Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1910-12-09


of the results of their own prompt
ings. Nevertheless, you are the muir
derer of two men, and would-be MUIR
derer of more"
The girl burst into imbecile laugh
ter
Bad man beat me-" she shrieked
to the rafters. bad man beat Baby.
Bad man fall dead. Squeeze bad man
dead You bad man, He squeeze you
dead"
SOL" said the doctor, loosening his
hold and watching her. He seemed
nonplussed; or, perhaps, with his in
nate love for children, even his steel
nerves had yielded to the horror of
this. But the reporter leaped with
cry from the bags ON which he sat
His nerves had broken. He came
scrambling toward us, tossing away
the bags, the lumber, wildly.
Put her out! Put her OUT" he
screamed 81 can't bear it. It's not
child, but a DEVIL"
Brodsky saw that he was beyond
reason. He endeavored to catch him,
but the man evaded him and flung
himself upon the child like mailman,
his eyes cleaning with insanity. He
grasped her by the neck of the thin
calico pinafore and lifted her bodily
from her feet.
Put her down, fool, put her down."
cried the doctor furiously "As you
value your precious life," he yelled.
release her."
Its trap" I cried involuntarily.
In that single instant a light of over
towering possibilities rushed in on
my brain. l saw the demon, batting
his trap with the young imbecile child,
harm toward whom would arouse into
action all it's own latent powers for
destruction. She had been present at
both the former murders; she had
been there that evening, waiting for
our own, waiting to tempt one of us to
violence. But the man made no sign
of having heard Brodsky's command;
only began dragging the child toward
the door. For moment she made no
resistance, uttered no sound; the next
she chung to the packing case with all
her infantile strength, and a wild
shrek of simulated terror broke from
her lips. The macaws awoke and
added their screams to hers. The
case upset; the candles fell to the
ground. expiring instantly, and plung-
ing us into ALMOST fathomless dark
ness.
Give me a match" heard Brodsky
cry. loudly. "A match, for Gods
sake!"
But the words were drowned upon
his lips in the mad scream that follow
ed. l heard the reporter below like
a steer; through the darkness he
plunged, releasing the child, stagger-
ing, writhing, stumbling toward the
door. All the while mad peals of fren-
zied terror and anguish came from
him. Midway in the long dark room
he went down, his heels tattooing
upon the ground. l leaped toward
him, but Brodsky was before me.
seemed to sense hairy body at my
side that stretched forth incredibly
long arms wherewith to grip me. Then
l felt the doctor grapple with it; and
the next moment the three of us were
fighting for our lives.
1t was no fancied effort now. To and
fro We plunged. Now that octopus
like tentacle would come stealing to-
ard me, now would free myself and
plunge my fists into something in
credibly hard, yet having the feel of
human flesh. Once the Thing grasped
me round the chest and the breath
went kissing through my lips. Then,
as l reeled and stumbled, felt the
doctors strong arm interposed, and
once again the tentacle was torn bodi-
ly from me. leaving me sick and faint