Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-04-14


almost seemed to me that |
could reach out my hands and touch
1t, as one would touch wall, or per-
haps not exactly that, for wall is
hard, and this darkness was soft and
yielding, in the manner of enyeloping
hangings. Directly above me was a
narrow, jagged and Irregular strip Of
sky with stars. splashed in the
brook, finding Its waters strangely
warm, rustled through the grasses, my
head back, chin out, hands extended
as one makes his way through house
at night. There were no sounds ex-
cept the tinkle of the sulphurous
stream. Successive bends in the can
yon wall had shut off even the faint
est echoes of the bacchanalia on the
beach.
The way seemed much longer than
by daylight. Already in my calcula-
ton l had traversed many times the
distance, when with jump at the
heart made out glow ahead and in
front of it the upright logs of the
stockade.
To my surprise the gate was open.
assembled the gentle slope to the val
ley's level and stumbled over a man
lying PROSTATE, shiyering violently and
moaning.
bent over to discover whom it
might be. AS did so a brilliant light
seemed to fill the valley, throwing an
illumination on the man at my feet.
saw 1t was the niger and perceived
at the same instant that he was almost
beside himself with terror. Ills eyes
rolled, his teeth chartered, his frame
contracted in strong CONFUSION. and
the black of his complexion had faded
to washed out dirty gray, revolving
to contemplate. He felt my touch
and sprang to his feet, clutching me
by the shoulder as man clutching
rescue.
"My Gawdv' he shivered. Look!
Oar 1t is again!"
He fell to pattering in tongue I'M
known to me-charms, spells undoubt-
eddy to exercise the devils that had
hold of him. 1 followed the direction
Of his gaze and myself cried out.
The doctors laboratory stood in
plain sight between the two columns
Of steam blown straight upward
through the stiffness of the evening.
1t seemed bursting with light. Every
little crack leaked it in generous
streams, while the main illumination
appeared fairly to bulge the walls out
ward. This was in itself nothing ex-
traordinary and indicated only the ac-
tivity of those within, but while look
ed an irregular patch of incandescence
suddenly splashed the cliff opposite.
For a single instant the very substance
of the rock glowed white hot. Then
from the spot shower of spiteful
fakes shot as from a pyrotechnic and
the light was blotted out as suddenly
as 1t came.
At the same moment it appeared at
another point, exhibited the same
phenomena, died, flashed out at still
a third place, and SO was repeated
here and there with bewildering RAJ
pidity until the walls of the valley
cracked and spat sparks. Abruptly
the darkness fell. AS abruptly 1t was
broken again by a similar exhibition,
only this time the fire was blue. Blue
was followed by purple, purple by red.
Then ensued the briefest possible
pause. in which figure moved across
the bars Of light escaping through the
chinks Of the laboratory, and then the
whole valley blased with patches of
varicolored fire. It was not a reflec-
ton. 1t was actual physical conflagra-
ton of the solid rock In irregular
areas. Some Of the fire shapes We're
most fantastic. And with the unex-
pectedness of a bursting shell the sur
face Of the ground before our feet
cracked into CHASTITY blue fame.
The niger uttered cry In his throat
and disappeared. felt sharp breath
on my neck an ejaculation of surprise
ut my ear. 1t was startling enough to
scare the soul out Of man, but l
held fast and was just about to step
forward when my collar was twisted
tight from behind. l raised both my
hands, felt steel and knew that was
in the grasp of Handy Solomon's claw.
The sailor had me foul. / did my
best to twist around, to unbutton the
collar, but in vain. felt my wind
j leaving me; the CHASTITY blue light was
shot with red. Distinctly heard the
mans sharp intaken breath as some
new phenomenon met his eye, and hls
GREAT oath as he swore.