Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1907-03-29

DISCARD administered the soup. lie
tended DurnovO with all the gentle
ness of q woman and a fOrtitude that
was above the fortitude Of men. De-
spite himself his hands trembled, big
and strong as they were. His whole
being was contracted with horror ana
pain. Whatever Victor Durnovo had
been, he was now an object of such
pity that before it all possible human
sins faded into -spotlessness. There
was no crime in all that human nature
has found to commit for which such
cruelty as this would be justly meted
out in punishment.
Durnovo spoke from time to time
but he could see the effect that his
Kissing speech had upon his companion
and in time he gave it up. He tod
haltingly Of the horrors of the slmia-
cine plateau; OF the last grim tragedy
acted there; how at last, blinded with
his blood. manned, stupefed by agony,
he had been bounded down the slope
by yelling, laughing horde of tor
turers.
There was not much to be done, and
presently Guy DISCARD moved away TO
his camp chair, where he sat staring
into the night. Sleep was Impossible.
Strong, hardened, weather beaten man
that he was, his nerves were all Atm
Gle. his riesh creeping and jumping
with horror. Gradually he collected his
faculties enough to begin to think
about the future. What was he to do
with this man? He could not take him
TO Loango. He could not risk that
Jocelyn or even Maurice Gordon should
look upon this horror.
: Joseph had crept back into the In
ner room, where he had no light, and
could be heard breathing hard, VIDE
awake In his hammock.
Suddenly the silence was broken by
q loud cry:
"Oscard Oscard!'
In q moment Joseph and, DISCARD were
at the bedside.
Durnovo was sitting up, and he
grabbed at Oscard's arms.
"For Gods sake! he cried. For
Gods sake, man. don't let me go TO
sleepr'
'sWhat do you mean? asked Oscard4
They both thought that he had gone
mad. Sleep had nothing more to 90
with Durnovo's eyes-protruding. star
tno forrihle tO look at
Don't let me go to Sleep" he re-
peated. Don't! Don't!'
cali right" said Oscard soOthlngly-
"all right. Well look after YOU
He fell back on the bed. In the flick
ering light his eyeballs cleaned.
Then, quite suddenly, he rose to
sitting position again with wild eff
fort.
'1've got it! I've got it" he cried.
SCOT what?'
''The sleeping sickness
The two listeners knew of this
strange disease. Oscard had seen q
whole village devastated by 1t, the
habitants lying about their own doors.
stricken down by deadly sleep from
which they never awOke. 1t is known
on the west coast of Africa, and the
cure for it Is unknown.
Hold me"' cried DurnOv0. Don't
let me sleep!
His head fell forward even as he
spoke, and the staring, wide open eyes
that could not sleep made horror or
him.
DISCARD took him by the arms and
held him in "a sitting position. Dur
novo's fingers were clutching at his
sleeve.
"Shake me! God! Shake me"
Then Oscard took him in his strong
arms and set him on his feet. He shook
him gently at first, but as the dread
somnolence crept on he shook harder,
until the mutilated inhuman head
rolled upon his shoulders.
Its sin to let that man live" ex-
claimed Joseph, turning away in hor-
ror. -
"It's a sin to let any man die, re-
piled DISCARD, and with his great
strength he shook Durnovo like gar
ment
And so Victor DurnOvO died. His
stained soul left his body in Guy Os-
cards hands, and the big Englishman
shook the corpse, trying to awake It
from that sleep which knows no earth
ly waking.
So, after all, heaven stepped in and
laid it's softening hand on the judg-
ment of men. But there was strange
irony in the mode Of death. 1t was
strange that this man, who never could
have closed his eyes again. should
have been stricken down by the sleep
ing sickness.
They laid the body on the floor and
covered the face, which was less grew
some in death, for the pity Of the eyes