Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-01-23
Then III last he moved forward. With
averted eyes he took Durnovo by the

"ed. VIII tfS W ueip you. Gan you
fake some food?" Ma
Durnovo threw himself down heavily
on the bed. There was punishment
sufficient to expiate all his sins in the
effort he saw that Guy DISCARD had had
| to make before he touched him. He
turned his face away.
Il haven't eaten anything for twenty
four hours he said. with whistling
information.
Joseph" said Discard, returning to
the door of the inner room-his voice
sounded different; there was IL metallic
ring in it-"get something for Mr.. Dur
novo; some soup or something"
| Joseph obeyed, shaking as If ague
was in his bones.
Discard administered the SOUP He
tended Durnovo with all the gentle
ness of woman and 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 and
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 rs this would be justly melted
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 told
haltingly Of the horrors Of the simia-
cine plateau: Of the last grim tragedy
acted there; how Mt last, blinded with
his blood, MANNED. stupatied 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 Oscard 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 attn
gle, his flesh creeping aud jumping
with horror. Gradually he collected his
faculties enough to begin TO think
about the future. What was ne to do
with this man? He could not take him
to Loango. lie 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, wide
awake III his hammock.
Suddenly the silence was broken by
a loud cry:
"Oscard! Oscardw
In n moment Joseph ana Discard were
ut the bedside.
Durnovo was sitting up, and he
grabbed at Oscard's arms.
For Gods sake!" he cried. "For
sleepw
What do you mean:" asked Oscard
They both thought that he had gone
mad. Sleep had nothing more to do
with Durnovo's eycs-protruding, star
ing. terrible to look at.
"Don't let me go to Sleep" he re-
peated. Don't! Dont.'
"All right said Oscard soothinsly-
'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 a
sitting position again with Il wild eff
fort.
1--WE got it! I've got it!' he cried.
Got whatY' at
1.-THE sleeping sickness!"
The two listeners knew of this
strange disease. DISCARD had seen a
whole village devastated by 1t, the
habltants lying about their own doors,
stricken down by a 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 Durnovo. Don't
let me sleep"
His head fell forward even US he
spoke, and the staring, wide open eyes
that could not sleep made a horror of
him.
Oscard took him by the arms and
held him in n sitting position. Dur
novo's fingers were clutching ut his
sleeve.
"Shake me! God! Shake me-"
Then Discard 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 lie shook harder,
until the mutilated inhuman head
rolled upon his shoulders.
| "It's u sin to let that man live" ex-
claimed Joseph, turning away in hor-
ror.
Its sin to let any man die" re-
piled DISCARD. and with his great
strength he shook Dulnovo like gar
ment.
And SO Victor Durnovo died. His
stained soul left his body in Guy Os-
cards hands. aud 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 its softening hand on the judg-
ment Of men. But there was strange
irony in the mode of death. It 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
had given place to peace.
The morning light, bursting suddenly
through the trees as it does in equato-
rial Africa, showed the room set in or
Ter and Guy Discard sleeping in his
camp chair. Behind him, on the floor,
lay the form OF Victor DurnOvo.
Joseph, less iron nerved than the great
,s game hunter. was awake and astir
WIN the dawn. He, too, was calmer
now. He had seen death face to face
100 often to be appalled, by 1t in broad
| laylirht