Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1908-03-02
CHAPTER XXXIV.

~1OR some moments barrow sat,
IN gazing fxedly at the table be-
fore him. His cigarette tip
IL glowed and failed. Some one
Mggested drinks. The captain asked
barrow what he would have, but the
question went unnoted.
How | passed the next six months
could hardly tell you," he began
lgain, quite abruptly. "At times | was
bored-fearfully bored Yet the ele-
ment of mystery, of uncertainty, Of
underlying peril, gave a certain Zest
to the affair In the periods of dull
ness found some amusement in visit
Ing the lower camp and batting the
niger. Slade will have told you about
him. He possessed quite a fund of
vOodooism. He possessed more before
. got through with him. Yes; if he
had lived to return to his country I
fancy he would have added considera-
bly, to Afro-American witchlore. You
remember the vampire bats, Slade?
And the devil fires? Naturally l didn't
mention to you that the devil fire
business wasn't altogether as clear to
me as | pretended. 1t wasn't, though.
But at the time it served very well as
an amusement All the while l real
ICED that my self entertainment was
not without its element of danger too.
remember glances not altogether
friendly, but always little doubtful,
little awed. Even Handy Solomon,
practical as he was, had scruple or
two of superstition in his makeup on
which one might work Only Eagen-
Slade. mean-was beyond me there.
You puzzled me not a little in those
days, Slade Well
did l say that / was sometimes an
noyed by the doctors attitude? Yes. 1t
seemed that he might have given me a
little more of hisconhdence, but one can t
Judge such a man as he was. Among
the ordinary affairs of life he had relied
on me for every detail. Now he was in
dependent of me- Independent doubt
If he remembered my existence at
times. Even in his blacklist moods of
depression he was sufficient unto HIM
self. 1t was strange. How he did
Rage the day the chemicals from Wash
fngton went wrong! l was washing
my shirt in the hot water spring when
he came boiling out of the laboratory
and keeled me over. l came out pretty
Indignant. Apologize? Not at all. He
just sputtered. His nearest approach
ito conference seemed to indicate de-
sire that / should 90 back to Washing
ton at once and destroy a perfectly
reputable firm of chemists. Finally he
Gained down and took it out in enter
ing it in his daily record. He was
quite proud of that daily record and
remembered to write in ii on an aver
age Of once a week.
Then the chest went wrong. Wheth-
er it had rusted bit or whether the
chemicals had got in their work on the
hinges l don't know, but one day the
professor, of his own initiative, recog-
nized my existence by Juggling his box
Out III tue oIru anu dShiuS me W LA
1t. Previously he had emptied it. 1t
was rather a complicated thing. with
an inner compartment over which was
a hollow cover, opening along one rim.
That l conjectured was designed to
hold some chemical compound or salt.
There were many minor openings, too.
each guarded by similar hollow door.
MY business was with the heavy top
cover
at should shut and open softly,
gently explained the professor. SO.
Not a-grating-sound-to beacon
panied he added, with his curious eff
feet of linked phraseology.
Half a days work fixed II. The lid
would stand open Of itself until tipped
at considerable angle, when it would
fall and lock. Only on the outer shell
was there lock. That one was a good
bit of craftsmanship.
$50. Percy. my boy, said the doc
tor kindly. that will with sufficient
safety guard our treasure. When we
obtain it, Percy. When it entirely fin
ished and completed shall be-
"'And when will that he" I asked.
"God knows be said cheerfully. It
progresses
"Whencvc- went srrolling ut night
be would produce his curious lights