The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-19
Our Daily Short Stories
AN ADVENTURE IN CHINA.
BY SPENCER BOYD
Copyright 1901. by Authors. syndicate>

man stands outside the walls OF
49,. laeation having just closed an in
'a.,,iay with the American minister,
~ standing there he experiences a
~anse of relief at the Accomplishment
- his mission, at the same time being
sabr4 10 resist a feeling of triumph.
-. faeIs that it is not given to many
- outwit Eastern diplomacy and ORR
entail craft
ue has been chosen for this delicate
~ dsngerous work chiefly on account
80 his familiarity with the topography
- the country, having, in his college
,.acstions. accompanied friend who
Gas engaged in civil engineering in
china. while devoting his own re-
searches to ancient manuscripts of
Eastern poetry.
Walking slowly and thoughtfully
+brongh the streets of the Imperial
city. he recalls the anxious, wan faces
of the legationers, who had waited
with such patience for help in their
more than dangerous situation. and
now just as they were beginning to
lose hope. and all seemed dark, he
felt exultant over the fact that he had
been the means of casting a ray of
light on their gloom.
His exultation, however, is destined
to be short-lived. He suddenly feels
himself caught from behind, a strong
grip upon his throat, and, though he
struggles valiantiy. he soon finds re-
sistance to be useless. He feels that
death stares him in the face, but it de-
veloped later that his nationality pre-
served him from such danger.
1t seemed that the authorities had
become suspicious and desired to ex-
tort from him any knowledge that he
might possess. They had no wish to
kill him, as his disappearance might
excite inquiry. They had not yet lost
all sense of future danger.
They were averse to adopting any or
binary means of torture. as it might
leave signs which would fortify his
subsequent complaint and cry for Ven
geance.
Therefore, with oriental subtlety
they apply the sleep torture.
The sleep torture! Could mind OF
man conceive a more excruciating ag-
ony? The victim is suspended in a
strong silken net swung from the
ceiling by slender cord of silk. II
effeetually confines its tenant.
He is excessively wretched, for he
has inadequate room.
Attendants are in evidence whose
duty it is to prevent sleep. They are
not to permit a moments uncon-
sciousness.
For more than forty-eight hours the
prisoner has not slept. Beginning al
this time, one of the attendants who
possessed psychic powers, thus de-
scribes his sensations:
The man is in pain. His limbs ache
He is oppressed with WEAKNESS. More
than this, dreadful desire overcomes
him. 1t is longing for sleep. He
cries out to his gods, but they do not
answer. He wonders why this suffer-
ing has come upon him.
He grapples with it as with a mad
animal. Still there is no relief.
Now he passes out of this condition
for little while. He becomes aware
OF bodily suffering more keen than all
he has endured.
It comes first just above the ewes,
What is that pair? 2" he cries. A knife
OF molten metal is thrust into his skull
Inc point breaks and is imbedded
there. 1t spreads like quicksilver. His
nerves shout and protest bitterly The
Knife tries to regain it's point. 1t
thrusts its haft within the wound. The
man feels such agony that his language
supplies no words. He cannot live, nor
die, he wonders if within his grasp a
fend has seized him.
cannot tell more, for the man has
no thoughts. The noiseless lips with
which the brain would speak are clos
ca and on them all comes seal, coined
with blood, marked with unknown
signs.
Now the man thinks again Riding
upon his eyelks he sees faint specks.
Ihey are soft and black like those of
SCOT So soft they are that pain is
not Yet they bewilder and confuse.
Ihey increase to millions. From out
the upper lid in trooping hordes they
pour, and falling down conceal the
world. He thinks they come from fur
Haces within his temples, whose fires
iced increasingly this procession of
gloom. He prays for change, and an
sWerlng his prayer change comes
quickly Each speck takes upon it a
prlghter hue, and in moment tinge
Oh ilre pervades them all. They burn
win glowing flames and now the eyes
are scorched and scanned with scars.
his thoughts change so that he for
sleep.
Fires burn up his blood. The room
swings around him. No, 1t Is he who
reels and turns. He thinks that he
stands upon one foot so that only the
heel rests upon the floor. The other