Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1900-10-01

LQorG is a y. 1OuISuC dL y o CLOCK
it will be living man."
what nonsense is this?" exclaimed
the man al he struck the coffin with
his cane. do you think l am child
to believe such talesP'
81 think you are a very smart man."
1 replied. ''but there is yet something
to learn. Read of Sonadi Hassassan.
He was the greatest magician the
world ever knew. He it was who made
the Nile flow backward for day.
When he had lived for 1000 years, he
became weary for the want Of sleep.
He fell into a trance which was not to
be broken for 1000 years. The time is
up at o'clock tonight"
"And he will come back to life?"
queried the man, with an incredulous
smile.
"He will You and your friends will
be here to see. l had read of him, and
1 was anxious to get his body. 1 paid a
large price for it that I may see it re-
stored to life with my own eyes,"
The Egyptians natural superstition
and my earnestness staggered the man,
and when l saw it I clinched the mat
ter by saying:
"It is only a few hours to wait. You
shall dine with me at o'clock. At 8
my assistant shall unwrap Hassassan
and bring him to life. Let two Of your
soldiers watch the coffin meanwhile. If
things don't turn out as say, you shall
carry me off prisoner and have 500 in
gold as a present"
$50 be it," he said after a long look
at me, "but do not attempt to trick me.
am no fool"
Two soldiers were left to watch the
coffin, and in my hearing he warned
them that any remissness on their part
would be followed by swift punish
ment. My living rooms were over the
warerooms. When the dinner hour ar
rived, l had the official and two of his
friends to sit down with me. All three
of the men had made up their minds
that l was playing a game of bluff,
and they had a curiosity to know how
l was going to carry it through. Fifty
dollars would have bribed any Of them
to shut his eyes for year, but in this
case they had received their orders di-
rect from the minister and dared not
trif1e with him. They drank sparingly
of the wine that they might keep their
heads clear but grew sufficiently good
natured to hope that l might get out Of
the trouble without serious loss.
'There will be no trouble | replied.
with calm assurance. "Sonadi Hassas-
san has had his sleep and will return
to life, and the government will prob
ably reward me for restoring such q
celebrated man to earth Come, gen.
tlemen. it is time"
The soldiers had been sitting before
the coffin for hours. My assistant was
on hand and ready, and we lost no
time in getting to work. The coffin
was tilted up on end, the body lifted
forward so that it could be got at, and
the wraps were soon removed. l knew
that the mummy was live man. but
never had / looked upon the face of a
subject showing death and the passage
of time more plainly. The face would
have deceived the wisest professor in
Europe. There were the sunken eyes
and cheeks. the loss Of teeth and the
seal brown color. and | found myself
wondering if some mistake hadn't been
made. The official and his friend quiet
ly chuckled as the business proceeded,
and my assistant villain was the only
one who was perfectly placid. He
did not hurry his work. He was
full half hour getting down to the last
wrapping. which was a sort of union
garment made for the occasion. Then
he stepped back with flourish, picked
up stick and, striking three blows
on the coffin, he called out:
''It is time. Sonadi Hassassan; it is
timer
The chest Of the mummy began to
heave and it's eyes to futter. Then
came long breath and it's eyes unclos-
ed. The soldiers bolted from the ware
house in alright, and the three men re-
treated several PAGES in CONSERVATION.
Very slowly and without a false mo-
ton the mummy gasped and stretched
and looked about. A hand went up to
rub sleep from it's eyes. Then it moved
uneasily and presently stepped from |
the coffin, Strengthened up and passed !
out of the door into the night with |
slow and dignified steps.
"WellT l queried as I turned to the /
dumfounded trio.
They stood staring with open mouths, /
and 1 had to put hands on them before
they came back to earth.
Did I not tell you so? Did I not say
that after a sleep of 1000 years the
great magician would return to life2'
They did not answer, but with pale |
faces and chattering teeth they totter-
ed out into the darkness with a mighty |
fear upon them. I had the agency for |
two years longer. and there was con-
tinuous boom in the mummy market, |
but after that incident there was never |
an official inspection of my stock. The
officials could not have been hired for |
money to poke about in the dark cor