the cabinet whereon efood
tho flask that held the drug. I was too
quick for him. just as he laid has
hand upon IL struck It violently and the
fragile glass was shattered agalnst the
aoor.
Without a moments hesitation he Grnp-
pied with me, trying with one hand 10
push me away, that he might open tho
door OF the cabinet with the other His
1 strength had not fully returned and /
Was able to defeat hts purpose by q great
eXertion ] locked the heavy door Of the
cabinet. ana put the key into my pocket.
seeing himself defeated he sank back into
the chair.
With the idea OF changing the current
Of his thought begged him 20 assist me
m restoring Colwin. saying that our friend
seemed To be dying. Hoilister glanced in
Inherently ~ the riEid form upon the
couch. and turned his head away.
Feeling secure for moment. I devoted
myself TO colwin. II " probable that my
efforts had little, ~ anything 10 do with
the result; but wnhin ten minutes she
seeming dead man was upon his feet and
clamoring for che drug He was excited.
whereas HOLSTER had been calm. bu, both
mems minds were upon the same track.
Each wished with idenserihahe intensity
TO return into the sleep from which he
had JUST Weakened.
Neither would utter one word IN ex-
PLANTATION; not that they refused IN set
terms. but rather that they seemed wholly
Indifferent 60 my desire to know. And that
desire became stronger and stronger with
IN me as ] valuly strove 10 extort from
them the secret OF their adventure.
Surely there was nothing enticinr IN
what had witnessed that niehs. and 7
marveled n the impulse that impelled mo
20 follow the path these men had trod.
Perhaps the same subtle influence erna-
mated from the air. now heavily CHARGED
with the odor Of the drug that had been
spilled perhaps the sight % other mems
desire FOR something wholly beyond my
fancy owoke my envy Whatever tbe
cause felt the coming defeat OF my res.
olution. knew that should try tho
hazard 81 the draft
Aside from my desire 10 tempt the ad-
venture, another consideration pressed IN
on my mind. II was evident that I could
not much longer hold out against tho
madness 81 my companions. They would
soon be masters OF their usual strength
and could then easily overpower me and
take away the key Of the cabinet Even
n kept II from them they could event
ually secure the drug otherwise for
strong az q safe. IL could noe resist their
efforts very long.
/ had the natural impulse that would
have come 20 any man 20 p~event my
comrades from destroying themselves. ana
I no longer doubted the fatal efficacy 81
n second potion. II might be possible 10
restrain them for n tins by means 81 n
compromise, and even n small DELAY might
he enough 20 turn The scale. for whatever
was the influence that moved them. n was
not IN the nature OF mortality that IL
should hold IA power undimlnlshed Il
might he that from my own trial should
derive the decisive argument against their
purpose.
] did not believe myself cauable o,
yielding absolutely 20 the self-destructive
impulse: and Il might be that the sigh, al
my resistance would determine the action
OF my companions Thus I gave desire
the name OF duty. as n IL were for their
sakes that I faced the risk: but IN the
depths OF my heart ! knew that Il wss
the wish, old as the race. 60 penetrate
the mysteries OF another life.
The hope that ] could do q will seem
fantastical 10 every one who reads thess
words. but 20 ms mind In that hour. 10
was a proven truth. For remember this.
by an the testimony IN the case this
drug gave pleasure 90 no bodily sense.
except that its odor was agreeable. ana
that could be better enjoyed by ono who
did not taste q. Before the period OF un-
consciousness the effects were trivial: az