The Cairo bulletin., 1907-11-28
TH sSs!E5 " s[,! Vas

~i~~' AS~"''S~AiDh VI 8NttihA VoNWccl
the sheets and ordering my thoughts
so that might sleep. So far as
recall there was nothing unusual In
my going to bed. nor were my reflec.
lions In the brief period that elapsed
before slumber such as to presage any
strange Illness or cataleptic seizure
had eaten heartily Of lobster and
cheese shortly before bed time, but so
perfect had my digestion always been
that had no fears OF strange dreams
To go to bed upon live lobster In
his full armament OF claws and
squeezers might have discomforted me
but to go TO bed, as the saying is. upon
a dead one and cooked, gave me no
gloomy forebodings whatsoever.
The incidents am about to relate
are enough to shake the stoutest cour-
age and disturb the very depth OF the
soberest logic and calm Judgment If,
therefore, to follow me through this
grim narrative shall threaten 10 un.
seat the reason or shock unduly the
nervous system, ] beg you will take
warning thus early, that no untoward
results may come to you through this
strange tale.
l must have been taken off In my
sleep. so 1t seemed when returned
again TO consciousness But what hor-
rible dread oppressed me as my senses
gradually resumed their functions A
feeling OF closeness. of shut-inness, of
GREATNESS darkness too deep to pene-
trate. | could not cry out. for my
throat was dry and my vocal chords
were paralyzed A terror too vast
and awful for words overcame me-
blind, unreasoning, instructive dread.
For, through the dim shadows of my
half-formed thoughts came to me the
awful startling, predominating, unget-
awayfromable truth had been bur.
led alive.
II Is a solemn thing to wake and
discover this to be the case II is
SO revoking, SO unthoughtful OF ones
friends, so lonesome. so unfathomable,
SO intense. To have gone to sleep In
apparent health and strength. looking
forward joyfully to the morrow to
have been seized in slumber with some
catalepsy so closely resembling disso-
luton as to be indistinguishable to
have had untruthful eulogies pro.
and then to have been con
signed to earth In this narrow box, to
wake betimes and shiyer with mortal
terror
Gradually | regained the use of my
limbs, although my voice remained as
dead as / was thought TO have been.
Slowly drew one hand up by my side.
for the narrowness Of my cell for
babe outstretching 1t. | felt about my
head-there was the smooth hardness
and polished surface that could mean
but one thing Above me felt. and
encountered the same hard, polished. |
immovable, wooden oh.
Itacle. felt my hair risins erect
rom Its roots, and turning slowly
ray In this perpetual night. Then
thought i saw a reflection OF my
In the shadows above me,
md | remembered that there was
Isually glass just above the upper
art OF the body and that my Inca
nents might be dimly reflected
herein.
The thoughts that came TO me In
his horrible time / shall never be
Bile accurately to set down They
ashed like lightning upon me and as
uickly forsook me. They charged me
4 columns. battalions. armies. myrI.
DIS, torturing me with their infinite
ariety and their acute clearness.
BIT If could only cry out--shriek In
lie hope that my tones might pene-
ate the earth above melt would az.
'rd me some relief But my voice
smained useless to me, and lay
lere shivering and silent, wondering
ow long might survive.
Suddenly. strangest of all, felt the
rappings about me move. felt a
lin current of air strike me, cooling
y hot forehead and appearing TO
'me through some aperture in my
closure. l felt a slight pressure
BON me. up and down. as II a hand
,ntly passed over me. What awful
implication was this? Was my
sting place being desecrated by
FOULS in search of gain? Still the
md stroked me up and down. | was
re ii was hand now for felt
g pressure OF fingers. Yet | lay
ere helpless. unable to move, un-
lie even to turn over. l felt my
ir turning from gray to pure white
was the climax of my suffering
L could Withstand no more. In
W minutes l would go mad.
But hush! In the darkness there
Is voice. Oh. the music OF II.
2 sweet, delirious unforgetable mel.
y of it shall never forget It
Id:
Yves only Is minutes fun Roches-
:. boss. II you gifts on there you bet
git up now and dress yourself We
~ stops five minutes."
I was in August, remember And
lad been in Lower ..