The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-11-07
The Story That CuredHis Wife
BY c. A. Stearns
tcopyrIshl. By shortstory PUB. Coz

Aio idIldtOi, MS gaze neid Dy "A nor.
rible fascination. He tried to speak,
TO stir, TO move. He could not lit
finger. Not muscle would answer
his viii. Even his eyes followed the
quiyering. swaying form OF fire with
out his control
His strength was slipping away
with his enthralled yolition, but he
feared not bodily harm as much as he
dreaded the assault and capture Of his
will. for he realized that some more
potent psychic force than he possessed
was striving TO wrest from him his In.
dividuality Physical death we're wei.
come compared with the unspeakable
horror OF the annihilation Of his soul,
as the result OF It's obsession by de-
monlac powers.
He struggled to retain his reason.
With an effort OF will that brought the
dew OF agony to his brow, he almost
flung himself upright upon his feet.
In an EFFORT 20 escape. As he did SO.
the hideous Shape advanced. proiected
by the weird flames playing through
the gaping chinls Of the rear wall.
and crept stealthily forward like an
animal seeking its prey. The lieuten-
ant could in fancy feel these horrible
fangs piercing his very soul. As the
dread Form was upon him, he in
stinctively threw up his arm. as II TO
ward en- a physical blow, when
shock-s soaring OF the fiesh as at the
touch Of liquid air--an etching Jet Of
flame that burned TO the bone, ran
through his wrist. Then ne felt him
self caught and dragged over the
ground.
When he looked about with return
jug consciousness, he found himself
surrounded by his men. some yards
from the crumbling cabin, with Law
son stretched upon the grass. still un-
conscious. Missing the lieutenant and
the sergeant at the hour set for break
ing camp. the surveyors, attracted by
bright light in the ruined shack, had
sought and found them there, insensi-
BILE and apparently overcome by
mephitic fumes that filled the place.
Both we're as weak as though con-
valescing from a lingering fever, and
the early morning march was aban-
doned.
BY sunrise the leaders had so far
recovered as TO superintend the demoli-
tion Of the cabin in which they had
suffered such frightful fear When
the rotting log walls were thrown
down and burnt, an extraordinary
sight was revealed. AS the blazing
logs fell away from the face OF the
cliff. 1t was seen that the rear wall
IN which there had been a movable
section on pegs ike the entrance door
masked a second chamber, cavern
in the rock. There was rude fire
place I'm il, deep with ashes. Over it
hung iron hooks and pots; crucIbles
and various instruments and utensils
were scattered about. Beyond the fire
place and a rough workbench some
thing was vaguely cutliued In the dim
light. Approached with a torch. it
proved to be human skeleton of un-
usual height. whose bleached bones
we're cracked and distorted. II was
complete. except the feet, which were
missing. The stumps Of the ankle
bones rested in deep vat, sunk In
the floor Of the cave One bony hand,
split and blackened, grasped q wire
that connected With the great growing
tree trunk in the cabin wall.
1t was with feelings Of awe that tbs
little party gazed at this strange
sight, but the two leaders were glad
to find themselves entirely free from
the oppressive symptoms which had
oyerpowered Them when on the spot
before.
Was that the last page in the dread
history of some student of unknown
forces--some searcher into forbidden
mysteries--trapped to his death amid
the strange devices Of his unholy oc-
cupationg It seemed so. Eagerly alb
Sorbed I'm some experiment while a
great storm was raging without, his
feet by an awful accident had slipped
into the vat. containing no one knows
what frightful mixture. TO save him
self. he had grasped the wire attached
to the tree. which at that moment. by
some strange chance or merited fatal
ity, was riven BY lightning. which fol-
lowed the wire and passed through
his body
Had the sultry summer air, heavily
charged with electricity, enabled the
restless spirit Of the sorcerer to utilize
again that fateful circuit, impregnate
the very ground with a resistless. be-
numbing power. and materialIze itself
electrically into the lambent, flaming
figure they had seen? SO they always
believed. and the deep scar, an inch
long. in the iieutenant's wrist. which
he will carry to his grave, confirms
him in that belief.
The colonels wife started up as he
concluded his story. and following her
gaze. his eyes also rested on a livid
scar on his own right hand, reaching
from the base Of the thumb to the
wrist.
20 Richard" she cried, rising and
walking the room in her excitement.
Il know at last the secret OF that
dreadful burn. 1t WAS you who suf-
fered that awful experience. oh. what