The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-08-22

ing OF the creature on the bed, ana
watching the rustic of the bedclothes
as IL impotently struggled to free IT,
self from confinement We watched
together ssacking many pipes, all
night long bl' the bedside of the
unearthly being that tossed and pant
ed until Il was apparently wearied
out. Then we learned by the low,
regular breathing. that It slept.
The next morning the house was
all astir. We had to answer a thou
sand questions as to our extraordi-
nary prisoner, for not one person ex-
cept ourselves could be induced to set
foot in the apartment.
The creature was awake This was
evidenced by the convulsive manner
In which the bedclothes were moving
in its efforts to escape. There was
something truly terrible in behold
ing, as 1t were, these struggles for
liberty which yet were invisible.
Hammond and myself had racked
our brains during the long night to
discover some means by which we
might realize the shape and general
appearance of the Enigma. AS we'll
as we could make out, by passing our
hands over the creatures form, its
outlines and lineaments were human.
There was a mouth, a round, smooth
head without hair, a nose, which,
however, was little elevated above
the cheeks, and its hands and feet
felt like those of a boy.
A happy thought struck me. We
would take a cast of 1t in plaster
This would give us the solid figure,
and satisfy all our wishes. But how
to do it? The movements of the crea-
ture would disturb the setting of the
plastic covering, and distort the
mold. Another thought: Why not
give 1t chloroform? 1t had respira-
tory organs-that was evident by its
breathing. Once reduced to a state
of insensibility, we could do with 1t
what we would.
A doctor was sent for, and after
he had recovered from amazement
he administered chloroform In three
minutes afterward we could remove
the fetters, and a modeler was en-
gagged in covering the invisible form
with the moist clay. In five minutes
more he had a mold, and before even
ing rough fac-simile of the mystery.
1t was shaped like a man-dis-
torted, uncouth, and horrible, but
still man. 1t was small, not over
four feet and some inches in height,
and its limbs revealed a muscular
development that was unparalleled.
Its face surpassed in hideousness
anything had ever seen. Gustavus
Dore never conceived anything so
horrible. 1t was the physiognomy of
what l should fancy a ghoul might
be. 1t looked as If 1t was capable
of feeding on human flesh.
Having satisfied our curiosity, and
bound every one in the house to Sc
crecy, it became question what was
to be done with our Enigma. 1t was
impossible that we should keep such
a horror in the house; it was equally
impossible that such an awful being
should be let loose upon the world.
l confess that l would have gladly
voted for the creatures destruction.
But who would shoulder the respon-
sibility? Who would undertake the
execution of this horrible semblance
of human being?
The most singular part of the af-
fair was that we were entirely igno-
rant of what the creature habitually
fed on. Everything in the way OF
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was placed before it, but was never
touched. 1t was awful to stand by,
day after day, and see the clothes
toss, and hear the hard breathing
and know that 1t was dying.
Ten, twelve days, a fortnighmt
passed, and 1t still lived. The pulsa-
tions of the heart, however, were
daily growing fainter, and had now
nearly ceased. 1t was evident that
the creature was dying for want OF
sustenance. While this terrible life
struggle was going on l felt miser-
able. / could not sleep. Horrible
as the creature was, 1t was pitiable
to think of the pangs it was suffer.
ing.
AT last it died. Hammond and
found it cold and stiff one morning
in the bed. The heart had ceased tc
beat, the lungs to inspire. We hast
ened to bury 1t in the garden. 1t was
a strange funeral, the dropping of the
viewless corpse into the damp hole
The cast of its form Hammond has
still. AS l am on the eve of long
journey, from which l may not re
turn, have drawn up this narrative
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